Tuskegee University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tuskegee University

Former names	Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers (1881–1891) Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (1891–1937) Tuskegee Institute (1937–1985)
Motto	Scientia Principatus Opera
Motto in English	Knowledge, Leadership, Service
Type	Private historically black land-grant university
Established	July 4, 1881; 143 years ago (1881-07-04)
Accreditation	SACS
Academic affiliations	NAICU ORAU UNCF Space-grant
Endowment	$157 million (2021)
President	Mark Brown
Academic staff	263 Full-time and 45 Part-time (Spring 2022)
Students	2,570 (Fall 2022)
Undergraduates	2,100 (Fall 2022)
Postgraduates	215 (Fall 2022)
Location	Tuskegee , Alabama , United States 32°25′48.76″N 85°42′27.81″W / 32.4302111°N 85.7077250°W / 32.4302111; -85.7077250
Campus	Rural, 5,200 acres (2,100 ha)
Newspaper	The TU Campus Digest
Colors	Crimson and old gold
Nickname	Golden Tigers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – SIAC

Tuskegee University (also known as Tuskegee or TU) is a private university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It's a special kind of school called a historically black university. This means it was founded to provide higher education for African Americans. The school started on July 4th, 1881. The state of Alabama helped create it.

In 1974, the campus became a National Historic Site. This means it's a very important place in American history. Many famous African American people have been part of Tuskegee. These include its founder, Booker T. Washington, the amazing scientist George Washington Carver, and the brave World War II pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

Tuskegee University offers many different study programs. You can earn a bachelor's degree in 43 subjects, like architecture. There are also 17 master's degree programs and five doctoral programs, including one for future vets (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine). Almost 3,000 students from the U.S. and over 30 countries study here.

The campus was designed by Robert Robinson Taylor, the first African American to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked with David Williston, the first professionally trained African American landscape architect.

History of Tuskegee University

How Tuskegee Started

A history class at Tuskegee in 1902.

Tuskegee University began on July 4, 1881. It was first called the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers. This school came about because of an agreement during the 1880 elections in Macon County, Alabama. A politician named W.F. Foster wanted to be re-elected. He made a deal with a local black leader, Lewis Adams. Foster promised to help create a school for black people if Adams could get black voters to support him. Most people in Macon County were black, so their votes were powerful. Adams succeeded, and Foster kept his promise.

The school was part of a bigger effort to create more colleges for black people in the Southern states after the American Civil War. Many of these schools were started by groups from the North. Lewis Adams, who used to be enslaved, dreamed of a school for teachers. He worked with George W. Campbell, a banker and former slaveholder, who also believed in education for black people. Adams was a skilled worker and a respected leader in his community.

Adams and Campbell got $2,000 from Alabama for teachers' salaries. But they had no money for land or buildings. They asked the Hampton Institute in Virginia to recommend a teacher. Samuel C. Armstrong, Hampton's principal, suggested 25-year-old Booker T. Washington. Washington was a former student and teacher at Hampton.

The first campus buildings on the Miller plantation, 1882.

Booker T. Washington became the first principal. He started classes in an old church and a small shack. The next year, in 1882, he bought 100 acres of a former plantation. Students helped build the first campus buildings as part of their studies. By the early 1900s, Tuskegee Institute covered almost 2,300 acres.

Washington wanted to teach students practical skills, good morals, and religious values, along with regular school subjects. He encouraged his trained teachers to go back to rural areas. There, they would teach people new ways to farm and improve their lives. Washington's second wife, Olivia A. Davidson, was very important to Tuskegee's success. She helped raise money from people who wanted to support the school.

Over time, Tuskegee also started programs to help people in rural areas who couldn't come to campus. Tuskegee graduates went on to start other schools and colleges across the South. They continued to focus on training teachers.

Booker T. Washington's Leadership

Booker T. Washington.

The Oaks, Booker T. Washington's home on the Tuskegee campus, around 1906.

After the Civil War, Booker T. Washington, who was born enslaved, worked hard to get an education. He attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and Wayland Seminary. He then returned to Hampton as a teacher.

As the new principal in Tuskegee, Washington opened his school on July 4, 1881. He started in a church building. The next year, he bought land from a former plantation and expanded the school over many years.

