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TU

1881

ESTABLISHED

3,121

STUDENTS ENROLLED / FALL 2024

66

DEGREES OFFERED / 2024-2025

Tuskegee University Archives Collection Highlights

Begin exploring the vast repository of cultural ephemera, artistic images, and written works entrusted to the Tuskegee University Archives, with the following five collection highlights. The featured items represent newly digitized materials that expand access and deepen understanding of the historically significant collections stewarded by HBCUs.

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Tuskegee Chapel Collection

The Chapel Collection at Tuskegee University Archives houses audio reels capturing sermons, civil rights speeches,, and powerful speeches by notable figures such as Muhammad Ali and Myrlie Evers-Williams. This collection offers a rich auditory record of Tuskegee’s spiritual, civic, and cultural life.
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The Tuskegee Civic Association (TCA) Collection

The Tuskegee Civic Association (TCA) was founded on April 13, 1941, at Greenwood Missionary Baptist Church, evolving from earlier groups such as the Tuskegee Men’s Club. Under the leadership of Charles G. Gomillion, the organization focused on improving conditions in Tuskegee and Macon County through civic education, voter registration, and legal action. Notably, the TCA played a pivotal role in the Gomillion v. Lightfoot case, which prevented gerrymandering and protected African American voting rights. The TCA’s records (1941–1970) include correspondence, legal documents, and materials related to civil rights efforts in Tuskegee.

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The Robert R. Taylor Map Collection

The Robert R. Taylor Map Collection at Tuskegee University Archives features architectural drawings and blueprints created by Robert R. Taylor—the first accredited African American architect—and his contemporaries. This unique collection highlights the development of Tuskegee Institute’s historic campus and showcases the legacy of Black architectural innovation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Visit the Tuskegee University Campus

The Tuskegee University campus is renowned for its signature architecture and aesthetic beauty. It is the only HBCU with the distinction of the entire campus being designated a National Historic Site by the National Park Service. Visitors can also tour the Tuskegee University Archives and Legacy Museum, which serve as rich cultural repositories filled with extensive collections focused on African and African American art and historical ephemera.

Notable Individuals

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. is a renowned entertainer who grew up on the Tuskegee campus, where most of his family worked for two generations. As a student, Richie joined the Commodores, one of the most successful acts on the Motown label in the 1970s and later became an American Idol judge, expanding his impact with younger generations of fans.

General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., born February 11, 1920, in Pensacola, Florida, was the first African American four-star general in the U.S. Air Force. A Tuskegee Airman and distinguished alum who broke racial barriers through courage, excellence, and leadership, receiving over two dozen meritorious service awards throughout his celebrated military career.

Tom Joyner is a Tuskegee native and proud alumnus, philanthropist, and entertainer. He is founder of REACH Media Inc., BlackAmericaWeb.com, and former host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. He established the Tom Joyner foundation in 1997 to assist HBCU students in need and has raised more than $69 million to date.
The way to lift the race is to teach the masses to work with their hands.
Booker T. Washington

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