Bright Side of the Southern Question. Speech Delivered at Corona, AL, August 25, 1903

Bright Side of the Southern Question. Speech Delivered at Corona, AL, August 25, 1903

William Hooper Councill

1848-1909

William Hooper Councill was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He attended one of the earliest schools established for African-Americans in Stevenson, Alabama, from 1865 to 1867. His education continued through private tutoring and self-study, where he delved into subjects such as Latin, mathematics, chemistry, and law. Councill earned a Ph.D. from Morris Brown College, and in 1883, he made history as the first black attorney admitted to the Alabama bar, although he never practiced law. Councill began his career in education in 1867, serving in various roles, including principal of the Huntsville Colored School. Later, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Alabama State Normal and Industrial School in Huntsville, serving as its president until 1909. His efforts were instrumental in the school's designation as Alabama's black land-grant institution under the Morrill Act of 1890, leading to its renaming as the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College. Councill's multifaceted contributions also included journalism, as he founded and edited the Huntsville Herald from 1877 to 1884. Moreover, he served as an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, founding St. John A.M.E. Church in Huntsville in 1885. Councill passed away in 1909.

Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://alabamaauthors.org

1978

Bright Side of the Southern Question. Speech Delivered at Corona, AL, August 25, 1903 Huntsville, AL; Hay Printing Co, 1978.

AL Book Collection

Councill, William Hooper, “Bright Side of the Southern Question. Speech Delivered at Corona, AL, August 25, 1903,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed November 8, 2026, https://www.alabamaauthors.org/items/show/24774.