Negro College Graduates

Individual Occupational History


Information about People, Places, and Organizations Mentioned in Survey

Question number People Organizations Places
1 Anna Julia Cooper
2 201 T N.W. Washington D.C.
3 Anna Julia Haywood
8 Frelinghuysen University
11 Wilberforce U., St. Rug. [??] Sc., Washington High School, M St. High School, Lincoln Inst. MO., Washington High School, Frelinghuysen University
13 Raleigh N.C., upper mallboro Md.
14 Bishop Lyman Bp Episcopal Church, St. Augustine's Divinity School Nassau British W.I., N.C.
15 Rufus Haywood, Andrew I Haywood State Militia Majori
18 Raleigh N.C.
20 St. Augstines Normal & Collegiate Inst. [Now St. Aug. College.]
21 Raleigh N. C.
22 Dr. J. Brinton Smith
23 St. Aug. Normal & Collegiate, Oberlin, Oberlin, Columbia, Universite de Paris
31 President Fairchild, Prof. Churchill, Paul-Prival Deschauel, C Cestre Saquac
32 Oberlin
33 Oberlin
34 Oberlin academy
36 Prest. Fairchild
37 Oberlin, Oberlin
41 St. Aug., Wilberforce
43 Dr Swedes, Dr Suttou
46 MSt. H.S., Harvard, Yale, Brown, Oberlin, the Colored H.S. of Wask, Harvard
47 St. Aug.
50 Dr Edwd Devine, Dr Devine Brookings Inst. for Research Washington
52 Jesse Lawson Frelinghuysen University, the Jesse Lawson School of Social Service 201 T N.W.
53 M. St High School
55
57 Episcopal (St. Lukee's P.E.)
59 La Guilde Internation, S.S. Columbia
60 Speakers Bureau Community Chest, Phyllis Wheatley, Y.W.C.A., N.A.A.C.P., Vi Omega Chap Alpha Kappa Alpha sc
61 Supervisor Colored Social Settlement, Chief Guardian Campfire Girls, Organizer Girls Clubs Y.W., War Camp Communwords continue onto the next page of the surveyity Service
62 National R. Association
65 DuBois, Kelly Miller, Booker Washington, Browning
66 Dr S.G. Atkins, Prin. Winston-Salemalnot, N.C, Mrs. Nannie/Delaney, Bishop Delaney, Mrs. Jane Thomas Caspar, Mrs. M.E. Neale, Mrs. Doctor Luentin, Mrs. Anna Metcalf Root, Mrs. Professor Auderegg 1315 Lynne Ave, Pawhuska Okla, 333 East 53d St. New York City, 207 East College St. Oberlin O. Conservatory Oberlin 1885

I. SOCIAL INFORMATION

1. Name Anna Julia Cooper

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2. Present address 201 T N.W. Washington D.C.

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3. (If married woman, give maiden name on this line) Anna Julia Haywood

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4. Length of residence in this city 45 years. state of longest residence 

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5. Age 72 sex F Date of birth Aug 10, 1860 Place of birth Raleigh N.C.

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6. Marital status: Single Widowed Married Date of marriage June 21, 1877 Age at marriage 17 Divorced  Date  Separated  Date  Widowed Date Sept 27, 1879 Deserted  Date  Remarried  Date 

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7. Children living: None Age Grade (If in school) Occupation (If not attending school)
Children dead: None Date of death Age of death

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8. Present occupation Teacher & President Frelinghuysen University

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9. Present annual salary $50.00 or yearly net income, deducting expenses of earning except income tax  or kindly check the class within which your net income falls: Under $500  $500- $999  $1000-$1499 $1500-$1999  $2000-$2499  $2500-$2999  $3000-$3499  $3500-$3999  $4000-$4499  $4500-$4999  $5000-$5999  $6000-$6999  $7000-$7999  $8000-$8999  $9000-$9999  $10,000 and over 

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10. Of what college or professional school are you a graduate? Oberlin College Date of graduation BA, 1884, MA 1887

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11. Occupation since graduation From To Yearly Salary
Professor Modern Lang. & Lit. Wilberforce U. Sept. 1884 June 1885 1000
Instructor Math Latin & Greek St. Rug. [??] Sc. Sept. 1885 June 1887 Less than 1000 [?]
Teacher Washington High School Sept. 1887 From 700 up.
Principal M St. High School Dec. 1901 Sept. 1906
Professor Foreign Languages Lincoln Inst. MO. 1906 1910 1100
Teacher of Latin Washington High School 1910 1930 1800
Retired from Public Schools June 1930 Pension 1434
President Frelinghuysen University June 1930 50.

