or ▁of ▁St . ▁James ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ; ▁he ▁held ▁degrees ▁from ▁F isk , ▁Union ▁The ological ▁Sem inary , ▁and ▁Columbia ▁University . ▁ ▁Im es ▁and ▁his ▁brothers ▁attended ▁grammar ▁school ▁in ▁Ober lin , ▁Ohio . ▁Their ▁parents ▁became ▁mission aries ▁with ▁the ▁American ▁Mission ary ▁Association ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁to ▁serve ▁fre ed men ▁and ▁their ▁children . ▁Im es ▁completed ▁his ▁high ▁school ▁education ▁at ▁the ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Mechan ical ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Normal , ▁Alabama . ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁from ▁F isk ▁University , ▁a ▁histor ically ▁black ▁college , ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁science . ▁ ▁Upon ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁F isk , ▁Im es ▁taught ▁mathematics ▁and ▁physics ▁at ▁Georgia ▁Normal ▁and ▁Agricult ural ▁Institute ▁( now ▁Alb any ▁State ▁University ), ▁a ▁histor ically ▁black ▁college ▁in ▁Alb any , ▁Georgia , ▁and ▁the ▁Em erson ▁Institute . ▁The ▁latter ▁had ▁been ▁founded ▁in ▁Mobile , ▁Alabama ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁Mission ary ▁Association . ▁Im es ▁returned ▁to ▁F isk ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁as ▁an ▁instruct or ▁of ▁science ▁and ▁mathematics . ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure ▁there , ▁Im es ▁also ▁earned ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁science ▁from ▁F isk ▁University . ▁ ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan ▁for ▁additional ▁study ▁in ▁physics , ▁ear ning ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁physics ▁in ▁ 1