| William J. Hale | |
| Birth Name: | William Jasper Hale |
| President of Tennessee State University | |
| Term Start: | 1912 |
| Term End: | 1943 |
| Successor: | Walter S. Davis |
| Birth Date: | September 26, 1874 |
| Birth Place: | Marion County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Death Date: | October 5, 1944 |
| Death Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | Maryville College |
| Spouse: | Harriet Hodgkins |
| Children: | 3 |
William Jasper Hale (September 26, 1874 – October 5, 1944) was an American academic administrator. He was the first president of Tennessee State University, a historically black university in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1912 to 1943.
Hale was born in rural poverty in Marion County, Tennessee, on September 26, 1874.[1] [2] He was of mixed race, and was often considered white.[3] Hale attended Maryville College for several terms.
Hale was a teacher in Coulterville, Retro and Chattanooga.[2] [3] From 1912 to 1943, he served as the founding president of Tennessee State University, a historically black university in Nashville, Tennessee.[2] Thanks to his efforts, TSU was accredited in 1933.[2] Hale expanded the campus, with the completion of six more buildings by 1935.[1] He was succeeded as president by Walter S. Davis in 1943. He fundraised $40,000 for the War savings stamps of the United States.[3]
Hale was the president of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools in 1927 and the president of the State Interracial Commission in 1929.[2] He was awarded the William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes in 1930.[3] He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Wilberforce University in 1936, and another honorary doctorate from Howard University in 1939.[1]
Hale married Harriet Hodgkins.[3] They had three children.[3] His wife was his secretary at TSU, and their three children graduated from the university.[1] [3]
Hale died on October 5, 1944, in New York City.[2] [3] He is the namesake of Hale Stadium on the TSU campus.[4]