Founder Henry T. Asher was born on June 30, 1890, in Owensboro, Kentucky, and was the son of a Baptist minister. He graduated from Bloomington High School in 1910 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University in 1914. Asher taught at Lincoln Institute in Missouri before pursuing graduate studies at several universities. He earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1917 and later received a law degree in 1928. His career reflected a commitment to education, faith, and equal rights.