*Tuskegee University opened on this date in 1881. It is located in Tuskegee, Alabama, and is one of over 100 Historical Black Colleges and Universities in America (HBCU).
The school was founded as a school for Black students by Black educator Booker T. Washington. At that time, it was called the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. It was renamed Tuskegee Institute in 1937 and adopted its current name in 1985. Tuskegee University awards bachelor's, master's, and professional degrees in various fields.
Programs of study are offered through the College of Arts and Sciences and the schools of business, agriculture, and home economics. 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 century and the first half of the 20th century. The university houses the George Washington Carver Museum, which contains memorabilia and historical collections. Tuskegee's Daniel "Chappie" James Memorial Hall houses the Black Wings aviation exhibit, focusing 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
