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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1921)
TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE, FORTY YEARS OF SERVICE Group of student teachers leaving White Hall for six weeks prac tice teaching in county schools. A recent visitor to Tuskegee Insti tute stood beside the large megaphonr through which the bugle calls are sounded, which is plated in front of the Carnegie Library representing approximately the central point of the Institute Campus. He inspected the megaphone, looked over the grounds with a sweeping glance and remarked: "it is Indeed remarkable to think of and to Bee the progress which Tuskegee Institute has matte In forty short years. From a log cabin, so to speak, it has grown to a large plant of brick and stone, and covers an area so large that It requires the use of this enormous megaphone to carry the sound of the bugle through out the limits of the Immediate camp us.” t The deplorable conditions which he faced proved to be an impetus to him , to press forward; each hindrance a stepping stone toward success. He ! viewed them, not as expressions or personifications of discouragement to him but gather as significations of the ! crying need of his people. Thus with an indomitable will lie j set out to improve the surroundings.' His willingness to work with his; hands, which was a phenomenon for a school teacher 'at that time, attract ed the attention of men and women of both races. Help, financial and moral, was given him from time to time. Speech-making tours of the country were rnude by him in the Interests of the school. Hence from year to year new friends were added and Tuskcgee OK. MOHT. |{. MOTON, 1*KIM( I I'll. The Man. May 26th, 1921. marked the close of the Fortieth Annual Scholastic Year of the Tuskegee Normal and Indus trial Institute. In other words forty j years ago Booker T. Washington left ; Hampton Institute, a young man, am-1 bttlous, determined and imbued with the spirit of the Founder of Hamp i ton Institute. General Samuel Arm strong to answer the call for a man to come to Alabama to teach a school. The "call" said a "school” but what Honker T Washington found upon his arrival in the Black Belt of Alabama, bore no semblence whatever of such an institution. He found a few men arid women who desired an education and the building in which he was to / conduct his classes, in contrast with the beautiful edifices which he had recently left, was an old abandoned church. Later he transferred his school to an old stable and had an additional structure which had been formerly used as a chicken house. Gan any one conceive of more dis couraging and unfavorable conditions under which a young man waB to be gin his life's work? Few men would have had the courage and will power to attempt to overcome these ob stacles, which were apparently Insur mountable. This however, was not so in the case of this dauntless spirit. Institute grew ami from its humble beginning, as a result of earnest, prayerful anti unrelenting labor, it stands today as one of the largest and leading institutions for the edu cation of Negroes In the world, em bracing 121 buildings, many of which are splendid types of architecture and all commodious and well built and a campus extending over 2111 acres of land. The School. Hooker T. Washington not only built an institution of brick and stone but also one of service; the purpose of which is to train men and women for a larger service. It is the aim of Tuskegee Institute not merely to give the students literary training but also a knowledge of some vocation or trade that is. to train the hand, i.te head and the heart. It was the idea of the Founder to teach men and women to do some one thing better than any one ience, enable the student to make the | class room instruction a real part of his mental equipment. By such methods the institution strives to pro duce citizens capable of contributing something of genuine service to their fellowman. The Industrial Department. Perhaps no school offers the Negro j boy and girl the chance to choose that J trade or vocation to which he or she is best adapted more than Tuskegee Institute. A student entering the In stitute has a large variety of indus trial courses from which he can select thal one which appeals most to him. The scope of trades or industries cov ers some forty-seven courses compris ing such as: applied electricity, brick masonry, tailoring, carpentry, shoe HOOK Hit T. W ASH I MM'O V Founder and First Principal of The Tuskeirce Institute to whose Memory more than fire thousand Americans paid tribute on April 12th, at Tusketree institute else, thereby equipping them for ac tive leadership in improving moral, educational, industrial and civic con ditions in the communities in which they may thereafter live. The methods of instruction employ ed in carrying out this purpose so cor relate and combine academic studies with the industrial training that spec ial emphasis is given to the value of skilled labor as a constructive moral and social force. The more or less abstract teaching of the class room if supplemented and