Negro Youth

Tuskegee Institute in Alabama also illustrates the American university's role in the community. Founded in 1831 by the famous Negro educator, Booker T. Washington, the institute first emphasised training Negro youth to become school teachers. Today, however, it offers a wide variety of courses in the arts and sciences. In 1961 the student theatrical group presented, among other plays, "Simply Heavenly," a musical comedy by the noted Negro poet Langston Hughes. The dance group interpreted "Deep River" and several other Negro spirituals at a modern dance evening, and a number of lectures were devoted to the Negro's role in the contemporary American theatre.

Student orchestras sometimes with noted artists as soloists can be found in most colleges and university, and they frequently invite the participation of neighbors. Colleges and universities have also become the homes of poets of distinction and centres from which their influence radiates. Robert Frost and William Faulkner, among others, have held appointments in several universities and have given lectures open to the public.