▁of ▁General ▁Cl inton ▁B . ▁F isk ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Fre ed men ' s ▁Bureau , ▁who ▁made ▁un used ▁bar ra cks ▁available ▁to ▁the ▁school , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁establish ing ▁the ▁first ▁free ▁schools ▁for ▁white ▁and ▁black ▁children ▁in ▁Tennessee . ▁In ▁addition , ▁he ▁end owed ▁F isk ▁with ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁$ 3 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁American ▁Mission ary ▁Association ' s ▁work ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Church ▁of ▁Christ , ▁which ▁retain s ▁an ▁affili ation ▁with ▁the ▁university . ▁F isk ▁opened ▁to ▁classes ▁on ▁January ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 6 . ▁ ▁With ▁Tennessee ' s ▁passage ▁of ▁legisl ation ▁during ▁the ▁Re const ruction ▁era ▁to ▁support ▁public ▁education , ▁leaders ▁saw ▁a ▁need ▁for ▁training ▁teachers . ▁F isk ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁as ▁a ▁normal ▁school ▁for ▁college ▁training ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 8 6 7 . ▁James ▁Dallas ▁B urr us , ▁John ▁Houston ▁B urr us , ▁Virginia ▁E . ▁Walker , ▁and ▁America ▁W . ▁Robinson ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁four ▁students ▁to ▁en roll ▁at ▁F isk ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 7 ; ▁Br ought on ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁B urr uses ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁a ▁liberal ▁arts ▁college ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Mason – D ixon ▁line . ▁Robinson ▁graduated ▁as ▁well ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁F isk ▁J ub ile e ▁Sing ers . ▁Walker ▁became ▁a ▁noted ▁mission