Richmond planet., 1909-05-08
DIR. Benjamin
Franklin HHen.
His Great work for The
Race.


Despite few circumstances that
on the surface appear unfavorable to
race Development there are many
hopeful signs OF the present and fu-
tpre advancement Of the American
Negro. and foremost among these
signs, -even above and beyond the
many busines> enterprises, SO we'll
summarized inAa recent number OF
the Colored American Magazine, and
to which attention has been called
again and again in the columns OF
The PLANET lis the number OF in-
s'itutions In the South. Southwest
and even In the North and East, that
are devoted to the Industrial and lit
eFary training of the Negro.
This is an age OF industriallsm. OF
materiaiism, OF competition. and the
men and women who so carefully
manage these institutions as to an
nualiy send forth scores OF young
men and =eaen. fully equipped phys
icaliy, mentally. morally and spirit
ually TO work with hand, brain and
heart wherever their lot may be cast.
IN such manner az 20 meet and suc-
ccssfully defy competition, are most
significant factors in this entire mat
ter OF race development; hence their
life history. fheir methods. plans and
efforts along all lines. are matters
OF more than passing interest to the
ethnologist. the sociologist, and al;
who are engaged In the solutions OF
grave and welghty problems thar ar
feet humanity as whole.
Following out th.a line Of arr,a-
ment. we call sttcntion az thss tlme
10 the work that is 'beIng accom-
plished In Lincoln Institute. Jeffer-
son City, Missouri by that distin-
guished scholar and Christian gentle
man, DIR. Benjamin Franklin Allen.
who became President and admins
trattve head OF the institution In
1902.
He had held for eight years an
important professorship in the insti-
tuition, was also Vice-Presiient and
knew more OF the real needs OF the
school than could one to whom the
work was entirely new, while al the
same time his experience as. a teach
er In schools of such high raAk as
Atlanta University, Georgia State
College, etc. gave him standards OF
comparison without which excellent
teachers fail. or fall short OF specific
requirements.
Bearing these and other facts in
mind, IL is therefore not STRANGE that
from the very beginning of DR.. AL.
lens administration, Lincoln InstI-
tute began TO take on new life. and
showed phenomenal increase in both
student body and teaching force
The Dormitory for boys,-started
under former administration
soon completed with the assistance
OF student labor, and before the
middle of the first scholastic year OF
this administration was filled with
boys TO the point of Overlooking
Shortly afterward a new dormitory
Tor girls was furnished, which also
was soon overcrowded, and an aSidi-
tional doFmitory is now a crying
necessity, so great has been the con-
slant Increase in enrolment.
He has been able TO secure from
the Missouri Legislature at each ses-
sion since 1902, large appropriations
Tor maintenance and for the general
Advancement OF the institution. The
Legislature is now in session and
has recommended about $4,000 for
the work for the ensuing two years.
This in itself is abundant proof of
the faith the Missouri Legislators
place In DR.. Aliens managerial skill.
and OF their desire to make Lincoln
Institute second to none of the great
schools OF the United States, any part
or all of whose work is the training
OF Negro youth In the activities of
life.
The creation of a department of
Agriculture with a separate and dis
unct Professor in charge was one of
DR.. Aliens first acts. and the Insti-
tute farm. by order of the Board OF
Regents was put in charge of Su-
perintendent. Live stock, including
horses, mules, cows, hogs, chickens.
etc. were purchased and the farm was
put into better shape for yielding sat
isfactory returns than 1T had been at
any previous time. A fine barn.
chickeD-house and other buildings
accessory to a weil-stocked farm were
built by student labor under the su-
pervisfon of the Department Of In
dustries
Printing. shoe-making, chair-can-
ing and several allied crafts and in |
dustries were added with the hope
that appropriations would make It |
possible to enlarge the scope OF the
work along these and other lines.
Speaking of industrial training,
while DIR. Allen In no sense cecries
the value Of higher education. he, at
the same time, well knows and high
iy emphasizes the value OF Industrial |!
and manual training in the develop
ment of any primitive people as
shown In all of his public addresses
In a recent address delivered IN one
OF the leading churches Of JEFFERSON
City ON, The Duty or the Educated