Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Great Philanthropists
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Mark Hilton, March 11, 2017
1. Great Philanthropists Marker
I will be very glad to pay the bills for the library building . . . and I am glad of this opportunity to show the interest I have in your noble work. —Andrew Carnegie
Carnegie Hall is named for Andrew Carnegie, one of many benefactors of Tuskegee Institute. In its early years the school received only enough state funds to pay for teacher salaries but no funds to construct buildings. As a result Booker T. Washington devoted much of his time traveling across the country raising funds.
Buildings in the historic district that are named for philanthropists, their family members, or other honorees include Rockefeller, Huntington, Milbank, Dorothy, Porter, Phelps, Tantum, Tompkins, Emery, and White.
[Photo captions]
{Top Right}: Washington (center front) meets with some of the school's key supporters, including (back row left) Charles W. Eliot president of Harvard University, and (back row right) Hollis B. Frissell, principal of Hampton Institute.
{Main Photo}: Carnegie Hall served as the school's library from 1901 to 1932. George Washington Carver also taught Bible classes here, and W. E. B. DuBois taught summer school here in 1903.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Historic Quadrangle (a few steps from this marker); Managing the School (within shouting distance of this marker); The Oaks (within shouting distance of this marker); White Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Dining and Social Center (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Campus Architect (about 400 feet away); Porter Hall 1883 / Huntington Academic Building 1905 (about 400 feet away); Huntington Hall (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tuskegee Institute.
Regarding Great Philanthropists. Built in 1901, Carnegie Hall served as the library until 1932. It was renamed Carnegie Music Hall in 1931 when the school’s music department moved in.
Tuskegee University is a private, historically Black university established in 1881. The campus has been designated as the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, a National Historic Landmark. Tuskegee University's campus is the only school in the United States to hold this distinction.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, March 11, 2017
2. Carnegie Hall building.
Public Domain, 1905
3. Portrait of Andrew Carnegie as he appears in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Public Domain, 1906
4. Carnegie with African-American leader Booker T. Washington visiting Tuskegee Institute faculty.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on March 12, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 426 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 12, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
