From the Annals of Commencement Addresses –   In 1897, Booker T. Washington gave the first commencement address to the graduating class at Prairie View A&M University. At the time the school was known as Prairie View Normal Institute.  Washington, president of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, was the leading advocate of black advancement through self-help, hard work and solidarity programs. His trips to Texas included an appearance at the State Fair and visits with prominent black families such as the Covingtons of Houston and the Watsons of Dallas.