Tuskegee University (Institute at the time) opened its doors on this date in 1881 in space borrowed from a church in Tuskegee, Alabama under Booker T. Washington's leadership as President. The following year, Washington bought the grounds of a former plantation, where the campus is still located. The school is also known for their aviators during WWII. These aviators became known as the Tuskegee Airmen and both the Army and Air Force used these men to help win the war.