Tuskegee University was founded in a one-room schoolhouse in Alabama in 1880. It originally operated as a "normal school" (teacher's college) for freed slaves and undereducated African-Americans in the post-Civil War era. Under the guidance of Booker T. Washington, who served as the university's president from 1881 to 1915, Tuskegee grew into an independent university.
Tuskegee University--then known as the Tuskegee Institute--was used as a training center for pilots in World War II. The institute became famous in 1941 when Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which required all branches of the military to accept African-Americans. This led to the formation of the "Tuskegee Airmen"--an all-black fighter pilot squadron based at Tuskegee Institute. By 1946, 996 pilots had graduated from the program.
From its modest beginnings, Tuskegee University has grown into one of the most prestigious historically black colleges in the United States. As of 2010, more than 3,000 students attended Tuskegee, studying in nearly 50 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs.
The university encompasses five colleges: Engineering, Architecture and Physical Sciences; Business and Information Science; Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Sciences; Liberal Arts and Education; and Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health.
The Tuskegee University Golden Tigers compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), a Division II conference for historically black colleges. Tuskegee has 13 varsity teams, including baseball, football, basketball, track and field, softball and tennis. As of 2009, the university has won 46 SIAC championships.
In 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked Tuskegee University as the sixth-best historically black college in the country, out of 105 schools.
According to the university administration, Tuskegee University now owns over 5,000 acres of land, including 100 campus buildings. The total value of the school is in excess of $500 million, plus an estimated $100 million endowment.
Famous alumni include author Ralph Ellison, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and musician Lionel Ritchie.