Paul Quinn College (Dallas, TX) was founded by African Methodist Episcopal (AME) preachers in 1872 to educate formerly enslaved people and their children. Today it is recognized as the oldest historically Black college west of the Mississippi River and the nation’s first urban work college—a place where students lower costs and build résumés through meaningful, paid work from day one.
Guided by the “WE Over Me” ethos, Paul Quinn blends faith, service, and career preparation to graduate servant leaders who change their communities.
Quick Overview
Paul Quinn is a private, AME-affiliated HBCU in South Dallas, minutes from downtown. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Education recognized PQC as an official work college, making it the first urban HBCU in the cohort—a model that lowers student costs, embeds paid work into the curriculum, and connects undergraduates with real employers from day one.
A Brief History
Paul Quinn began on April 4, 1872 in Austin as the Connectional School for the Education of Negro Youth, organized by AME circuit-riding ministers. In 1877 the school moved to Waco, where it became Waco College before adopting the name Paul Quinn College (honoring AME Bishop William Paul Quinn) and receiving its state charter in 1881. Early curricula mixed industrial training—carpentry, blacksmithing, tanning—with classical subjects like English, Latin, music, and theology.
After decades of expansion, the college accepted an offer to relocate to Dallas in 1990, taking over the former Bishop College campus to widen access for urban students. Under President Michael J. Sorrell (2007–present), Paul Quinn earned national attention for innovative, community-rooted ideas—most famously converting its football field into the WE Over Me Farm and becoming the nation’s first Urban Work College in 2017.
Today, the college remains AME-affiliated, TRACS-accredited, and committed to educating students of all backgrounds.
What “WE Over Me” Looks Like in Practice
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In 2010, Paul Quinn famously converted its football field into an urban farm, taking direct aim at South Dallas food insecurity. Run with student labor and leadership, the WE Over Me Farm produces fresh food, partners with local restaurants and food banks, and serves as a hands-on classroom for sustainability and entrepreneurship. It’s become a national case study in community-first innovation—and a must-see stop on campus tours.
As America’s first Urban Work College, PQC integrates paid, mentored work into the academic week. Students hold positions across campus and with corporate/nonprofit partners, building experience and reducing out-of-pocket costs. That “learn + earn” structure is especially powerful in a major metro, where placements can span tech, health, finance, education, and social-impact roles.
Academics, Faith, and Student Life
Paul Quinn offers a liberal-arts core alongside professional and social-impact pathways; the AME affiliation supports a robust spiritual life for students who want it, while the work-college structure ensures that every Quinnite graduates with substantive experience.
Rather than listing specific majors (which change over time), the college emphasizes career-aligned learning, leadership formation, and service—anchored by small class sizes and faculty who know their students by name.
Athletics and School Spirit
PQC competes in small-college athletics, and the men’s basketball program captured the USCAA Division I national championship in 2022—a proud moment that reflects the college’s broader momentum on and off the court.
A Growing South Dallas Campus
Paul Quinn continues to invest in people and place. In 2018, the college broke ground on the Trammell S. Crow Living & Learning Center, the campus’s first new building in 40 years—LEED-certified, with roughly 30,000 sq. ft. of student housing and 10,000 sq. ft. of classroom/office space, plus a competition gym and community-facing amenities.
Accreditation (What Families Want to Know)
Paul Quinn College is accredited by TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools). If you’re comparing schools, PQC’s work-college status is in addition to its institutional accreditation and is conferred by the U.S. Department of Education.
Plan Your Visit
Address: 3837 Simpson Stuart Rd., Dallas, TX 75241.
Campus is about 15 minutes south of downtown Dallas; visitors often pair PQC with the Dallas Zoo or Trinity River Audubon Center. Check the college’s visit page for tour options and look for special events on the WE Over Me Farm calendar.
Why Paul Quinn Matters
Paul Quinn’s story is about purpose: a college born in 1872 to educate freedmen now helps first-generation and under-resourced students graduate with less debt, stronger networks, and real experience.
The institution’s innovations—the farm, the work-college model, the urban partnerships—aren’t just slogans; they’re working solutions that other campuses study and emulate. That makes PQC not only a historic HBCU, but a national laboratory for what student-centered higher education can be.