Nationwide — Jade DeMelody Jackson, a journalist with The Indianapolis Star, recently revealed on an Instagram post to announce her return to higher education as an official MBA candidate at Jarvis Christian University. This milestone is particularly significant for Jackson because her great-grandfather, Thomas Buchanan Frost, was one of the people who founded the university over a century ago.
According to Because of Them We Can, Jarvis Christian University, originally established as Jarvis Christian Institute in partnership with the Negro Disciples of Christ, was inspired by the Southern Christian Institute in Mississippi. Its creation was spearheaded by Mrs. Mary Alphin, who led a fundraising initiative through the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions to build a school for Black youth. The school opened in January 1913 with twelve students, and Frost, alongside Charles Albert Berry, served as the institution’s first Superintendent and Principal.
What began as a small elementary school in Hawkins, Texas, has since evolved into a prominent historically Black institution known for preparing a diverse body of students through its core values of scholarship, service, and Christian ethics. Last year, Jackson’s family established the Frost-Briggs Legacy Fund, which provides scholarships to undergraduates at Jarvis Christian University. Now, as a student herself, Jackson continues to build upon her family’s storied legacy.
“It’s a true honor to carry on my family’s legacy of excellence at the very place we’ve contributed to for generations. Being a student here is both humbling and inspiring,” Jackson expressed.