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12. Means of securing present employment (underline):

  1. (a) Direct application
  2. (b) Recommendation by friend
  3. (c) Fee charging placement service
  4. (d) Newspaper advertisement
  5. (e) School or university placement service
  6. (f) Family influence
  1. (g) Heard indirectly of vacancy
  2. (h) General canvas
  3. (i) Promotion within the organization or company
  4. (j) Transfer within the organization or company
  5. (k) Services sought by new employer always
  6. (l) Other I have never applied for employment anywhere

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13. Do you own your home? Yes Value of home 18000 Other property owned Cottage in Raleigh N.C. 2 lots in upper mallboro Md. Value Uncertain, two or three thousand perhaps.

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14. Wife or hHusband: Birthplace Nassau British W.I. Present occupation deceased Education: (Draw circle around last grade completed) Educated for Priest in the Episcopal Church. Grammar school---1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8; High school---1-2-3-4; College---1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Of what college or professional school a graduate St. Augustine's Divinity School Degree Ordained Deacon & passed examinations for the priesthood under Bishop Lyman Bp of N.C.

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15. Brothers: Age Education School at present attending Occupation
Rufus Haywood N.C. Band Leader Orchestra & "Standleys Band". died 1883
Andrew I Haywood Musician & organizer of State Militia Majori Span [??], War, d, 1918

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16. Sisters: None

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17. Father: Birthplace I do not know Present occupation   Education: (Draw circle around last grade completed) Grammar school---1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8; High School---1-2-3-4; College---1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Of what college or professional school a graduate   Degree  

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18. Mother: Birthplace Raleigh N.C. Present occupation deceased Education: (Draw circle around last grade completed) Grammar school---1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8; High School---1-2-3-4; College---1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Of what college or professional school a graduate   Degree  

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19. What was the attitude of your parents towards your college education? I owe nothing to my white father beyond the inital act of procreation. My mother's self sacrificing toil to give me ad-vantages she had never enjoyed is worthy the highest praise & undying gratitude.

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II. UNDERGRADUATE HISTORY

20. Preparatory Training: Name of School St. Augstines Normal & Collegiate Inst. [Now St. Aug. College.]

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21. Preparatory Training: Raleigh N. C. Date of graduation No graduations in my day.

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22. As you think of it now, do you regard your preparatory training, before college, as adequate or defective? i.e., What deficiencies or omissions in that period do you feel would be of value to you? Please comment briefly Under Dr. J. Brinton Smith, founder, I was made pupil teacher at the age of 8, first for board & tuitionimage cut off on right margin Teaching & studying, married & widowed in this “world” of a church school I think the preparation for cwords continue onto the next page of the surveyollege may pass as “good” for the time in that I was admitted on examination with some praise to the Sophomore cwords continue onto the next page of the surveylass of Oberlin Entrance exams, in the Anabasis, the Iliad Caes Cic, Plane & Solid Geometry words continue onto the next page of the survey Passed. Conditioned in Trig. Mechanics, Physics, Hist. of Civilization & Science of Government, the Odyssey made up in one year words continue onto the next page of the survey to entrance conditions in.

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23. College and Professional Training:
Institution Period (give dates) Diploma or degree
1 St. Aug. Normal & Collegiate from early youth to 1881 None
2 Oberlin Sept. '81 -- June '84 A.B.
3 Oberlin on 3 yrs. College Teaching '84 --- '87 M.A
4 Columbia on 4 yrs graduate courses in S.S. 1914, 15, 16, 17 Guilde Internationale Paris S.S
5 Universite de Paris, La Sorbonne 1924 - '25. Residence & thesis PHD.

