Emerging from post-Civil War America, Miles College was formally founded in 1905 by the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Efforts to found the college began in 1898 as part of the struggle to create equal educational opportunities for Birmingham's African-American middle class and expanding working class. Since then, the college has aimed to develop students intellectually, ethically, and spiritually and has remained affiliated with its founder. Originally chartered as Miles Memorial College, in honor of Bishop William H. Miles, the name of the college was changed by the trustees in 1941 to its current name, Miles College. The four-year, liberal arts Historically Black College (HBCU) is currently located in Fairfield, Alabama, six miles west of downtown Birmingham. In recent years, the college has had an annual enrollment of over 1,700. The close relationship Miles College established with the community is still maintained today.