Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-02-07
CELEBRATION
COMMITTEE.

The Provisional Golden Jubilee
Committee, which issued call for
the meeting of statewide commit
tee Of fifty men representing every
congressional district in Iowa, held
its first meeting Monday afternoon
at 2 o'clock at the A. M. E. church at
Second and Center streets. Thirty
men answered to the roll call, with
eight districts represented. The
chairman of the provisional commit
tee, John L. Thompson, called the
meeting to order. After singing
America, prayer was offered by Rev.
T. M. Brumfeld, after which the
chairman asked the provisional secre-
tary, S. Joe Brown, to read the call
sent out. Then Mr.. Thompson stated
the complete object of the meeting,
namely, was to hold Golden Jubilee
Emancipation Celebration to COM
memorate the fifty years of the
American Negro freedom by putting
on an exposition this fall to show the
wonderful progress the Iowa colored
race has made within the past fifty
years along literary, industrial, eco
nomical, religious and educational
lines and to ask the Iowa state legis-
lature to appropriate $4,000 to put
this exhibition on. Then the secre-
tary read a draft Of a bill to be pre-
sented to the legislature, after which
said bill was adopted. The commit
tee then moved that We 60 into per-
manent organization by appointing a
committee on permanent organiza-
ton. Then the committee took a re-
cess to go to the legislature to call
upon the governor and chairman OF
the appropriation committee in both
branches, and that each member OF
the committee see as many of their
members as they can, asking their
cooperation, and meet again at the
church in the evening and perma-
nently organize. The reception at
the capitol was extremely delightful.
The call upon the governor was fine
meeting and he promised his support
to the bill favoring an appropriation.
We then visited some Of the proml-
nent members of the legislature, saw
the chairman Of the appropriation
committee in each house. We were
encouraged by our visit and returned
and took our supper at the A. M. =.
church. Then we went into the audi
torium, where we perfected the per-
manent organization by adopting the
report of the permanent committee,
as follows: President, John l..
Thompson; first vice president, John
Spencer; second vice president, j..
Wilbur Norris; secretary, S. Joe
Brown; assistant, Miss Zella Davis;
treasurer, r. N. Hyde; executive dis
trict board members, First congress-
ional district, H. B. Burnaugh, Mt.
Pleasant; Second district, Rev. T. B.
Stovall, Davenport; Third, Henry
Martin, Dubuque; Fourth district, j.
D. Reeler, Mason City; Fifth district,
AL Walker, Marshalltown; Sixth dis
trict, A. G. Clark, Osakloosa; Seventh
district, Rev. G. w. White, Enter
prise; Eighth district, r. H. johnson,
Gravity; Ninth district, Chas. F.
Davis, Council Bluffs; Tenth district,
C. w. Rodgers, Ogden; Eleventh dis
trict, M. Askew, Sioux City. After
which the committee Of bylaws and
constitution reported. It was decided
to incorporate, which was done. A
fine program Of splendid speeches
were made by the visiting members.
Al very enthusiastic and successful
meeting in every detail and the race
feel very hopeful that an appropria-
ton will be made for the exposition.