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24. How was your education supported? Personal earnings

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25. What part of your support was earned through self-help? All

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26. As you regarded it then, what motives prompted you to go to college? innate & indomitable "working to know"

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27. What was your major subject or special training in college? Mathematics I took all in the course.

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28. What subjects were most liked (in order of preference)? Philosophy Msral & Mental, Logic, Trig & image cut off on right margin

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29. What subjects were most disliked (in order)? I do not recall any that I did not thoroly enjoy.

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30. What subject or subjects proved most useful to you after graduation? I have had to use them all I think at sonimage cut off on right margin

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31. What faculty members proved most stimulating to you? (Give names and position of faculty)President Fairchild, Prof. Churchill, Tutor (Now Ex-Pres.) King of Berlin, Paul-Prival Deschauel, C Cestre Saquac

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32. What school influences were most important in giving direction to your life? "Thursday Lectures", Mrs. Johnstoimage cut off on right margin Jen "Lu K" for Women, & weekly young people's meetings, with of course the Oberlin "aimage cut off on right margin the music, the sermons Brothers

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33. To what honor societies did you belong in college? Oberlin had none in my day.

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34. To what fraternity or sorority? L.L.S. Please check extra-curricular activities engaged in I taught advanced Algebra in Oberlin academy The Students were white.

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Regularly Occasionally Regularly Occasionally
35. A. On campus On campus
Athletics Social club
Oratory and debating Other forms
Fraternity or sorority
Literary society
Dramatics B. Off campus
Music Church work
Religion Social club
Publications Civic or social service
Student government Other forms

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36. How well did you do in college? Hardly a fair question for personal answer. I did my best & Here AJC’s text flows upside-down along the top of the form 4 Professors including Prest. Fairchild gave me letters rating me first in the class.

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37. To what extent were you influenced by religious training, personalities or the religious atmosphere of your school? I entered Oberlin a bigoted "Churchman". I left not the slightest attempt at proselyting. & yetimage cut off on right margin altho I continued to attend the little Episcopal Church religiously the breadth & real catholicity of the Oberlin spirit the friendly contacts & wider study had the inevitable result which I consider humanizing of one's image cut off on left margin"churchianity."

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38. What is your attitude toward educational methods of instruction in college? (Mention the strongest and weakest features? Too broad to be answered in 2 lines. If the post was machine method of "tests & measurements" to Sting out the unfit prevails we never can tell what is to be done for the untalented plodder who continues to want more. You may have your Loebs & Leopolds & reject Lindbergs.

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39. At what period during your undergaduate life did you decide upon your career? At not far from the kindergarten age

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40. Length of time between graduation and employment in field of choice Not a moment.

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41. Length of time between graduation and employment in field of choice ditto. I was engaged to return to St. Aug. the let yr. There was a hitch & I went to Wilberforce instead.

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42. Did you return to your home town to work after graduation? 2d year Temporarily? Two yrs. Permanently?  

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43. Reasons for returning or not returning to home town to work after graduation? Dr Swedes, the Prin. underwhom I had taught before leaving for College & who had engaged my services to return was at that juncture suferseded by Dr Suttou who wanted to change the contract from "Professor" to "teacher in charge of Girls." I refused.

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44. If you could control the situation, what would you like to be doing ten years from now? What I am doing now

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45. Have you been prevented from entering the vocation of your choice by racial factors? No Can you state any of them? Teaching has always seemed to me the noblest of callings, & I believe that if I were white I should still want to teach those whose need presents a stronger appeal than money. There may be a bit of vanity in this. It is human to be stimulated by appreciation where it is genuine.

