Guiding Tuskegee’s Growth: The First Five Presidents
Title
Guiding Tuskegee’s Growth: The First Five Presidents
Date Modified
2025-09-12
Description
The first five presidents of Tuskegee University—Booker T. Washington, Robert R. Moton, Frederick D. Patterson, Luther H. Foster, and Benjamin F. Payton—each left a lasting mark on the institution’s growth and legacy. Washington built Tuskegee into a model for vocational and industrial education, while Moton expanded its national influence during the Jim Crow era. Patterson, Foster, and Payton modernized the university, broadening academic programs, advancing research, and positioning Tuskegee as a leader in higher education for African Americans. Highlighted in this collection are photographs capturing these influential leaders.
Curated By
Marvin Byrd
Contributing Institution
Tuskegee University
About This Record
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Black and white image of Booker T. Washington giving a speech in the old chapel building. Some notable figures are Andrew Carnegie and William H. Taft.
Booker T. Washington welcomed the Liberian Commission to the United States in 1909. This photograph shows the Commissioners seated from left to right: Charles B. Dunbar, G. H. Gibson, a former president of the Republic of Liberia, J. J. Dossen, a former Vice President of the Republic.
Vice President Calvin Coolidge, Governor William. W. Brandon of Alabama, and Dr. Robert R. Moton, Principal of Tuskegee Institute, were the main speakers at the dedication of the Government Hospital on a 464-acre tract at Tuskegee Institute.
