*Tuskegee University opened on this date in 1881. It is located in Tuskegee, Alabama, and is one of over 100 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in America.
The school was founded by the Black educator Booker T. Washington as an institution for Black students. At that time, it was called the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. It was renamed the Tuskegee Institute in 1937 and adopted its current name, Tuskegee University, in 1985. Tuskegee University awards bachelor's, master's, and professional degrees in a variety of fields.
The College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the schools of business, agriculture, and home economics, offer programs of study. Other areas of study are education, engineering and architecture, nursing and allied health, and veterinary medicine.
Black scientist George Washington Carver taught and conducted important agricultural experiments at Tuskegee in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The university is home to the George Washington Carver Museum, which contains memorabilia and historical collections. Tuskegee's Daniel "Chappie" James Memorial Hall features the Black Wings aviation exhibit, which focuses on the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee Archives, devoted to Black history, was established in 1904. Notable alumni include Georgia Dunston, Chester Higgins, Claude Barnett, Betty Shabazz, 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
