Fisk University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fisk University

Jubilee Hall
Former names	The Fisk Freed Colored School (1866–1867)
Motto	"Her sons and daughters are ever on the altar"
Type	Private historically black liberal arts college
Established	1866; 159 years ago (1866)
Religious affiliation	United Church of Christ (historically related)
Academic affiliations	UNCF ORAU CIC
President	Agenia Walker Clark
Academic staff	70 full-time
Students	1,055 (fall 2022)
Location	Nashville, Tennessee , U.S. 36°10′08″N 86°48′17″W / 36.1688°N 86.8047°W / 36.1688; -86.8047
Campus	Urban, 40 acres (16 ha)
Language	English
Colors	Gold and blue
Nickname	Bulldogs
Sporting affiliations	NAIA – GCAC
Mascot	The Fisk Bulldog

Fisk University is a private college in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a historically black school, meaning it was founded to educate African American students. Fisk was started in 1866. Its 40-acre campus is a special historic area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1930, Fisk became the first historically black school to get official approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This approval means the school meets high quality standards. Fisk is also the oldest college in Nashville.

Discovering Fisk University's Past

Clinton B. Fisk, the university's namesake

A class at Fisk around 1900

How Fisk University Began

Fisk Free Colored School opened on January 9, 1866. This was right after the Civil War ended. It was a time called the Reconstruction era. The school was founded by John Ogden, Erastus Milo Cravath, and Edward Parmelee Smith. They were part of the American Missionary Association. Their goal was to educate freedmen in Nashville. Freedmen were formerly enslaved people.

Fisk was one of many schools the Association helped start in the South. These schools aimed to educate newly freed slaves. The university is named after Clinton B. Fisk. He was a Union general. He also helped the Freedmen's Bureau in Tennessee. General Fisk found a place for the school. It was an old military building. He also gave $30,000 in government money to help the school.

The American Missionary Association was supported by the Congregationalist church. This church still has ties to Fisk today. Fisk is the oldest higher education school in Nashville.

Fisk University in the 1800s

Many people wanted to learn. About 900 students joined the school in its first few months. Their ages ranged from seven to 70 years old. In 1867, the Fisk Free Colored School changed its name. It became Fisk University. This change helped it focus on higher education. It also helped train more teachers.

James Dallas Burrus, John Houston Burrus, Virginia E. Walker, and America W. Robinson were the first students to enroll. In 1875, the two Burruses and Walker graduated. They were the first African-American students to graduate from a liberal arts college in the South.

In 1870, Adam K. Spence became the school's leader. He planned to move the school to a bigger campus. This new site was Fort Gillem, an old Union army base. To raise money, his wife, Catherine Mackie Spence, traveled across the U.S. She set up Sunday schools to support Fisk.

Adam Spence also helped start a student choir. This group became the famous Fisk Jubilee Singers. The school needed money. So, in 1871, the choir went on tour. Professor George L. White led them. They sang in the U.S. and Europe. They performed for important people like Ulysses S. Grant and Queen Victoria. They made spiritual songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" popular.

Their tour raised almost $50,000. This money helped build Jubilee Hall. It was the first building made for the education of freedmen in the South. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark.

In 1875, Fisk co-founder Cravath returned. He became the school's first president. He helped build more buildings. He also added more subjects to study. By the early 1900s, Fisk was well-known. It had more African-American teachers and staff. It also welcomed a second generation of students.

Fisk University in the 1900s

Fisk University focused on a liberal arts education. This made it different from many other black colleges. Those schools often taught job skills. In 1910, Fisk started a social science department. It was the first place to train African-American graduate students in social work.

Fayette Avery McKenzie was president from 1915 to 1925. He helped Fisk become a top all-Black college. He also got Fisk recognized by important groups like the Carnegie Foundation. He raised $1 million to hire good teachers. This helped Fisk get its official accreditation later. McKenzie resigned after student protests in 1924 and 1925. Students were unhappy with his strict rules.

Thomas Elsa Jones became president in 1925. He wanted to add more diverse teachers. He also wanted to make Fisk even more famous. In 1930, Fisk became the first historically black college to get official accreditation. This was from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 1946, Charles S. Johnson became Fisk's first African-American president. He was a famous sociologist. He also edited Opportunity magazine. This was an important magazine during the Harlem Renaissance. Johnson expanded the school's Institute of Race Relations. This institute studied racial problems in the U.S. It also helped create plans for ending segregation.

In 1952, Fisk was the first mainly black college to get a Phi Beta Kappa charter. This means it could start its own chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most respected academic honor society in the U.S.

In 1960, Fisk students joined other black leaders. They took part in the Nashville sit-ins. These were peaceful protests against segregation. They sat at lunch counters where black people were not allowed. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Fisk in May 1960. Fisk students John Lewis and Diane Nash were key leaders. Nashville became the first major Southern city to end segregation at lunch counters.

In 1978, Fisk's campus was named a National Historic Landmark. The campus was greatly improved in the 1990s. This was thanks to a grant from the U.S. Congress.

