Monday, February 11, 2008

Fisk University


Six months after the Civil War ended, Rev. Erathmus Cravath, John Ogden and Rev. Edward Smith founded Fisk School, named for Clinton Fisk, first head of the Tennessee Freedmen's Bureau. Fisk provided former Union Army barracks for use, and in January, 1866, the first students began attending classes. Fisk has always been affiliated with the United Church of Christ (originally known as American Missionary Association). In 1872, the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools gave Fisk its Class A Rating, the first for an African-American School. Current president of the university is Hazel O'Leary, former Secretary of Energy during the Clinton Administration.

Jubilee Hall (above) was not only the first permanent structure built on the campus but also the South's first structure built for the education of black students. This Victorian-Gothic structure is named for the world-famous Jubilee Singers, a group of students who traveled the world bringing the world a new musical genre - the spiritual. They set out in 1871 and raised enough funds to build the hall and save the fledging university. The current Jubilee Singers still perform regularly, and with upcoming performances scheduled for Knoxville, Roanoke, Chattanooga, and Nashville.

There's a lot more history to Fisk, and tomorrow we'll look at another of its historic buildings.


10 comments:

Kate said...

So happy you showed us this building. The South is rich with history.

Dorothée said...

How nice it must be to study in that lovely Victorian-Gothic place with talented rewards as well!

quintarantino said...

This is a classic and lovely building. Nice to see the photo and good info also.

Southern Heart said...

That is a beautiful building, and I loved hearing about the school, also!

Jim Klenke said...

The building looks wonderful.

Alexander said...

Beautiful building. The contrast from the sky makes it even prettier. Love to look universities architectures.

Alexander
Alex's World! - http://www.kakinan.com/alex

Steve Cuddihy said...

At first glance, I thought it was a church with the steeple it has. Awesome capture.

Your post with the record albums....I believe I have, or have had at one time 8 of them. And don't tell anyone, but I still have a working record player connected to my stereo.

Twin Cities Daily Photo

Wanda said...

That is a beautiful building. Would love to go inside.

Anonymous said...

It really is a nice photograph and lots of historical information is good to read.

lv2scpbk said...

Interesting read.