How a Former Slave Built Tuskegee Into America’s Most Famous HBCU

Tuskegee University, Alabama

In 1880, Alabama lawmakers set aside $2,000 yearly to start a “colored school” in Tuskegee, but they hadn’t found anyone to run it.

The organizers wrote to General Samuel Armstrong of Hampton Institute in Virginia, the best Black school at that time, for recommendations.

Armstrong immediately thought of Booker T. Washington.

Booker Taliaferro Washington

Born into slavery in 1856 on a small farm in Virginia, Booker Taliaferro Washington never knew his white father. His mother Jane worked as the plantation’s cook.

After emancipation in 1865, the family moved to West Virginia where young Booker worked in salt furnaces and coal mines while teaching himself to read.

Hungry for education, he traveled 500 miles, mostly on foot, to attend Hampton Institute, paying his way by working as the janitor.

He eventually became one of Armstrong’s most trusted teachers.

Starting With Nothing

When Booker T. Washington showed up in Tuskegee in 1881, all he found was an old, leaky church and 30 eager students. No school buildings, no land, no supplies. Just the $2,000 from Alabama to pay teachers.

The Church Shack School

The school opened on July 4, 1881 in a run-down shack next to Butler Chapel AME Zion Church. Washington found 30 students between ages 16 and 40, many without shoes, all eager to learn.

Instead of turning away older students, Washington created evening classes so adults could work during the day but still get an education, something new for Black education at that time.

Buying an Old Plantation

Washington’s first big success was getting an abandoned 100-acre slave plantation for the campus. He arranged to buy it through loans from his Hampton Institute connections and convinced doubtful white locals that the school would bring money to the area.

The Daily Life of Early Tuskegee Students

Washington required all students to work every day, even those who could pay full tuition. He believed manual labor built character and self-reliance.

Students woke up at 5 AM when the school bell rang and followed strict rules throughout their day. Mornings focused on book learning while afternoons involved practical work.

Students maintained buildings, grew food, and made items the school needed. Everyone attended daily chapel and Sunday religious services, with Washington often speaking on Sunday evenings.

Olivia Davidson

Olivia Davidson, Washington’s second wife, was vital to early Tuskegee. A graduate of Framingham State Normal School, she created the academic program while Washington handled the industrial education.

She organized bake sales and church fundraisers that kept the school running in its tough early years, before dying young at 35 from tuberculosis caught during her endless work.

The Educational Philosophy Takes Shape

Washington believed Black Americans needed to support themselves financially to advance in the South after slavery, so Washington created a program that combined academic subjects with hands-on training.

Students studied reading, writing, math, and science to prepare for teaching jobs.

They also learned practical skills. Men studied carpentry, farming, and blacksmithing while women learned sewing, cooking, and how to run a household.

Growth in the First Five Years

By 1883-1884, enrollment grew to 169 students as word spread about Tuskegee. The campus expanded too, with students building classrooms, a dining hall, and housing.

Washington hired more teachers with specialized knowledge. Olivia Davidson taught science, Warren Logan taught literature and business, and William Jenkins from Fisk University taught academic subjects.

By 1888, just seven years after starting in the church shanty, Tuskegee had 540 acres and over 400 students.

Major Northern Philanthropists Support Tuskegee

Washington knew state money alone couldn’t support his vision so he connected with wealthy Northerners who could provide financial help.

The Peabody Fund gave $500 yearly starting in 1883, and the Slater Fund added $1,000 annually from 1884.

Washington also built relationships with business leaders like Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, and Henry Rogers. Their names still appear on campus buildings like Carnegie Hall.

Tuskegee Gains Independence

In 1892, special legislation made Tuskegee independent from the state. This freedom let Washington fully shape the school’s direction and programs.

Tuskegee’s growing reputation attracted top scholars, such as George Washington Carver who joined in 1896 to lead the agriculture department.

Other notable alumni include writer and literary critic Ralph Ellison, music critic and novelist Albert Murray, and writer and poet Claude McKay.

Visiting Tuskegee University

You’ll find Tuskegee University at 1200 West Montgomery Road, Tuskegee, Alabama 36088. Campus tours run Monday through Friday at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM, but you must book at least 3 days ahead via email.

The George Washington Carver Museum (part of the National Historic Site) is open Thursday and Friday from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. The Oaks, Washington’s home, offers guided tours Tuesday through Saturday by reservation only.

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