Constructed alongside Humphreys Hall, Emlen Hall helped establish Cheyney’s first residential campus. Named for the Emlen family, longtime supporters of educational opportunity for African Americans, the building provided housing during a time when few institutions welcomed Black students. Its residents inherited the educational legacy of leaders such as Fanny Jackson Coppin and Octavius V. Catto.Â
For many students, Emlen Hall represented both a home away from home and a gateway to opportunity.