MIT’s first black graduate and Tuskegee architect – Robert Robinson Taylor

Robert Robinson Taylor

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site stands as proof that doubters don’t always win. When Robert Robinson Taylor announced plans to study at MIT in 1888, friends asked “What is the use?”

Born to formerly enslaved parents in North Carolina, Taylor ignored the skeptics and became MIT’s first Black graduate in 1892. Here’s how Taylor proved his doubters wrong.

Friends Told Him Architecture Was a Dead End for Black Men

Robert Robinson Taylor was born June 8, 1868, in Wilmington, North Carolina. His parents, once slaves, built a good life after freedom.

His father Henry, born to a white slave owner and Black mother, started a business before the Civil War ended. He built ships and buildings, finding success in construction.

When Robert told friends he planned to study at MIT in 1888, they thought he was crazy. “What’s the use?” they asked. “After graduation, what? Where will you work?”

Instead of quitting, Robert worked in his father’s business after finishing school, then headed to MIT.

The First Black Student Walks Through MIT’s Doors

Taylor arrived at MIT in September 1888, becoming the first Black student at the school. His schedule was tough – seven hours in class daily with up to ten courses each term.

He studied mechanics, acoustics, geology, and architectural drawing while other students struggled to keep up.

The young man from North Carolina got top marks in trigonometry, architectural history, calculus, and mechanics. His grades stayed above average throughout school.

During these busy years, Taylor met several times with Booker T. Washington, who kept trying to get him to work at Tuskegee after graduation.

A Graduation Day That Changed American Architecture

On May 26, 1892, Taylor stood among twelve students getting architecture degrees. This made him MIT’s first Black graduate and America’s first licensed Black architect.

The Class of 1892 was the biggest MIT had seen since opening. Booker T. Washington saw something special in Taylor that made him perfect for Tuskegee: he was Black, Southern, smart, hardworking, and trained at the best technical school in America.

Washington wanted Taylor to help build his vision for Black education in the South.

Booker T. Washington Wins Him Over

Taylor didn’t rush to Tuskegee after graduation but finally said yes to Washington’s offer in late 1892. Washington wanted him for two main jobs: grow the industrial program and plan new campus buildings.

MIT’s focus on practical science matched Tuskegee’s mission better than Harvard’s classical approach. Taylor joined as campus architect, planner, and construction boss.

His training at MIT set him up perfectly for the big building program Washington planned for the growing school.

Students Made Every Brick for Their Own Classrooms

Taylor’s first project at Tuskegee was Science Hall, later called Thrasher Hall, finished in 1893. Students built the entire building, making every brick themselves under Taylor’s guidance.

This hands-on approach matched Washington’s belief that physical work built dignity in the children and grandchildren of slaves. Students learned real skills while creating their own campus.

His Chapel Became Known as the "Cathedral in the Black Belt"

Between 1895 and 1898, Taylor created Butler Chapel, with a striking 105-foot tower and room for 2,400 people. Booker T.

Washington called it “the most impressive building” at Tuskegee with its graceful round-arch design.

The chapel became the first building in Macon County, Alabama to have electric lights, which students put in themselves.

Black journalist Timothy Thomas Fortune urged every Southerner to visit what he called a “cathedral in the Black Belt.

His Designs Spread Beyond Tuskegee’s Borders

Taylor took a break from Tuskegee from 1899 to 1902 to work in Cleveland, Ohio with an architecture firm. He came back to campus in 1904 as Director of Mechanical Industries.

His fame grew as he designed libraries at Wiley College in Texas and Livingstone College in North Carolina. By 1925, his work earned him promotion to vice-principal of Tuskegee Institute.

His impact on Black education through architecture spread throughout the South as his buildings became symbols of progress.

The Architect Sailed to Africa to Build a Second Tuskegee

In 1929, Taylor traveled to Kakata, Liberia to create plans for the Booker Washington Institute, which people called “the Tuskegee of Africa.”

The Liberian government gave 1,000 acres for this big project, with support from the Phelps-Stokes Fund, the Liberian government, and Firestone Rubber.

Back home, Taylor served on President Herbert Hoover’s Mississippi Valley Flood Relief Commission, bringing his skills to national problems.

His Buildings Transformed a Dirt Campus into a College Showpiece

From 1892 to 1932, Taylor planned and watched over construction of 45 campus buildings and drew plans for many others. His designs included The Oaks presidential home, Mechanical Industries building, and John A.

Andrew Memorial Hospital. During the 1890s, he created plans for wooden schools and cottages for Black people throughout rural Alabama.

By retirement, everyone knew Taylor as the man behind Tuskegee’s architectural beauty. The campus changed from dirt paths to impressive brick buildings under his watch.

Back Home to Wilmington for a Well-Earned Rest

Taylor retired from Tuskegee in 1932 and moved back to his hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina.

He stayed busy as a trustee of Fayetteville State University and worked for racial justice, writing about social issues facing Black Americans.

In 1942, he wrote to his MIT class secretary after getting treatment for illness at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He wanted to attend his 50th MIT reunion but poor health kept him away.

Even in retirement, Taylor continued working for education and equality.

His Heart Stopped Beating in the Building He Loved Most

On December 13, 1942, Taylor collapsed while attending church services in the Tuskegee Chapel. He died that same day at John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital, a building he had designed himself.

The chapel had always been his favorite creation, the masterpiece of his architectural career.

Decades later, his legacy continued through his great-granddaughter Valerie Jarrett, who became senior advisor to President Barack Obama.

The young man whose friends questioned his career choice had built an architectural legacy that outlived him by generations.

Visiting Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site, Alabama

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site at 1212 West Montgomery Road offers free admission to explore Robert Robinson Taylor’s architectural legacy.

The George Washington Carver Museum opens Monday-Saturday 9am-4:30pm with interactive exhibits. Take ranger-led tours of The Oaks house Tuesday-Saturday at multiple times daily.

Walk the campus yourself using historic building signs that Taylor designed.

Pick up a free 35-page tour manual at Margaret Murray Washington Hall to learn about the buildings Taylor created.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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