Intended to train students for agriculture and trades, the school was located on a -acre ( ha) campus. The Mississippi Conference of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church founded it in 1905. In January 1906 the first academic session began. Two hundred students were enrolled by May 1906. By 1908 the school had 450 students. In 1982 the campus closed. After the desegregation of Mississippi community colleges, many students chose to go to other schools. In addition, student expectations were changing.