Charles Rochelle Home

Charles Rochelle was incredibly influential in Baptisttown and Evansville as a whole. He was the first black man to earn a doctorate in education from the University of California at Berkley and he became the principal of Lincoln High School. He lived at 911 Bellemeade Avenue for around 60 years and served on the State Board of Education for 23 years. [1]

[1] Charles Rochelle Interview, Oral History Collection, USI Archives and Special Collections. Oct. 5, 1972.

Dr. Charles Edward Rochelle was a prominent member of Baptisttown, as he was the first principal of Lincoln High School. Rochelle was also the first black man to receive a doctorate in education at the University of California at Berkley. He lived at 911 Bellemeade Avenue for around 60 years with his wife, Thelma. Growing up, his parents ran a coal and wood yard. In 1921, at the age of 26, he decided to move to Evansville. Rochelle was able to get his Bachelor of Arts from Indiana State University, as well as two masters degrees, from Indiana State Teachers College and Indiana University. Some years down the road, he began work on his doctorate at University of California at Berkley in order to broaden his perspective on teaching.[1] His dissertation was entitled “Graduate and Professional Education for Negroes” and focused on desegregation and why and how black students should be taught.[2] It was written to solve the lack of education for African Americans in the South. 

While Rochelle was taking all of these classes, he was also a teacher and principal. When he first came to Evansville at the age of 26, he was hired at Governor Street School. After a bit he moved to Douglass High School, which was then integrated into Lincoln High School. While at Lincoln, he became the Head of the Department of Social Sciences. At one point he received offers to teach at various Tennessee universities due to his highly impressive credentials. He accepted a position and would work at Lincoln High School during the school year and during the summer he would teach graduate classes in Tennessee.[3] Despite his busy schedule, he was able to find time to give a speech in Festival Hall on Treasure Island on July 25, 1940. This speech was titled “The Negro in the New Social Order” and focused on the integration of black people into modern society.[4] Similar to his dissertation, it focused on the role that African Americans play in society and how that role is changing. 

After being the principal of Lincoln Gardens for 12 years, Rochelle decided to retire. This did not stop him from being an active member in his community, though. He was a member of the Selective Draft Board, and was even elected for ten consecutive years as Commander of Otis Stone Post no. 354. Rochelle was a private in World War I, although his records were most likely destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire of 1973.[5] Although information about his time in the Army is nearly nonexistent, his membership with Otis Stone Post no. 354 shows that he was still active in the community of Baptisttown and Evansville as a whole, even after he was a teacher.[6]

Charles Rochelle’s impact can be seen today, particularly in Lincoln High School. He set the precedent for how the school would be run. Rochelle’s perseverance and motivation allowed him to become the first African American to receive a doctorate in teaching from the University of California at Berkley. He is a source of motivation for many. Seeing the success of Charles Rochelle could help motivate young people into striving for bigger and better things, similar to how an aspiring writer meeting their favorite author could motivate them. The success of others can be used a motivational tool, and Charles Rochelle is surely one of the most successful people to ever live in Evansville. 

[1] Charles Rochelle Interview, Oral History Collection, USI Archives and Special Collections. Oct. 5, 1972.

[2] “Lincoln Teacher First of Race to Pass Final Examinations in Field of Education at Calif. U” Evansville Argus (Evansville, IN), Aug. 15, 1942.

[3] Charles Rochelle Interview, Oral History Collection, USI Archives and Special Collections. Oct. 5, 1972.

[4] “C.E. Rochelle, California Univ. Student and Indiana Teacher, Guest Speaker” Evansville Argus (Evansville, IN), Aug. 2, 1940.

[5] "The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center," National Archives. March 15, 2023, https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973.

[6] Charles Rochelle Interview, Oral History Collection, USI Archives and Special Collections. Oct. 5, 1972.

Charles Rochelle Interview, Oral History Collection, USI Archives and Special Collections. Oct. 5, 1972.

“Lincoln Teacher First of Race to Pass Final Examinations in Field of Education at Calif. U” Evansville Argus (Evansville, IN), Aug. 15, 1942.

“C.E. Rochelle, California Univ. Student and Indiana Teacher, Guest Speaker” Evansville Argus (Evansville, IN), Aug. 2, 1940.

"The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center," National Archives. March 15, 2023, https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973.