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46. What racial factors have interfered? During my principalship of MSt. H.S. the colored prisc. was under the white Director of High Schools. At a meeting of principals she was told where the question of scholarships in colleges came up, that her graduates were not eligible to try for them. The Director at the same time recommended to Congress that a This continues on the last page. 46 cont.) different cirriculum be granted the colored High School whose pupils he said were not capable of doing the regular work. Insubordination was changed & effectively pressed when the Principal sent to Harvard, Yale, Brown, & Oberlin students directly from them St. classes who passed successfully their entrance exams, some with high honors. The first time in its history the Colored H.S. of Wask was listed as "accredited" by Harvard & given the certificate privilege. For which unpardonable "Sin" against racial supremacy said principal suffers to this day the punishment of the damned from both the white masters & the colored understaffers.

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47. Will you give a brief estimate of the value of your college training? My estimate can be mathematically stated in dollars & cents. When I announced to the Princ. of St. Aug. my intention to go to college I was receiving $30.00 per mo. As an inducement for me not to go he offered to double that figure at once. Im not sorry that I refused such nunificence

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48. How would it be changed if you could do it over again?   Who does the best his circumstance allows need have no qualms in judging results, The world changes & if I had my story to start now I should surely have to meet other problems & conditions from those of 50 yrs. ago, but I doubt not I should adjust myself to them with the same pluck & energy that I believe to be an unchanging part of me. I should miss perhaps a friendly interest & even a surprised applause on the part of whites who are now concluding that N. are best educated in N. schools. But that is not essential.

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III. AFTER GRADUATION CAREER

49. Are you at present employed upon the occupation of your choice? yes. the vocation for which you were prepared? The Education of neglected people.

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50. Membership in learned societies (give name of your organization) "Learned Societies" do not seek colored workers. Wanting some help in researches I contemplated for a history of the negroes of Washington I applied to the Brookings Inst. for Research also to the American Graduate School here of wh. Dr Edwd Devine was then Dean. Both schools raised the color bar & Dr Devine soon afterwards resigned.

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51. What do you regard as your outstanding accomplishments since graduation?   Perhaps others will think first of the Defense in French before a fury of French Doctors at the Sorbonne of my thesis on the attitude of France on Slavery Mek 23 1920 & My own preference is the building of a beautiful home at the capital from unsubsidized earnings to be dedicated in the name of my slave mother to the education of colored working people.

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52. What positions of honor and distinction do you now hold? (List)   I am called President of Frelinghuysen University started by the late Jesse Lawson 25 yrs. ago, which has now for the first time a permanent home at 201 T N.W. "a group of schools for Adult Education com- prising a Law School, School of Religion & Opportunity classes for pre-academic workers. A "Foundation" is sought for the Jesse Lawson School of Social Service, an oustanding need at the Nations Capital training colored workers.

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53. Have you held or do you now hold any public office? (Name) Principal M. St High School Washington D.C. 1901 to 1906.

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54. Books published A voice from the South, L'Attitude de la France à l'Eqard de l'Esclavage. These 10. Poem de Peterinaqe de Charlemagne avee slossaire edited

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55. Types of important articles published “Educational Programms” Simon of Cyrene - “The Southland” the first Negro Magsmall tear in right marginawords continue onto the next page of the surveyzine in the small tear in right marginU.words continue onto the next page of the surveyS.A. The Ethics of the Negro Question-, The Social Social Settlement what it is & what it does etc. Summer Editor Southern Workwords continue onto the next page of the surveyman Hawords continue onto the next page of the surveympton

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56. Honorary Degrees None

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57. To what church denomination do you belong? Episcopal (St. Lukee's P.E.)

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58. What are your present cultural interests? Education of the underprivileged.

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59. What further study have you engaged in since graduation? 4 Graduate courses at La Guilde Internationwords continue onto the next page of the surveyale, Paris 8 Full Courses S.S. Columbia: Dept. Romance Lang., French 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, words continue onto the next page of the surveyPhilology & Old FR.

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60. List civic and social movements in which you are engaged Speakers Bureau Community Chest Phyllis Wheatley Y.W.C.A., N.A.A.C.P. Vi Omega Chap Alpha Kappa Alpha sc

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61. Offices held in civic and social organizations. Supervisor Colored Social Settlement Chief Guardian Campfire Girls, Organizer Girls Clubs Y.W. War Camp Communwords continue onto the next page of the surveyity Service Charge Colorewords continue onto the next page of the surveyed Girls Work duriwords continue onto the next page of the surveyng World War.

