Harrison School (Tipton, Missouri)

African American Civil Rights Network

The Harrison School, located in Tipton Missouri, is the last remaining 19th-century school building in Moniteau County built specifically for black students.

Tipton School District was organized in 1869 after the end of the U.S. Civil War. Tipton built two consecutive schools for its White students, but none for its African American students. After considerable pressure and a public bond levy to raise funds, the Tipton School District built Harrison School for its African American students and a new public high school for its White students.

Constructed between 1888 and 1890, Harrison School was an important cornerstone of Tipton’s black community. During its 67-year history the school served as the only means for African American children in Tipton and surrounding communities to receive an education in a permanent school building. Harrison School served grades one through eight and between 1936 and 1942, the school also offered a two-year high school program. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools were unconstitutional, effectively ending public school segregation. Tipton High School was integrated in 1954 but Tipton’s black elementary students weren’t integrated until 1957. With the desegregation of all of its public schools, Tipton closed Harrison School.

The Harrison School is preserved and operated by the Opportunity 1888 Foundation, a private foundation started by descendants of Harrison School alumni. The mission of the Foundation is to inspire and empower people to value and preserve their own unique historic journey. The Foundation serves as an educational, cultural, and civic resource to promote Tipton’s African American history and its connections to the wider community.

Harrison School became part of the African American Civil Rights Network in 2023.

The African American Civil Rights Network recognizes the African American Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the sacrifices made by those who fought against discrimination and segregation. Created by the African American Civil Rights Act of 2017, and coordinated by the National Park Service, the Network tells the stories of the people, places, and events of the U.S. African American Civil Rights Movement through a collection of public and private resources to include properties, facilities, and programs.