illustrated by prac tical lessons in the field and the shop These lessons based on facts of tlu student’s daily observation and exper | making and agriculture for boys and j stenography, domestic art and science, | laundering, sewing, ladies’ tailoring, home-craft and nurse training for girls. The Industrial plant alone, as to buildings and equipment repres 1 cuts a value of approximately a mil lion dollars. On April 11th, new build ings, for this department, were dedi cated, valued at some $400,000. Such a plant, offering the variety of courses, under the supervision of highly train ed instructors, presents to the Negro boy or girl an opportunity for thorough training in industrial voca tions. The method of instruction in the In dustrial Department is both practical and theoretical. If a boy Is pursuing the course In carpentry or hrlckmas otiry, his practice work is done not only on shop models which are soon to be destroyed, but also upon build ings that are to stand the inspection of |a critical and scrutinizing public. The [same is true in all divisions of the Department. Such methods arouse a personal interest In the practice work which results in more careful and dil igent application on the part of the 1 students In order that in after years thfty. might point with pride to the work done while in school. The tendemic Department. In the upward march of 4ie Indus trial Department it lias been neces sary to raise the standards of the Academic Department accordingly in order that the development of the In stitute might not be one sided and that the products might be well round ed men and women, developed acade mically as well as industrially. In the effort to do this, new courses have been added from time to time and men and women have been secured as teachers who are graduates of the leading ealleges and universities of America. The Academic Department, embracing special courses in business, teacher-training, social and commu nity work, affords a sound literary training. The students in the business course do their practice work in the various offices on the grounds while those in teacher-training have the ad vantage of the Model School, which is conducted for the 300 children of the community, and the M'acon County | schools, as fields of practice. This af fords them the opportunity of coming in direct contact and becoming ac quainted with the conditions and prob lems with which they will he confront ed in their work after graduation. The latest, methods are taught in each di vision of this Department as well as in every other Department. Extension Work. It is the purpose of Tuskegee Insti tute not only to educate the 1800 students who seek the immediate walls of the institute for training, but also to elevate the masses to a higher plane of citizenship and usefulness. This system of community education of up lift work is carried on by the Exten the Department of the Institute and is accomplished through various med- ! iums, among which are: The Tuskegee Negro Conference, The Movable ' Schools, The Annual Clinic of the John j A. Andrew Clinical Society, The Tus kegee Women’s Club, National Negro , Health Week and the graduates of j the Institute. Pre-eminently among the various local, state and national extension , activities conducted by Tuskegee In- j stitute, perhaps, stands the Tuskegee Negro Conference. At this time hun-1 (I reds of farmers, coming from throughout the Southland, assemble ; at the Institute to discuss the problems j of the farm and the solutions thereof. The assemblage of these tillers of the j soil, relating their successes and their failures, presents an interesting, en- j couraging and inspiring spectacle. In many instances the explanations and , solutions are crude and simple both as to subject matter and expression, ; but that note of earnestness which characterizes the discussions removes all traces of this crudeness. This Con ference offers the farmers of one sec- j tion the opportunity to "rub elbows'’ with those of other sections and from , this rubbing of elbows develops a keen rivalry which stimulates production. , thrift and good citizenship. Each medium which has been enurn- j erated plays an important part in the ] lives of the people of the South. The Movable Schools arouses pride in the cleanliness of person, house and gen eral surroundings and also an inter est in gardening, canning and pre serving. Through the Annual Clinic, j which is held at the John A. Andrew | Memorial Hospital, the only tirade A Hospital operated by Negroes south of Washington D. C., many people re ceive medical attention of the highest type free of charge, who would not receive it otherwise owing to the lack of necessary funds. During the past | year an additional activity was added to those of the. John A. Andrew Mem orial Hospital, namely a Post Graduate j Course in Medicine and Surgery which enables the Negro physicians and sur geons to do intensive study and re search work for four consecutive weeks. In this manner each medium could be discussed as to its scope of benefit to individuals and to humanity. 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