Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-14
TRAINING THE Negro
President Fav0rS InduStri1,,
Education for the Mass.
PRAISES FISK UNIVERSITY
Believes Leaders Should Be Prepared
for Professional Life.
ROOSEVELT ALSO IN ACCORD
Address at the Forty-Fifth Com
mencement Delivered by
Rev. C. E. Stowe
PRAISES FISK UNIVERSITY
ROOSEVELT ALSO IN ACCORD

NASHVILLE. Tenn, June l,-lre
forty-fifth commencement ~ Fisk lu-
versity, the college for negroes al NasH-
Vile, Tenn. was observed here toda
The largest class but one In the histors
of the college was graduated and
ceived bachelor degrees Rev charles
ceived Stowe. son OF Harriet Beecher
Stove. made the commencement actdr
and read letters from President Taft anI
Col. Theodore Roosevelt
Letter From President Taft.
The letter from President Taft follows:
The White House. Washington. II. c
Il am not one OF those who believe that
II is well to educate the mass Of negroes
with academic or university education
On the contrary. l am firmly convinced
that the hope of the negro is In his in
dustrial education throughout the south.
and In teaching him to be "A better farm
er. q better carpenter. a better ma
chinist and a better blacksmith than he
IL now: and TO make more blacksmiths
and more good farmers than there now
are among the negroes.
But have studied the matter consid-
erably. and have also become convinced
that 1t Is necessary to have a few high
class negro universities for those who are
to be the leaders Of the race and who are
to figure prominently IN a professional
way-their ministers. their physicians,
their lawyers and their teachers-because
we have got to treat the race a distinct
from the whites. / believe that nothing
can do so much toward establishing a
real nucleus for leadership among them
a. the maintenance Of such university
as Fisk
1T has the largest number OF negro COL
iege students OF any school Of the stand
ard which II sets. and IL any university
OF the kind Is to be ENCOURAGED it is the
FISK University. This Is proven. not
only by an examination OF its college sta
tistics. but by the testimony Of the best
white men In the community where IL
exercises its influence.
Sincerely yours.
Letter From Theodore Roosevelt.
Dr.. Stowe also read q letter from
Theodore Roosevelt. who said
4 most earnestly commend your work
You do not need to be told how emphati-
cally favor Industrial education for the
colored man no less than for the white.
but I cordially agree with Booker Wash
inston in his support Of Fisk. because ie
Is eminently undesirable that the negro
should have only a chance to get tech-
meal education in industry and agricul.
ture With the negro. as with the white,
while such training is that Of which there
Is fundamentally the greatest need for
the greatest number 1t is yet imperative
for the sake OF the race that there shall
be opportunity OF furnishing q different
type Of training for certain proportion
OF the race.
the cause OF education. but to the cause
OF good citizenship to have Fisk crippled
In its work.
Training for the Professions.
Mr.. Stowe said in part: owing TO the
exceeding difhculty. delicacy and In
tricacy Of the race problem in the
United States. It Is essential that those
young people Of the colored race who
are being trained for service among
their own people as ministers. teachers.
lawyers and doctors have the very best
possible training. and the broadcast out
look to give them the efficiency which
the task before them urgently de-
mands. Mere Industrial training is ut
Let us suppose that Booker T. Wash.
ington had received only Industrial edu-
cation. fitting him for agriculture or one
Of the mechanical callings. would II noe
have been q great loss to our country in
this present very serious crisis? Must
we not believe that there are in the race
that has produced Booker 7. Washington
and Prof. Dubois, and other leaders,
too. who can be trained for this larger
usefulness?
..It is not the interest OF the negro
race alone that is at stake. II is th.
peace and safety and prosperity OF our
common country, both north and
south. for the negro Is not the prob
lem Of the south alone. but Of the
whole nation.
Obligation Of the State.
The state owes every individual.
white or black. an adequate equip
ment to At him for the great struggle
for existence in which he must take
his part.
THE history Of Fisk University. its
strategic position. all call for an imme-
diate and adequate provision for Its most
important work. ! will help in every way
/ can to secure the 100000 fund which
is so greatly needed to lift the burden of
debt, repair the buildings and begin an
the income of which Will
enable the college to proceed I'm its work
without financial embarrassment. That
the negroes have undertaken to raise
SO 900 and the white people of Nashville
$4,000 is very encouraging. as II shows
q disposition to help yourselves"