Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-12-22
Evolution Of Tuskegee.

It was last May, IS years ago, that
Prof. Booker T. Washington (then UNI
known, now so noted) went into the
black belt Of Alabama, and founded
what is now known the "Tuskegee Nor
NAL and Industrial Institute, at Tuske-
gee. Ala. then a little hamlet. The
story of this institution reads more like a
romance, or an Egyptian fairy tale,
then a real fact. Prof. Washington
first rented shanty church with him.
self as teacher and 30 pupils. 1t has
now become one of the most successful
educational institutions in America.
1t now has 100000 worth of property
with no mortgage; AZ buildings, nearly
all erected with student labor: 2.267
acres of land; SO officers and teachers;
and an attendance the year past Of L.
164 students-S01 young men and 1868
young women. The students came from
"a states and territories, and from CntsI
Porto Rico. Africa and EngI!a.4a ,1o.'
f bt were t o1nerS or admission
~ ' d ~grd orv"f fac because of lack
rema rkahle evIec mites. Truly q most
=; - 'borsc ,olut1on!
gGskAeoe;;ee seeks to teach the dignity
Of labor to its students, to afford them
the best possible opportunity for the de-
velopment Of their mental faculties,
ing, and fosters the habit Of right
thinking and right living. The idea Is
kept constantly in mind, that the need
of the great masses of the negro race.
is a system Of education which shall
enable them to hold on to the basic
and fundamental employments, without
which no people can hope to win per-
manent place, either Of responsibility,
wealth or power. For this reason. in
struction in &c industries, largely of the
south, is given, in connection with thor
follows: Agriculture, blacksmithing.
brickmasonry, carpentry, carriage trim
ming, cooking, dairying, draWing-arch-
itectural, free hand and mechanical
plain sewing, housekeeping, harness.
making, plastering. plumbing, printing,
sawmilling, founding, horticulture.
laundering, machinery, mattressmak-
ing, millinery, nurse training, painting,
shoemaking, stock raising, tailoring,
timing and wheelwrighting.
The officers Of the school are: Book
er T. Washington. principal; Warren
Logan, treasurer: John H. Washington,
director of industries; ]. D. Mccall. d.
rectress academic department; George
w. Carver, director agricultural de-
partment; Major J. B. Ramsey, COM
mandant; Mrs. L. l.. kenniebrew. lady
principal. The heads Of each division
of the several departments are compe-
tent worthy men and women, who have
had every advantage at the foremost
academic and chronological schools of
the country. The whole constitute an
AGGREGATION Of perhaps one Of the best
equipped and most thoroughly conse-
Grated bodies Of workers in the cause OF
Negro education in America. The in
tellectual and social atmosphere of
these teachers is remarked by every
visitor who tarries a moment at Tus-
kegee to get an insight into its work.
The ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT.
The urgent demand for trained teach
ers and educated artisans has made
Tuskegee essentially a normal as well
as an Industrial school. Correlated
with and designed to assist the other
departments Of the school in the train
ing of skillful, economical and Self-reS-
pecting men and women, the academic
department finds it's usefulness.
Throughout the south, the graduates Of
Tuskegee are at work, and in many in
stances, in the very darkest sections of
the south, have wrought marvellous re-
suits in the uplifting of their unfortu-
nate fellows. They easily take rank as
leaders wherever they go, and are well
coined by all classes Of the citizenship
black and white. The academic course
is constantly being heightened and
made more useful to the student. The
class rooms are commodious, labora-
tory almost complete, and every APP
paratus provided to make the instruc-
ton most valuable to the student.
THE INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENT.
There are hundreds Of schools where
colored students can receive literary
training, but those in which young
men and women can learn trades in ad-
very few. It is Tuskegee's aim to help,
as far as it's resources will permit, to
supply this great need of Industrial
training, among the colored youth OF
the south. In the Industrial depart
ment it is sought to reach the dignity
Of labor; to teach students how to
work, giving them trade when
thought best, and to enable students to
pay Il portion Of their expenses in la
Dor. Beginning with next year, the
twenty-six divisions Of the industrial
department will be located in the new
Trades building, now nearing compile
ton, shown in the background and to
the left of the view of the grounds. The
plans and specifications of this build
ing were drawn by Mr.. r. r. Taylor,
Ill CIidlSc VI INc dI tIlu 1I!c~
chanical drawing division. 1t is being
built altogether with student labor, as
indeed all Tuskegee's buildings are,
under the general supervision Of the d.
rector Of Industries, and the instruc-
ors in carpentry, brickmasonry, paint
ng, etc. In plan, 1t will be rectangu-
ar in shape, with court in interior.
The outside dimensions are 2S3 feet by