Davage Hall

Davage Hall, one of the men’s dormitories on campus, was named after Dr. M.S. Davage, the first African American president of Rust College. Born in Shreveport, LA on June 16th, 1879, Matthew Simpson Davage was an educator and a Methodist churchman. He went to Dillard University, where he played baseball. He graduated in 1900 with a B.A. degree and again in 1907 with an M.A. degree. He taught mathematics and Latin and had a period of postgraduate study at the University of Chicago and Columbia University. He was the 76th president of George R. Smith College in Missouri from 1914-1916, the 6th president of Haven Institute in Meridian, MS from 1917-1920. He was president of Rust College from 1920-1924 and he was president of Clark College (now Clark-Atlanta University) from 1924-1941. His last presidency was at Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, TX.