The Okolona Normal and Industrial School was founded in 1902 by Dr. Wallace A. Battle. It educated African Americans through high school and provided industrial training for young adults. At its peak, the school's enrollment topped two hundred students annually. In 1921, the school became affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi and a member of the American Church Institute for Negroes. The school changed its name to Okolona College in 1934 and closed in 1965.