Washington believed in self-reliance. He trained teachers and also taught practical skills. These skills helped students succeed in farming or other jobs common in the rural South. He wanted his students to see hard work as valuable and honorable. Students built most of the new campus buildings themselves. Many students paid for their education by working on campus farms or in other jobs.

During this time, black people in the South faced increasing unfairness. After the Democrats took back power in state governments, they created laws that separated people by race (racial segregation) and limited black people's rights. Washington's ideas about education became a topic of debate. Some leaders, like W.E.B. Du Bois, believed black people should also have opportunities for traditional academic studies, not just job training.

Washington brought important scholars to Tuskegee, including the famous botanist George Washington Carver.

Early Years (1881–1900)

Washington became a well-known speaker for "industrial" education for black people. He connected with many wealthy American people who donated money to the school. These included Andrew Carnegie (who funded a library), Collis P. Huntington, John D. Rockefeller, and George Eastman. Henry H. Rogers was a major secret donor to Tuskegee and other black schools for over 15 years.

Tuskegee also had many students from Cuba during these years. After some early efforts to recruit students from the island, the university became very popular among ambitious Afro-Cubans. For the first 30 years, dozens of Afro-Cubans enrolled each year, making them the largest group of international students.

Growth and Change (1900–1915)

George Washington Carver (front row, center) with other Tuskegee Institute faculty around 1902.

Washington formed a strong relationship with Julius Rosenwald, who was the head of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Rosenwald cared deeply about the lack of education for black people in the South. He joined Tuskegee's board of directors and worked with Washington to get funding for teacher training schools like Tuskegee.

Washington worked tirelessly to raise money for Tuskegee. In 1905, he started a campaign to build up the school's funds. He gave a famous speech at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1906, celebrating the school's 25th anniversary.

Starting in 1912, Rosenwald helped create model rural schools. Tuskegee architects designed the plans, and some students helped build these schools. Rosenwald set up a fund, but he required communities to raise their own money too. This encouraged black and white people in local areas to work together. Rosenwald and Washington helped build and run over 5,000 small community schools for black children across the rural South until the 1930s.

Washington remained the principal of Tuskegee despite his many travels. He died in 1915 at age 59 from high blood pressure. At the time of his death, Tuskegee had over $1.5 million in its funds. He was buried on campus near the chapel.

Tuskegee campus, 1916

Tuskegee also worked with church groups to set up job training programs in Africa.

Later Years (1915–1940)

Tuskegee Institute, around 1916.

After Washington passed away, Robert Russa Moton became the principal for the next 20 years.

The years after World War I brought new challenges for Tuskegee. Teaching was still important, but Southern society was changing fast. Many black people moved from the South to Northern and Midwestern cities. They were looking for factory jobs and escaping unfair treatment and violence. This movement was called the Great Migration. Tuskegee's programs, which focused on farming, had to adapt to these changes.

World War II and Beyond

Tuskegee University Chapel (1969).

In 1941, the U.S. Army Air Corps started a program at Tuskegee Institute to train black aviators (pilots). They used Moton Field, which was about 4 miles from campus. The pilots who graduated from this program became famous as the Tuskegee Airmen. Today, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is at Moton Field. The U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy still have R.O.T.C. programs at Tuskegee today.

Many presidents have visited Tuskegee, including Franklin D. Roosevelt. His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, was also very interested in the school and its flight program. In 1941, she visited Moton Field. She worked to make sure African Americans had the chance to become military pilots. She often supported Tuskegee's programs.

After the war, Tuskegee continued to grow. It added new programs and departments, including graduate studies. For example, its School of Veterinary Medicine started in 1944. Mechanical Engineering was added in 1953, and a four-year Architecture program in 1957.

In 1985, Tuskegee Institute officially became Tuskegee University.

In 2020, a generous person named MacKenzie Scott donated $20 million to Tuskegee. This was the largest single gift from a known donor in the university's history. In 2024, another anonymous donor gave $20 million to support STEM programs and campus improvements.

In May 2024, Mark Brown became the first Tuskegee graduate (Class of 1986) to be appointed president of the university.

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Location in Alabama Show map of Alabama Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	Tuskegee, Alabama
Built	1882
Architect	Robert Robinson Taylor
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Queen Anne
Website	Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
NRHP reference No.	66000151
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	June 23, 1965

In 1965, Tuskegee University was named a National Historic Landmark. This was because of its important academic programs, its role in educating African Americans, and its place in U.S. history. In 1974, Congress created the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site.

