Spence Hall, Shane Hall, and John Wesley Work

The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American History and Culture describes Professor A. K. Spence as the second principal of the Fisk School—from 1870 until 1875. In other words, he was the head administrator of Fisk before it became a university. Spence was born in Scotland but lived most of his life in America. Before coming to Fisk, he taught Greek and French at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Spence was recruited by Erastus Milo Cravath who was a leader in the American Missionary Association and one of Fisk’s co-founders.

Why did Cravath ask Spence to come to Fisk? He believed, along with other school founders like John Ogden, that Adam Spence could help to make Fisk a college. He did just that. Spence spent 25 years at Fisk and helped elevate the school’s curriculum, expand academic programs, and put the school on a path for accreditation. Spence served in various administrative capacities at Fisk University until his death in 1900.

Designed by Godwin & Beckett, this building was constructed in 1959 and was part of a major expansion of the Fisk campus that included five buildings in the late 1950s and 1960s. Spence Hall contains a dining facility, the university bookstore, and other student services. 

Before we leave, let’s give Shane Hall a quick look. Turn to the LEFT and look across the street.

Shane Hall was constructed in 1972 and named in honor of Mary D. Shane, who served as Director of Admissions and University Registrar at Fisk in the mid-twentieth century. This five-story brick and concrete residence hall is a striking example of the modern pinwheel design. 

For the final part of this stop, look just beyond Shane Hall down Meharry Boulevard to the yellow house with brown trim. This was the home of John Wesley Work. If you’d like you can walk down to 17th Ave N. and check out the historical marker. Otherwise just keep listening!

One of the most influential Fisk families, the Work family lived on this block for much of the early 20th century. John Wesley Work II was born in Nashville and graduated from Fisk in 1895. He married Agnes Haynes in 1899, and they moved to Tullahoma, where their son, John Work III was born. They returned to Nashville, and John II joined the faculty as the director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and other musical groups. He left Fisk in 1923 to become president of Roger Williams University but died in 1925. His son, John Wesley Work III, sang in the Fisk Quartet and graduated from Fisk with a degree in history.

Following the death of his father, John III moved with his mother and siblings to New York, where he continued to study music. Agnes Haynes Work returned to Nashville, in 1927, to work in the Fisk music department, but she died on tour with the Jubilee Singers in St. Louis that same year. Following in his parents’ footsteps, John III returned to Fisk and accepted a job in the Fisk Music Department. He also married his Fisk classmate, Edith McFall, in 1928. He took a leave of absence from Fisk to earn a masters in music from Princeton University. What did John III do when he returned? You guessed it, he became the director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. 

His interest in African American folk music was instrumental, no pun intended, in preserving Black musical traditions. John III died in 1967, and Edith passed away in 1995. The Work family legacy at Fisk, and especially within its music programs, lives on through today’s award-winning Fisk Jubilee Singers. Fun Fact: John Wesley Work II composed the Fisk Alma Mater!

Cross over Meharry Blvd. and walk past Shane Hall toward the imposing Jubilee Hall straight ahead. This is your next stop.