West Virginia Humanities Council Links of interest staff and board Be a member! Hubbard House Restoration calendar of events People in Mountains publications General Information programs Grants and Fellowships who we are

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Black Leader and Educator
(1856-1915)

As a young slave in Virginia, Booker T. Washington developed a burning desire to learn to read after escorting his young mistress to school and peering at the children through the window. After gaining their freedom, Washington’s family moved to Malden, West Virginia, where he spent his formative years and later returned to teach, following his education at Hampton Institute. In June of 1881, Washington became the first principal of Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama and arrived to find no buildings, no teachers, and no students. In ten short years, he built Tuskeegee Institute into the premier black industrial educational establishment in the nation. Booker T. Washington became a nationally known speaker and served as an advisor to President Theodore Roosevelt.

portrayed by:
JOSEPH BUNDY
Bluefield
(304) 325-3540

jpbundy@frontiernet.net