Knowledge, Leadership, Service, the Latin motto for Tuskegee University, which was founded on July 4, 1881. As we celebrate 137 years of excellence and service, the athletics department reflects back on some of its rich history.

Early records indicate that the first team-sport at Tuskegee Institute was baseball. James B. Washington, a graduate of Hampton Institute came to Tuskegee as a faculty member. In addition to his regular duties, he also served as the program's first coach of baseball. See other historic moments below:

1894 - Tuskegee Institute began playing football in 1894 under the tutelage of James Washington, the brother of the school's first principal, Booker T. Washington.

1925 - Tuskegee football outscored its opponents 244-6 en route to repeating as the SIAC and HBCU National Champions.

1935 - Men's Track  and Field One-Mile Relay Team participated in Penn Relays, Philadelphia for the first time.

1939 - Alfred 'Tup' Holmes qualified to play in the 1939 NCAA golf tournament, but was turned away because of the color of his skin.

1938 - The first intercollegiate golf tournament was held in Tuskegee at the Franklin Road Golf Course with Alabama State College, Florida A&M University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College and Tuskegee all participating on the men's side. Meanwhile, on the women's side, the likes of Florida A&M, Fort Valley State, Morris Brown and Tuskegee participated.

1940 - Mozell Ellerbe won the 100-Yard Dash at the Penn Relays on April 27, 1940.  He was the first African American male athlete to come from a black college to win the 100-Yard Dash in a National Track and Field Meet.

1941 - Sisters Margaret and Roumania Peters finished their careers with the most SIAC Championships in doubles with 14

1941  - Alice Coachman became the first Tuskegee athlete ever to win a National Championship claiming high jump and sprinter titles.

1948 - Alice Coachman made history at the Olympics in London when she jumped to a record-breaking height of 5 feet, 6 and 1/8 inches in the high jump finals to become the first black feamle to win an Olympic gold medal.

1948 - Baseball won its first ever SIAC Baseball Championship.

1952 - Alice Coachman became the first African American woman athletic champion to sign a product endorsement for a multinational corporation, Coca-Cola.

1964 - Tuskegee won the SIAC Men's Swimming Championship.

1967 - Walter Johnson became the first Tuskegee football player to be drafted into the NFL, when he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 8th round

1968  - Cross Country men's team won the first of their 4 SIAC Cross-Country Championships (1968, 1973, 1974, 1975)

1979 - Women's Basketball Team won the first-ever SIAC Women's Basketball Tournament played in Logan Hall. Tuskegee won the SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament and was the first Tuskegee athletic team to be televised nationally – Turner Broadcasting System. Men's basketball team earned a berth in the NCAA II Tournament and placed 3rd in the Southeast Regional playoffs.

1980 -  Men's basketball player Carl Bailey was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 3rd round of the 1980 NBA Draft.

1987 - Ken Woodard became the first Golden Tiger to play in a Super Bowl when he made an appearance in Super Bowl XXI against the New York Giants in Pasadena.

1996 - Volleyball starts at Tuskegee University

2003 - Kelvin Powell, a former Golden Tiger and current coach on the staff here at Tuskegee was part of the winning Edmonton Eskimos CFL 91st Grey Cup Championship in 2003.

2014 - Men's basketball made history by appearing in its fourth NCAA playoff, ended the season with a 21-12 overall record, an SIAC West Division championship, an SIAC Tournament championship, an NCAA South Regional Championship and an appearance in the NCAA II Elite 8 National finals.
 
2016 - Softball wins its third consecutive SIAC Softball Championship

2016 -  Head football coach Willie Slater earned his 100th career win on Nov. 16 against Miles College. 

2017 - Football won its 31st SIAC Football Championship