Hampton Institute (University) was founded in 1868 to educate freed slaves following the Civil War. American Indians, former prisoners of the United States Federal Government during the Civil War, also arrived at Hampton Institute in 1878 to be educated and "civilized." Hampton Institute's first mission was as a normal school and a trade school. Music was part of the daily life on campus, and music teachers were employed as early as 1870. The first choir was organized in 1871; the first band in 1879. Preserving Negro folk and work songs was of great importance to early music educators at Hampton Institute, including Thomas Fenner, Natalie Curtis, composer R. Nathaniel Dett, and violinist Clarence Cameron White. A School of Music was founded under Dett's leadership in 1927 and the first music degrees were conferred in 1932. This study is a history of the music department at Hampton Institute/University. Of importance are changes in the department as the mission of the university evolved, which were connected to the changing black experience in the United States. Included is information on faculty, student enrollment, specific course offerings, different degrees offered, formation of performing ensembles, and major events such as choir tours of Europe. This study was performed through analyzing sources produced by Hampton University, such as school records, syllabi, concert programs, President's Annual Reports, two magazines published by Hampton Institute: "The Southern Workman" and "Talks and Thoughts," music department handbooks, audio recordings, photographs, correspondences, newspaper articles, and journal articles. Interviews with current and past professors and department heads, as well as alumni, were conducted. This study provides a view of the music department at an historically black college following the Civil War, from the beginnings of education for freed blacks, until 1972, when the department first attained accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music, the accrediting body that establishes standards for undergraduate and graduate music programs. As the black experience in America changed between 1868 and 1972, the Institute/University, and, in turn the music department, evolved in response. This study traces those changes and their effects on the music department. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]