['< sod > in november 1873, the state colored baptist missionary convention met in [ [ tuscaloosa, alabama ] ] where mcalpine presented a resolution to establish a university, which would become selma university. a concurrent white convention recommended the black baptists give the money they had raised for the university to their care and not to undertake the project alone, but mcalpine convinced the convention that it they should not follow the advice of the white group and to establish the institution themselves. mcalpine was selected at the 1874 convention in [ [ mobile, alabama ] ] to raise money for the school, and again at the 1875 convention. < ref name = " simmons1887 " / > at the 1874 convention, a board of trustees was elected for the body consisting of mcalpine, holland thompson, henry j. europe, charles octavia boothe, and alexander butler. < ref name = " bailey2010 " > bailey, richard. neither carpetbaggers nor scalawags : black officeholders during the reconstruction of alabama, 1867 - 1878. newsouth books, 2010. p153 < / ref > in 1877 he took charge of the marion baptist church and he again canvassed the state to raise money. in the fall of that year the state convention was in [ [ eufala, alabama | eufala ] ], where a decision was made to purchase the old fair grounds of selma, alabama as the schools location. in 1881, mcalpine was elected to be president of the university which he held for two years, after which he resigned so that a more scholarly leader could be selected, and he returned to marion baptist church. he was succeeded as president by rev. e. m. brawley. < ref name = " simmons1887 " / > < eod > < sod > in november 1873, the state colored baptist missionary convention met in [ [ tuscaloosa, alabama ] ] where mcalpine presented a resolution to establish a university, which would become selma university. a concurrent white convention recommended the black baptists give the money they had raised for the university to their care and not to undertake the project alone, but mcalpine convinced the convention that it they should not follow the advice of the white group and to establish the institution themselves. mcalpine was selected at the 1874 convention in [ [... mobile, alabama ] ] to raise money for the school, and again at the 1875 convention. < ref name = " simmons1887 " / > at the 1874 convention, a board of trustees was elected for the body consisting of mcalpine, holland thompson, henry j. europe, charles octavia boothe, and alexander butler. < ref name = " bailey2010 " > bailey, richard. neither carpetbaggers nor scalawags : black officeholders during the reconstruction of alabama, 1867 - 1878. newsouth books, 2010. p153 < / ref > in 1877 he took charge of the marion baptist church and he again canvassed the state to raise money. in the fall of that year the state convention was in [ [ eufaula, alabama | eufaula ] ], where a decision was made to purchase the old fair grounds of [ [ selma, alabama ] ] as the schools location. in 1881, mcalpine was elected to be president of the university, later called selma university, which he held for two years, after which he resigned so that a more scholarly leader could be selected, and he returned to marion baptist church. he was succeeded as president by rev. e. m. brawley. < ref name = " simmons1887 " / > < eod >']