At the last General Conference of the A. M. E. Church, held in Wilmington, N. C., in May of 1896, Mr. John R. Hawkins, the founder of Kittrell Institute, was elected as the secretary of education of the A. M. E. Church. This is the first time in the history of the Church that a layman has held this position. But his election to this place is due entirely to his most excellent fitness for the position. Mr. Hawkins is now reaping the reward that always comes in the end to those who are worthy. He has been a hard student all his life, and many a night when other young men were seeking amusements, or asleep, Mr. Hawkins could have been found in the late hours of night hard at work over his books. He has to-day an honored position, while some of his associates have gone to the bad. I am told Mr. Hawkins has, since his election as secretary of education, been able to very much enlarge the educational work of the A. M. E. Church, and increase the amount of money given for connectional schools in all parts of the country. ALLEN UNIVERSITY. Allen University is the outgrowth of Payne Institute, which was established in the romantic and historic town of Cokesbury, S. C., July 29, 1870. Allen University, established Dec. 24, 1880, is pleasantly situated in the eastern suburbs of the city of Columbia, S. C., and comprises four acres of excellent ground, four cottages, and one main building, which has forty-two rooms. The Girls' Industrial Hall is considered one of the finest structures in the State. It is a silent but eloquent monument of the zeal, labor, ability, unselfish devotion of Negroes devoted to the cause of Christian education. All efforts that are the results of Negro self-dependence should always merit our devotion and steadfast encouragement. The departments are as follows: Theological, Law, Classical, Normal, Musical, Intermediate, Graded, and Domestic Economy. Rev. David Henry Johnson, D. D., is president of Allen University. He is a fine scholar and regarded as one of the leading educators. WAYMAN INSTITUTE. Wayman Institute is located at Harrodsburg, Ky. The course of studies taught there are College Preparatory, English, Theological, Normal, Music, Domestic Economy. This institution takes its name from the late Bishop A. W. Wayman, in whose honor it was built. The president, Rev. I. H. Welch, D. D., is a very able man and will doubtless make Wayman Institute one of the leading schools of the connection. He has been for years one of the prominent pastors of the church. As a scholar he ranks among the leading men of the race, and is in every way prepared for the work he now has in hand. In that part of Kentucky the A. M. E. Church has a large membership, and there is no reason why an A. M. E. school should not succeed in building up a large work. Harrodsburg is situated in the very best part of Kentucky as far as the wealth of the State is concerned, and there are many well-to-do people in that section of the State.