The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-01-17
Refused Admitiance TO College b
Account of Color, the Scholarly
Soldier Answers.

4
President Of the Illinois College of
Photography, Etiingham. III.
SIR Since receiving your letter Of
December I, ii which you heartily ad-
viaed my enrolment us student ii
your college of photography for the
vocational training granted me re-
Gently BIZ the Federal Board for Vora
tional Education Washington. II. a.
have been informed by that Board
| MS follows:
We have just been advised by the
illinois School of Photography that
colored men are not taken in their
school,
HonorabIy Discharged
was honorably discharged April
l5, 1913, at Camp Funston, kanaas,
lby reason Of physical disability, in
lcurred IN the line of my duiics,us An
American soldier. My case comes
under the provision Of the united
!, States War Department, through
(which disabled soldiers are granted
lsuch vocational trainings as theymay
elect, that are suited to their several
needs in civil life. Sir, this. pruvsso
Iof our Government is an impartial
document but it seems that you would
limit it in its application.
Selected This Course
elected d course in photography
rs my vocational training, this being
la subject in which am especially
ginteregfaa.a sought admissions lts i sur.
school that ! might obtain this train
ling. So far as | know, yours is the
only institution of it's kind in Amer
Iica. understand that you are It's
founder as well as being it's president.
wrote you relative to my enroll.
iment IN your college. You replied in
the following words, to wit:
Eifingham, Ill,
December 4 1913.
Mr. .Incian u. Watkins,
| No. 649 String Street,
Baltimore, Md.
Dear Mr., Watkins: Your valued
favor of recent date received, and we
were pleased to hear from you and to
llearn that you have decided to take
a course in our school
Upon enrolment we will take pleas
ure in advancing you as rapidly as
|possible in high-grade photography
/ I'VE know, Mr. Watkins, that you
will be delighted with the work as we
teach it rs it is pleasant, interesting,
and highly profitable.
! The demand for photography IL
Ienormous, and well-conducted studio
| IS splendid Investment.
/ Looking forward with pleasure to
your enrolment, we remain.
Cordially yours,
/ tSigned) IL. H. BISSEId.,
President.
Didn't Know He Was Colored
/ Presumably, sir, when you wrote
this letter. you did not know that you
were addressing a colored man. Mr..
Bissell, you cannot know as to what
it means to be a colored man in Amer
lea. have heard that in France a
NATIVE Of my race is a Frenchman; in
| England he is an Englishman; in
Spain he is a Spaniard; in Mexico he
is a Mexican. IL it not possible for
him to be plain American where he
is now, for the most part, considered
as being a mere negro-with that in
Isinuating small "n.--or that despie-
liable thing called "nigger," which inn
plies about the value of rirnless
Zero? Mr. Bissell, am sure you will
pardon me when / say, il the world
has been made safe for democracy, it
|now seems necessary that democracy
be made safe for the world
Either Fate or Fortune
Yes, I am colored man Whether
lor not this is my fate or my fortune,
/ do not know. But | am d member
lof the race Of Crispus Attucks, who
died the first martyr for American
independence. belong to the race Of
Big Jim Parker who saved McKin-
LEY from the second shot Of the assass-
sin. | am member Of the race Oh
Henson, who went with Peary 70 the.
Pole.
! ! am one of the race of black boys
lwho dissd agIorisusiy In Fiansssn fields
i