Tennessee State University Postcard

1916

This postcard provides a glimpse into life on early HBCU campuses.

Founded in 1912 as Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School for Negroes (now Tennessee State University), this Nashville HBCU opened with only 247 undergraduates. Students worked to build and maintain the campus by clearing rocks and harvesting crops, skills recognized in the institution's industrial education model.

This postcard features an image of founding president William Jasper Hale’s office and home, as well as a group of faculty members. Postcards such as this one helped provide a glimpse into early HBCU campuses.