year.
In 1873, Tougaloo University added a theological department for students intending on entering the Christian ministry and expanded its industrial department, adding a cotton gin, apparatus for grinding corn, and developing capacity for the manufacture of simple furniture on site.
On January 23, 1881, Washington Hall—the main classroom building—caught fire during religious services and was entirely destroyed. For the rest of the academic year, classes were conducted in a new barn recently constructed on campus, nicknamed "Ayrshire Hall". On May 31, 1881, the foundation was laid for a new classroom building, a three-storey facility named Strieby Hall after M.E. Strieby of New York, a venerated leader of the American Missionary Association.
Courses for college credit were first offered in 1897, and the first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded in 1901.
In 1916, the name of the institution was changed to Tougaloo College.
=== Return to private status ===
Tougaloo remained predominantly a teacher training …
