Origins and Early Alumni Engagement (1885-1904)

Organized alumni engagement at Tuskegee began on August 22, 1885, when the first class of thirty students graduated from Tuskegee Normal School. Valedictorian B. Town Harvey convened his classmates and led the formation of the Tuskegee Alumni Association, serving as its first

president.

For the next decade, alumni gathered primarily on campus during special occasions, welcomed new graduates into membership, and made financial contributions to their alma mater. These annual gatherings strengthened alumni ties to the institution and established Tuskegee as one of the earliest organized alumni associations in the United States.