1 8 7 2 , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁priest ▁associated ▁with ▁St . ▁Steph ens , ▁the ▁Rev . ▁J . S . ▁At well , ▁an ▁African - American ▁mission ary ▁from ▁Kentucky ▁who ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁trying ▁to ▁rev ive ▁St . ▁Philip ' s ▁African - American ▁con greg ation ▁in ▁Richmond , ▁res igned ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Georgia , ▁Co oke ▁( who ▁had ▁been ▁ord ained ▁de acon ▁the ▁previous ▁year ) ▁became ▁St . ▁Steph ens ' ▁second ▁re ctor . ▁He ▁soon ▁merged ▁his ▁Big ▁Oak ▁school ▁with ▁the ▁others ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁normal ▁school , ▁then ▁added ▁a ▁div inity ▁school ▁to ▁train ▁African ▁American ▁cler gy . ▁Young ▁B rag g ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁students ▁at ▁Saint ▁Stephen ' s ▁Normal ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁School , ▁which ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁Virginia ▁char tered ▁as ▁the ▁Bishop ▁Pay ne ▁Div inity ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁School ▁( ult imately ▁merged ▁into ▁the ▁Virginia ▁The ological ▁Sem inary ). ▁Another ▁early ▁student ▁and ▁success ▁story ▁was ▁James ▁Sol omon ▁Russell , ▁who ▁founded ▁Saint ▁Paul ' s ▁Normal ▁and ▁Indust rial ▁School , ▁in ▁Lawrence ville , ▁Virginia ▁after ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁found ing ▁the ▁Method ist - lean ing ▁Z ion ▁Union ▁Apost ol ic ▁Church ▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Dom estic ▁and ▁Foreign ▁Mission ary ▁Society . ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁B rag