This historic site includes Booker T. Washington's home, The Oaks, and the George Washington Carver Museum. The entire Tuskegee University campus at that time is part of the historic district. Important places within the site include:

• The Oaks (Booker T. Washington's home)
• The Booker T. Washington monument, called Lifting the Veil of Ignorance
• The graves of Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver
• The George Washington Carver Museum

The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is also nearby, at Moton Field.

Campus Life at Tuskegee

Tuskegee University has its own Campus Police. They keep students and staff safe 24 hours a day, both on and off campus. All officers are certified by the state.

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  The Lifting the Veil of Ignorance statue of Booker T. Washington was designed by sculptor Charles Keck and unveiled on April 5, 1922. It shows Dr. Washington helping his people, who were once enslaved, by teaching them about education and skills for a better life.

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  James Henry Meriwether Henderson Hall is a new building for teaching and research in agricultural and life sciences. It has labs for subjects like animal, plant, soil, and environmental sciences, as well as biology and chemistry.

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  Built in 1906 and updated in 2013, Tompkins Hall is the main place for student dining and activities. It has a ballroom, an auditorium, a game room, a restaurant, and a 24-hour study area.

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  The Legacy Museum has a collection of about 900 African items, plus antiques and the Lovette W. Harper Collection of African Art.

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  Booker T. Washington is buried in the Tuskegee University Campus Cemetery. Many other important university figures are also buried here, including George Washington Carver and past presidents.

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  Tuskegee University offers apartment-style living for students in three different locations called the Commons Apartments.

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  Margaret Murray Washington Hall houses the Office of Admission, the University Bookstore, and more dining options for students.

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  "The Avenue" is a main path on campus mostly for walking, not cars.

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  Booker T. Washington Boulevard is the main road leading into Tuskegee University's campus.

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  Tuskegee University's campus looks like a park with many large green areas.

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  The College of Veterinary Medicine Williams Bowie Hall.

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  A Tuskegee football game.

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  The main entrance to the campus.

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  A scenic path on campus.

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  Inside the Tuskegee Chapel.

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  Fall at Tuskegee University.

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  The George Washington Carver Museum.

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  The Main Library, now known as the Ford Motor Company Library/Learning Resource Center.

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  Campus banners.

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  The Andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information Sciences.

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  The Daniel "Chappie" James Center.

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  Inside the Daniel "Chappie" James Center during a Tuskegee basketball warm-up.

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  A basketball game at the Daniel "Chappie" James Center.

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  A partial view of the "Valley" and the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center on campus.

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  The I-85 exit for Tuskegee University.

Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center

The Tuskegee University Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center.

The Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center is located on campus in the renovated Dorothy Hall (built in 1901). It opened in 1994 with help from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The center has meeting rooms with multimedia tools, a 300-seat auditorium, and a ballroom for up to 350 guests. Students studying Hospitality Management and Dietetics get hands-on experience working here. This is the only Kellogg Conference Center at a historically black university. There are only 11 such centers worldwide.

Academics and Programs

A view of the Tuskegee University campus – White Hall bell tower.

Tuskegee University has five colleges and two schools. These include:

• The College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences
• The College of Arts and Sciences
• The Brimmer College of Business and Information Science
• The College of Engineering
• The College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health
• The Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science
• The School of Education

Tuskegee also has an honors program for students with excellent grades.

Tuskegee University is officially approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This allows them to give out bachelor's, master's, doctorate, and professional degrees. Many of its programs are also approved by national groups, such as Architecture, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine.

Tuskegee University is the only Historically Black University to offer a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree. Its School of Veterinary Medicine started in 1944. About 75% of all African American veterinarians in the U.S. graduated from Tuskegee's program.

The College of Veterinary Medicine – Fredrick D Patterson Hall.

Tuskegee University offers several Engineering degrees, all approved by ABET (a group that checks engineering programs).

The Aerospace Science Engineering department started in 1983. Tuskegee University is the first and only Historically Black University to offer an approved bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering. The Mechanical Engineering Department began in 1954, and Chemical Engineering in 1977. The Electrical Engineering Department is the largest in the College of Engineering.

The College of Engineering – Luther H. Foster Hall. It houses top engineering programs like Aerospace, Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering.

The Tuskegee University Andrew F. Brimmer College of Business and Information Science is fully approved by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB-International).

