Reginald K. Ellis received a BS degree in African American studies and a master’s degree in US history since 1865, both from Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, Florida. He also earned the PhD in history from the University of Memphis. His dissertation is an analytical biography of James Edward Shepard, the founding president of North Carolina Central University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Ellis specializes in the history of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and African American leaders during the Jim Crow era. His major area of concentration is African American history with three minor areas of concentration: US history since 1877, contemporary African history, and oral history. In the fall of 2011, Dr. Ellis was hired as assistant professor of history at Florida A & M University, where he teaches the following courses: Black Americans in the 20th Century; Introduction to African American History; The African American Experience; The History of Florida; and Selected Topics in the 20th Century. He has one publication to his credit, with a host of conference presentations, all pertaining to HBCU presidents in the early 20th century.

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