THE ELIZABETH CITY TUTORIAL PROJECT

St Catherine's Church, Elizabeth City, NC
The Society of Saint Edmund, the religious order that founded Saint Michael’s College, established a mission in Elizabeth City, NC in 1940.  They maintained Saint Catherine’s Church and quickly worked to open a grammar school, run by the Sisters of the Holy Union of Fall River.  In 1960, the Society placed an African American priest at the helm of the church, the first time it had done so.  The Most Rev. Moses Anderson, SSE was born in Selma in 1928.  He joined the Society of Saint Edmund and attended Saint Michael’s College, graduating in 1954.  While in NC he was very involved in the community—he was a mover and shaker, according to one community member.  He left NC in 1964 to return to Saint Michael’s, but not before laying the groundwork for the Elizabeth City Tutorial Project.  the Rev. Msgr. James Robinson, SSE another African-American Edmundite and graduate of Saint Michael’s, replaced theMost Rev. Anderson, SSE.  He, like the  Most Rev. Anderson, SSE before him, was involved in the community. 
 

The Tutorial project was a community affair.  The Saint Michael’s community raised funds and held dances to help fund the students, who received a small stipend in addition to room and board.  The Civic Improvement Association of Elizabeth City, a newly formed organization of local businesses, helped raise money, found students to participate, and hosted the Saint Michael’s tutors. 

The Tutorial Project was started by the Most Rev. Moses Anderson, SSE,  who had recently returned to Saint Michael's College after spending 4 years as pastor in Elizabeth City, NC.  The Most Rev. Anderson saw the project as an excellent way of involving Saint Michael's students in the greater world, particularly in the burgeoning civil rights movement, while providing Elizabeth City students with valuable educational opportunities. A street in Elizabeth City	Click for larger view
Civic Improvement Association Newsletter (click for larger view)	The Civic Improvement Association of Elizabeth City, formed by local civic, business and community leaders in 1963, brought the Saint Michael’s students to Elizabeth City.  They arranged for students to attend the tutorial, provided food for the SMC students, and raised some funds.  The Association was an important force in the civil rights arena in Elizabeth City.  Both SSE Priests, Rev. Msgr. Robinson, SSE and Most Rev. Anderson, SSE were involved with the association.
	At Saint Michael's, students raised some money by holding hootenannies with Carolyn and Sandy Paton.

Introduction     Preparing for the Tutorial Project     In Elizabeth City     The Work to be done     After the Project     Acknowledgements      Archives home