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62. In what racial movements are you actively interested? National R. Association

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63. Offices in them

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64. Do you vote where you now reside? None do To what political party do you belong? Independent

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65. Have you a "racial philosophy" that can be briefly stated? My "racial philosophy" is not far removed from my general philosophy of life: that the greatest happiness comes from altruistic service—& this is in reach of all of whatever race & condition. The "Service" here meant it is not a pious idea of being used; any sort of exploitation whether active or passive is to my mind hateful. Nor is the “Happiness” a mere bit.This continues on the last page. 65 cont.) of Pollyanna stuff. I am as sensitive to handicaps as those who are always whining about them & the whips & slings of prejudice, whether of color or sex, find me neither too calloused to suffer nor too ignorant to know what is due me. Our own men as a group have not inherited traditions of chiv-alry (one sided as it may be among white men) & we women are generally left to do our race battling alone except for empty compliments now & then. Even so, one may make the mistake of looking at race handicaps thro the wrong end of the telescope—imagining that oppression goes only with color. When I encounter brutality I need not always charge it to my race. It may be—& generally is— chargeable to the imperfections in the civilization envisioning me for which as a teacher & trained thinker. I take my share of responsibility. The extent, then, of the optimism in my philosophy is that, (Statisticians & Social Science Research compilers to the contrary notwithstanding) the solution of our problem will be the individual & not en masse, & the habit of generalization & deductive logic has done its worst. For after all, Social Justice the desired goal is not to be reached thro any panacea by mass production. whether DuBois's preachment of the ballot for & intermarriage or Kelly Miller's one time suggestion of self effacement, or even Booker Washington's proposal of the solid hand & separate fingers. For human selfishness will always arise as domineering thumb to over ride & keep down every finger weak enough to give up the struggle. The ballot operates just so far as dominant forces agree to respect it. Which again is reasoning in a circle to insane justice by having man become just. & the spectacle of image cut off on left marginangsler dominance among ballot holding Americans invites little hope for solution when the element of race is added to the problem. As I see it then, the patient persistence of the individual, working as Browning has it, "mouth wise & pen wise" in whatever station & with whatever talent God has given, in truth & loyalty to serve the whole, will come as near as any other to proving worth while. To me Life has meant a big opportunity & I am thankful that my work has always been the soul that beckoned me on, leaving no room for blase philosophizing & rebellious resentment & with just enough opposition to give zest to the struggle, just enough hope of scoring image cut off on left marginsomewhere among the winners to keep my head "unbowed tho bloody."

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66. Will you give the name of one or more of your childhood associates (whether they went to college or not) with their present address (if possible), schooling and occupation? Dr S.G. AtkinsPrin. Winston-Salemalnot, N.C Mrs. Nannie/Delaney(widow Bishop Delaney) 80 Edgecomb Ave, New York City Dean of Wisk Mrs. Jane Thomas CasparAve. A Huntersville Norfolk VA. Former teacher social Mrs. M.E. Neale/Mrs. Doctor Luentin 1315 Lynne Ave, Pawhuska Okla while[Mrs. Anna Metcalf Root 333 East 53d St. New York City] B.A. Oberlin 1884 Mrs. Professor Auderegg207 East College St. Oberlin O. Conservatory Oberlin 1885

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67. Will you give briefly your views of the future of Negro education? (What it should be, what changes might be made in the light of your experience; it's present direction, value, etc., for the development of Negro youth.) I have always stood for that Education that aims at the making of Men rather than the constructing of machines. If the Negro is a man then what is good for Man, in all its age-old and infinite varieties, is good for him. Why should he be cabined and cribbed with just this or just that for his mental fabulum? See also: "Anonymous" paragraph enclosed here with.

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SPACE RESERVED FOR SPECIAL COMMENT

This contains the overflow of questions 46 and 65, as well as questions 55, 59, and 61.

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