Lewis Business College, a secretarial school founded for Black women, was Indiana’s first Black college. Founded by Violet Temple Lewis in the late 1920s, the school aimed to provide Black women with secretarial skills.

Early Years

Lewis was born in Lima, Ohio in 1897 and graduated from Wilberforce University in 1917. She moved to Indianapolis and worked as a bookkeeper before opening her school in 1929 with $50 and a secondhand typewriter.

The school initially operated in a storefront on Vermont Street, offering classes in typewriting, shorthand, and bookkeeping. An eighth-grade education was required for enrollment. The school held its first commencement ceremony in August 1929, with five women graduating.

Expansion and Legacy

Lewis expanded the school to include dorms for out-of-state students and started a radio show, ‘The Negro Melody Hour.’ She also moved the school to Indiana Avenue in 1936, adding amenities like a type shop and employment bureau.

In 1939, Lewis expanded the college to Detroit, which grew rapidly. The Indianapolis location closed in 1941 due to the success of the Detroit school. The school eventually changed its name to Lewis College of Business and was officially designated as an HBCU in 1987.

Today, the school operates as Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design, offering masterclasses, certificate programs, and associate degrees in design.

Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.