Wilberforce University

initiatives was the establishment of a touring school choir known as the Wilberforce Concert Company in 1881. Fisk University, another historically black university, founded the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1871 which had proven to be a successful fund raising tool for that university. The success of this choir led to the formation of touring choirs at other historically black schools, many of which successfully raised enough funds to keep these schools operating, including the Hampton Singers at Hampton University. Lee's Wilberforce Concert Company failed to bring in much financial support but gained a reputation for musicianship and drew students from a wider geographic area to Wilberforce, leading to diversification of the student body. The choir toured until it was disbanded in 1887.
Lee's tenure was also marked by a period of faculty instability. The strict moral code of ethics placed on teachers, low play, and the heavy work load demands placed on the faculty were some factors contributing to teacher turnover. …