Facing the dawn of a new century, the Friends' Freedmen's Association of Philadelphia sought to expand Christiansburg Institute and transform it into an "industrial" institute. In this model of education, "industry" meant efficiency, punctuality and entrepreneurship. This "education for life" emphasized domestic skills, artisanry and new methods of agriculture. CI's founder, Charles S. Schaeffer initially opposed this plan, fearing it would eliminate the classical and religious curriculum. But in April 1897 he addressed the "special exercise of our school in which were presented the results of efforts in the Industrial Departments." Schaeffer's topic was "educating the heart, head, hand & feet." This was virtually the motto of Hampton and Tuskegee, the pioneer institutes in industrial education for African Americans.

Booker T. Washington, a graduate of Hampton and the founder of Tuskegee, agreed to serve as superintendent of the renamed Christiansburg Industrial Institute. He wielded his influence through the Tuskegee graduates he recommended as principals and teachers at CII. Among his first appointed faculty were Charles and Nellie L. Marshall, and Edgar Long and Anna Lee Patterson, who married after they arrived. Charles Marshall served as principal until his death in 1906, and Edgar A. Long served thereafter, until his death in 1924. Although Booker T. Washington died in 1915, his successor, Robert Russa Moton, maintained the superintendency relationship and CII continued to build its own distinctive version of the the Tuskegee model.

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Sources and Further Reading