Fisk University in the 2000s

From 2004 to 2013, Hazel O'Leary led Fisk. She was the 14th president. She was also the former Secretary of Energy for President Bill Clinton. She was the second woman to be president of Fisk. In 2008, Fisk raised $4 million. This helped end nine years of budget problems.

In 2018, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools put Fisk on probation. They found issues with money management. But Fisk worked hard to fix these problems. In 2020, Fisk was taken off probation. It kept its accreditation.

Exploring the Fisk University Campus

Fisk's 40-acre campus was officially opened in 1876. It is on a small hill. This area was once Fort Gillem. This was a Union fort during the Civil War. The campus is on Jefferson Street. This street is a historic center for Nashville's African-American community.

The Fisk University Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Many important buildings on campus are part of this historic district.

Key Buildings on Campus

• The Carl Van Vechten Gallery was built in 1888. It used to be the school's gym. Now it is an art gallery. It holds Fisk's famous Stieglitz Collection of modern art. It is named after photographer Carl Van Vechten.
• Carnegie Hall was built in 1908 as a library. It was the first big building designed by Moses McKissack III. He co-founded the first African-American owned architecture firm in the U.S.
• Cravath Hall was finished in 1930. It is named after Fisk's first president, Erastus Milo Cravath. It is an eight-story building. It was first used as a library. The building has murals by painter Aaron Douglas. He said they showed the story of Black people in the New World. The building now holds administrative offices.
• Fisk Memorial Chapel was built in 1892. It is in the Victorian style. At that time, it was the largest gathering place for African Americans in the country. The chapel hosts school events and public concerts. It was restored in 1992.
• Jubilee Hall was finished in 1876. It is the oldest permanent building for the higher education of African Americans in the U.S. It is named after the Fisk Jubilee Singers. They toured to raise money for its construction. The building has a unique Victorian Gothic style.
• Talley Brady Hall was built in 1931. It was the first modern chemistry building at a historically black college. It is named after Thomas E. Talley and St. Elmo Brady. They were two important African American chemists and teachers at Fisk.

Other campus buildings on the register include Little Theater and Harris Music Building. There are also many homes and a limestone wall built around 1873.

In the 1930s, Fisk hired the Olmsted Brothers firm. They created a master design for the campus. This led to the beautiful Beaux-Arts landscape.

Special Collections at Fisk University

Jubilee Hall

Library Treasures

Fisk has a special music collection. It was started by Carl Van Vechten. He was a famous figure from the Harlem Renaissance. The campus museum is named after him. Fisk also has many items related to Charles W. Chestnutt.

Aaron Douglas Murals

Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas painted murals for Cravath Hall in 1930. He said they showed the "development of Black people in this hemisphere." Douglas later taught at Fisk. He also led the art department. The murals were restored in 2003.

The Alfred Stieglitz Art Collection

In 1949, Georgia O'Keeffe gave many paintings to Fisk. These paintings belonged to her late husband, Alfred Stieglitz. He was a famous photographer and art lover. The collection has 101 artworks. It includes pieces by important artists like Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, and Diego Rivera. It also has works by American artists like Marsden Hartley and O'Keeffe herself.

Fisk faced money problems in 2005. The school decided to sell two paintings from the collection. This caused a legal challenge from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. But Fisk won the case. Now, Fisk University and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art share the collection. They take turns showing the artworks every two years. Fisk University still owns the collection. In 2016, the collection was shown at the Carl Van Vechten Gallery. This was part of Fisk's 150th birthday celebration.

Fisk University's Science Programs

Fisk University has a great history of academic success. It has helped more African Americans earn PhDs in science than any other school.

Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Program

The Fisk-Vanderbilt bridge program started in 2004. It helps students from underrepresented groups get into PhD programs. These are in STEM fields. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This program is a partnership. It is between Fisk, a historically black college, and a large research university. It aims to make doctoral studies more diverse.

The program gives scholarships for a master's degree at Fisk. It also provides strong support for students who go on to a PhD. Since 2004, 21 students have earned their PhDs through this program. Another 56 students are still studying. The program has a very high success rate.

Fisk University's Rankings

• For 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Fisk University tenth among historically black colleges and universities. It was also tied for 29th for "Most Innovative Schools."
• Forbes ranked Fisk 642nd on its 2019 list of "America's Top Colleges."

Fisk University Athletics

The sports teams at Fisk are called the Bulldogs. Fisk is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). They mainly compete in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).

Fisk has 14 different sports teams. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Fisk is the first historically black college to have a women's gymnastics team.

Notable People from Fisk University

Fisk University has many famous alumni and faculty. These are people who studied or taught there.

Notable Alumni

Many important people have graduated from Fisk. They have gone on to do great things in many fields.

Notable Faculty

Images for kids

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  John Ogden, co-founder of Fisk University

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  Students and teachers in training school (between 1890 and 1906)

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  Theological Hall (later Bennett Hall). This building was later taken down.

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  Jubilee Hall

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  Fisk Memorial Chapel

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  Cravath Hall

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  Inside Cravath Hall

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  Carnegie Hall