ABSTRACT
The 1896 and 1897 investigations were led by George G. Bradford, an Atlanta University trustee who was selected because of his 'passing interest in Negro issues', and designed to address topics not explored at conferences held at other Black institutions. The Atlanta University Study of the Negro Problem, with its motto "We Study the Problems that Others Talk About", was conceptualized to embody the urban manifestation of the existing Hampton Institute and Tuskegee Institute conferences. At the Hampton and Tuskegee Conferences, there came together annually and in increasing numbers, workers, experts, and observers to encourage by speeches and interchange of experience the Negro farmers and laborers of adjoining areas. Moreover, they wanted someone who could implement a scholarly and rigorous research agenda on the pressing issues of the day. It did not take long for Atlanta University officials to secure the services of the most skilled social scientist of the era, W. E. B. Du Bois.
