Black Ivy League
Each of these institutions are co-educational with the exception of Morehouse College, which is an all-male institution and Spelman College, an all-female institution. All institutions are currently accredited by such organizations as the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The founding of two historic members, Lincoln and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, predates the Civil War. The remaining members were founded in the late 19th century except for Xavier University of Louisiana, founded in 1915 by the Catholic Church.
Women's education in the United States
1742: Moravians in Pennsylvania established the first all-girls boarding school in America, the Bethlehem Female Seminary to serve the Moravian community in and near Bethlehem. In 1863 it became a college. In 1913 it became Moravian Seminary and College for Women. Historians accept Moravian as the oldest—though not continuously operational because of its current co-ed status—specifically female institute of higher learning in the United States.