Tillotson College was founded in 1875 and was originally a secondary school established by the Freedmen's Aid Society. Samuel Huston College was founded in 1876. It was established by Reverend George Warren Richardson a Methodist minister from Minnesota. The two colleges merged in 1952. Some of the distinguished faculty of the Huston-Tillotson Music Department included Dr. Beulah Agnes Jones (Professor Emerita of Fine Arts/Former Director of Music), Mr. DeShun Boyd (Choir Director/Pianist), and Dr. Gloria Quinlan (Choir Director). Some of the significant music students and graduates included Louis Carrington, Jr (71’ Pianist/Vocalist), Carmen Bradford (Jazz Vocalist), James Jordan (Saxophonist), and Jimmy V. Jones (Piano).