To the best of my knowledge, direct ownership of slaves by companies, universities, or governments did not typically happen. Slaves, more than other forms of property, were held by individuals rather than in common. Why? I don’t honestly have a good answer, but I would venture an expert in early American law could provide some explanations. The one exception I’m aware of are religious orders. The Jesuits who ran Georgetown University managed several plantations in Maryland and sold slaves in 1832 to held settle the debts of the school. It should be said that this was in direct contradiction of the orders given them for the disposition of the slaves.

While they did not directly own slaves, these organizations profited greatly from slavery. The US government hired huge numbers of slaves to work on public works projects, military facilities, and the like. The contracts were often extremely favorable to the owners and could be a significant source of income for smaller slave holders. Businesses and universities were often funded and managed by slave owners and slave traders. Brown and Yale are named for men who made their fortunes as slave traders. The sale of personal slaves by leaders of the organizations were often used to retire debts and expand their operations. So, while they may not have had slaves on their ledgers, they certainly profited from it and it allowed them to expand and survive.