CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Throughout February, WCNC Charlotte is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting historical people and places in Charlotte and the Carolinas.
Dr. H.L. McCrorey was a giant in Charlotte in the early 1900s. He served as president of Johnson C. Smith University, a private, historically Black university in Charlotte, from 1907 to 1947. McCrorey was the second Black man to serve as president of the school, according to Johnson C. Smith University.
He also founded Charlotte's McCrorey Heights neighborhood in the early 1900s. The neighborhood was home to the Queen City's first Black professional class, many of whom associated with JCSU.
By the 1960s and '70s, McCrorey Heights was known for being a premier neighborhood for Charlotte's highly educated African-American population.
At present day, McCrorey Heights is made up of over 150 homes that offer a glimpse into mid-1900s suburbia.
The McCrorey Family YMCA is also named in his honor.
To learn more, go to our Black History Month page on the WCNC Charlotte website and or mobile app.