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The R.H. Boyd Story

FOUNDED IN 1896 BY REV. DR. RICHARD HENRY BOYD, THE R.H. BOYD PUBLISHING CORPORATION CONTINUES TO BE A BEACON OF EXCELLENCE IN THE PRINTING, PUBLISHING, AND GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIAN MATERIALS AND CHURCH SUPPLIES UNDER ITS FIFTH PRESIDENT/CEO, LADONNA BOYD.

R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation has a longstanding tradition of producing, publishing, and distributing biblically sound and culturally relevant Christian education resources, materials, and church supplies for more than 125 years. Since its inception in 1896, R.H. Boyd has taken great pride in meeting the needs of all Christians, with a targeted focus on the needs of the African-American community. The company works with many churches, pastors, bookstores, distributors, seminaries, authors, and conference attendees that trust R.H. Boyd with their church, business, non-profit, and personal faith needs.

Each June, R.H. Boyd hosts the Vision Conference (formerly the National Baptist Congress), a leading Christian education conference and fellowship gathering for all ages. R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation and the National Baptist Congress are the leading resources for telling the African-American story through print, multimedia channels, events, and serving as industry experts. Combined, these entities are positioned to assist in the alleviation of social concerns and injustices, in addition to continuing to fulfill the need for Christian education resources and fellowship opportunities.

In the words of the fifth generation CEO, LaDonna Boyd, “The importance of the Black voice and narrative is unquantifiable, as this nation was built on the strength and perseverance of our ancestors. We have to tell our stories and write our dreams. As a publishing company, we are storytellers. We have the ability to shape the minds and experiences of the masses. As a Christian company, we have the significant responsibility and opportunity to draw people into the Kingdom through the written Word.”
Untitled Document

A Timeline of Our History

  • 1843
    Birth of Richard Henry Boyd in Mississippi as a slave
  • 1861-1865
    Civil War
  • 1865-1870
    After the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, Dick Gray moved to Texas as a freedman. He changed his name to Richard Henry “R. H.” Boyd in order to free himself of his slave master’s name. R.H. Boyd helped to organize the Texas Negro Baptist Convention. He also organized and served as pastor to several churches in Texas.
  • 1870s
    R. H. Boyd attended Bishop College in Marshall, Texas and worked tirelessly to organize churches and freedmen Baptists across Texas.
  • 1875
    R. H. Boyd and others organized the Lincoln District Baptist Association of Navasota and the Western Baptist State Convention.
  • 1879
    R. H. Boyd served as a district missionary and became Educational Secretary of the Texas Negro Baptist Convention and a moderator for the Central Baptist Association.
  • 1896
    R. H. Boyd founded the National Baptist Publishing Board (NBPB), now known as R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation (RHBPC), in Nashville, TN.
  • 1904
    R. H. Boyd founded Citizens Savings Bank & Trust Company
  • 1906
    R. H. Boyd founded the National Baptist Congress Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress, now known as the National Baptist Congress.
  • 1912
    Dr. Henry Allen Boyd was among the influential business leaders responsible for locating Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State Normal College for Negroes, now known as Tennessee State University, in Nashville. The university presently remains in Nashville, TN.
  • 1922
    Death of Rev. Dr. R. H. Boyd. His son, Dr. Henry Allen Boyd (1876-1959) became the second generation to lead the company. He implemented new operational procedures and the company continued to flourish.
  • 1929-1939
    The Great Depression
  • 1934
    NBPB was servicing twenty thousand Sunday schools and eight thousand churches. It published more than twenty different hymnals and music books, a broad variety of Christian education materials, church supplies, and doctrinal resources for ministers and Christian workers.
  • 1939-1945
    World War II
  • 1955
    Dr. T. B. Boyd, Jr. (1917-1979) followed in his uncle’s footsteps by becoming a member of the company’s board of directors. After returning from military service in the United States Army in the mid-1940’s, T. B. Boyd, Jr. began his career with the company as a linotype operator in the composing room and became the understudy to Dr. Henry Allen Boyd.
  • 1959
    Death of Henry Allen Boyd. Dr. T. B. Boyd Jr. became President/CEO.
  • 1960s
    The publishing company was a leader in the forefront of the national civil rights and social agenda, giving strong support to the National Baptist Convention of America, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights Movement.
  • 1974
    NBPB relocated to current location on Centennial Blvd.
  • 1979
    Dr T. B. Boyd, Jr. and his wife Mabel L. Boyd were involved in the community and were partners in marriage and ministry. He served the company to the fullest of his ability until his untimely passing in 1979. The board of directors appointed Dr. T. B. Boyd III as President and Chief Executive Officer. He became the youngest executive to hold the position in the 80-year history of the company. A year earlier he had been elected to the Board of Directors of the Citizens Savings and Trust Company Bank. He became chairman of the board in 1982.
  • 1996
    NBPB reaches its centennial anniversary
  • 2000
    NBPB becomes known as the R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation. “We are very excited about this new and exciting publishing venture. The fact that we are paying homage to a man whose life and ministry created such positive impact in lives and communities across America, the Caribbean islands, and the Panama Canal alone, for over 100 years is befitting honor,” said Dr. T. B. Boyd III.
  • 2006
    National Baptist Congress reaches its centennial anniversary.
  • 2007-2009
    “Great Recession”
  • 2008
    President Barack H. Obama is elected as the first African-American President of the United States of America.
  • 2012
    R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation begins distributing eBooks worldwide through distributors such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and many others.
  • 2013
    Technological upgrades and launch of new e-commerce platform.
  • 2015
    The R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation’s Board of Directors unanimously voted Ms. LaDonna Boyd to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation.
  • 2017
    Dr. T. B. Boyd III announced his retirement and transition to Chairman Emeritus status in October 2017. Ms. LaDonna Boyd is named as the President/CEO and Chairman of the Board of R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation. Ms. Boyd carries on the legacy of the corporation, founded in 1896, for its fifth generation of being the leader in providing Christian and inspirational resources for African-American churches and communities across the country. Read More.