The founding and development of private, primarily church-related, black colleges in Texas from 1865-1954 are reviewed, with focus primarily on 11 institutions that offered college-level work. Comparisons are made to public black colleges of Texas as well as to other black U.S. colleges and universities. Topical areas include: institutional mission and purpose, administrative and faculty development, academic and vocational curricula, finances, and student life. It is noted that mission statements are among the earliest descriptions of what these colleges stood for and what they hoped to accomplish. They also provide valuable clues to each school's priorities with respect to religious, professional, and vocational training. As a consequence of debate over the definition, purpose, and needs of black colleges, a dualistic type of liberal arts-vocational curriculum emerged in most of these institutions. Additional controversies and problems experienced by the institutions included poor financing, limited facilities, and shortages of teachers and equipment. Evidence is presented to support the revisionist view of these schools as valuable social institutions instead of the corrupt and inadequate imitations critics have described. Included are descriptions of black college presidents and administrators. (SW)