The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1907-02-01

let the dead past lie buried.
INITIAL RALLY FOR ROGER WILL
LIAMS UNIVERSITY.
Sylvan Street Baptist Church Raises
First Money Donated to Rebuild
this Institution Of Learning.
Much has been said about rebuilding
Roger Williams University In Nash
Vile, and speculation beyond measure
has been indulged in, but the most ad-
vanced step In that direction was the
effort put forth by the members of
the Sylvan Street Baptist Church on
the east side last Sunday, when un-
der the leadership of their able and
energetic pastor, Rev. VIM. Haynes,
they raised the sum OF $5400 as a
fund to aid in rebuilding the institu-
ton here. This was supplemented
with $500 raised at an Executive
Board meeting held recently at this
church, making total Of $4,000 raised
by this congregation and pastor. No
great fuss was made about the matter,
simply the members and friends decid-
ed that II Roger Williams Is to be built
the Negroes will have to put their
hands in their pockets and build It.
They built the old Roger Williams and
turned 1t over to society dominated
by white men, and wher the fire came
and the winds blew" the Negroes
woke up to realize that they had built
on sandy foundation. An Institution
that belonged to them was swept away
by the flames, the little sum of over
$4,000 insurance was turned into the
treasury OF the society dominated by
white men from the East, and the
ground was cut up into building lots
and Is being sold; so that the proceeds
can go in the same direction. The
university could not be rebuilt on the
same ground because some white peo-
Dle objected, despite the fact that one
Mr.. Thompson, one of the wealthiest
and most highly respected citizens in
this city testified that the students
were always manly, and when the fire
forced the young men and women out
of doors. he threw open his doors to
them and aided them In every way he
could. But the institution could not
be built there. Then 1t was rumored
that site had been purchased in an
other part Of the city, even more de-
sirable than the old site, and that
Nashville would retain the institution.
but time rolled on and the longer the
forty thousand Negroes Of Nashville
waited for matters to materalize into
something tangible the further from
solution seemed the problem of re-
building this educational institution
that has done so much to uplift the
} thousands who have for forty odd
years looked on her with pride and
gathered inspiration, and it seems that
they have about decided that the best
way to get thing is to roll up your
sleeves and go after 1t.
A committee has been appointed
with Rev VIM. Haynes. pastor of
the Sylvan Street Baptist Church,
as chairman, and they propose to go at
the matter in systematic way and
raise funds to give to Nashville again
one of her institutions Of learning big
ger and better than the old one. They
have planned to hold educational raj
lies in as many churches as possible
and give every lover of education an
opportunity to aid in this worthy
cause. The people Of Nashville and
the whole country will receive these
tidings with glad hearts. and those
who have been instrusted with the
duty of pushing the plan as laid out
expect a hearty cooperation from the
public generally. The citizens of Nash
: vile have always taken a great deal
Of pride in the educational institutions
: located here. and are not willing tc
sacrifice a single one of them, but in
stead hope in the near future to be
able to point to a progressive Fisk Uni
versity, an enlarged Walden Univer
7 sity, and new and bigger Roger WI
| linms University, owned and c0G
3 trolled by the Negro Baptists an6 ths
5 Negro friends Of education.