In 1888, Clark Atlanta University (CAU) was founded on this date. It is one of more than 100 Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in America.
It was created by consolidating Atlanta University and Clark College to form CAU. This blended the strengths of both parent institutions and positioned them to respond to the future challenges facing Black America in teaching, research, and service. Since 1888, Clark Atlanta University's enrollment has increased from 3,151 to 5,000 (4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students). The operating budget has grown from $40 million to $120 million, and the faculty has increased from 193 to 330.
Academic degrees are offered at the Bachelor's, Master's, Specialist, and Doctoral levels in more than 80 programs in the five schools: Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Library and Information Studies, and Social Work. The doctorate is offered in biology, chemistry, humanities, political science, education, and social work. Clark Atlanta is the only private, Historically Black University listed in the Carnegie Classification as a Research/Doctoral-Intensive institution.
The leaders of CAU have a vision of national preeminence built on a solid base-- its long tradition of academic excellence and proven status in higher education. Clark Atlanta University produces graduates who have met the standards of excellence in contemporary higher education. The students are educated to use their creativity while keeping their perspective on the world and its people. This commits their students to excel in their professional careers and personal lives and to seek new knowledge and solutions to the problems of humankind.
Notable alumni from Clark Atlanta University include Pearl Cleage, Henry O. Flipper, Grace Towns Hamilton, Richard Wright, Lucy Laney, Harry Pace, and more.
Black American Colleges and Universities:
Profiles of Two-Year, Four-Year, & Professional Schools
by Levirn Hill, Pub., Gale Group, 1994
ISBN: 0-02-864984-2