The School of Nursing started in 1892. In 1948, the university began offering a bachelor's degree in Nursing. This was the first bachelor's nursing program in Alabama. The Nursing department is fully approved by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

Tuskegee University School of Nursing – Basil O'Connor Hall. This program was the first bachelor's nursing program in Alabama.

The Occupational Therapy program is approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The Clinical Laboratory Science Program is approved by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

Tuskegee University first offered certificates in Architecture in 1893. The 4-year bachelor's degree in architecture began in 1957. The Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture offers two professional programs: Architecture and Construction Science and Management. The 5-year Bachelor of Architecture program is fully approved by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Graduates can become licensed architects.

The Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science. It has one of only two approved architecture degree programs in Alabama.

In 2019, Tuskegee partnered with the Ross University School of Medicine. This helps more Tuskegee students get into medical school. Qualified students can get automatic admission and a free first semester.

In 2020, Tuskegee also partnered with the Cumberland School of Law. This allows Tuskegee students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six years, instead of the usual seven.

University Rankings

• U.S. News & World Report ranked Tuskegee 3rd out of 79 Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 2022.
• U.S. News & World Report also rated Tuskegee 20th among "Best Regional Colleges in the South" in 2021.
• Washington Monthly ranked Tuskegee 109th among 614 master's universities in the U.S. in 2020. This ranking looks at how much schools help society through social mobility, research, and public service.

National Center for Bioethics

The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care is the first center of its kind in the U.S. It focuses on important moral questions in medical research and treatment for African Americans and other groups who have not been treated fairly. The center opened two years after President Bill Clinton apologized for a past U.S. Public Health Service study (1932–1972). In that study, 399 poor African American men were part of a study where their disease was not treated. The center also has a Bioethics Honors Program for college students.

Tuskegee Athletics

Tuskegee is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. They compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The university has 10 sports teams. The men's teams are called the "Golden Tigers," and the women's teams are called the "Tigerettes."

The Men's Basketball team won the 2014 SIAC Championship and the 2014 NCAA Division South Region Championship. They also made it to the Elite Eight in the 2014 NCAA Men's Division II basketball tournament. The Women's Softball team won the 2014 SIAC Championship.

Tuskegee offers the following sports:

Football

Tuskegee University's historic Cleveland Leigh Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium, completed 1924. This was the first stadium of its kind built at any HBCU in the South.

The Tuskegee University football team has won 29 SIAC championships, which is the most in SIAC history. As of 2013, the Golden Tigers are the most successful Historically Black College and University (HBCU) team with 652 wins.

In 2013, Tuskegee decided not to play their rival Alabama State University in the Turkey Day Classic anymore. Instead, after a great 10–2 season, the Golden Tigers made their first playoff appearance in school history for the 2013 NCAA Division II Football Championship. They played against the University of North Alabama but lost 30–27. Tuskegee won the 2014 SIAC Football Championship. They advanced to the first round of the NCAA Division II football playoffs but lost 20–17 to the University of West Georgia.

Baseball

The baseball team has won thirteen SIAC championships. Several players from Tuskegee have gone on to play professionally, including big-leaguers like Leon Wagner and Ken Howell.

Basketball

Tuskegee won the 2013–14 SIAC Championship. They then advanced to the 2014 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament. Tuskegee won the NCAA Division II South Regional Championship by beating Delta State University 80–59. The Golden Tigers lost to the No. 1-ranked Metro State team, 106–87, in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II tournament.

Track and Field

Track and field began at Tuskegee for both men and women in 1916. The first Tuskegee Relays and Meet was held on May 7, 1927. It was the oldest African American relay meet.

The Tuskegee women's team won the Amateur Athletic Union national outdoor championship 14 times between 1937 and 1951. They also won the AAU national indoor championship four times.

Tuskegee's own Alice Coachman was the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport. She won it at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Iram Lewis, a Tuskegee architecture graduate, is an Olympian relay runner who competed for the Bahamas.

The Marching Crimson Piper Band

The Marching Crimson Piper Band (MCP) is one of the oldest HBCU marching bands in the country, started in 1883. The band performs at TU sports events, on TV shows, at NFL games, the Honda Battle of the Bands, and Mardi Gras parades. The MCP is joined by the Crimson Piperettes (danceline) and Twirling Divas.

Notable Faculty and Staff

Notable Alumni

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Tuskegee para niños

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Alabama
• UNCF