The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-07-05
PROMINENT TENOR
RECEIVES HIGHEST
TRIBUTE BY RACE
N. A. A. G. p. BestOws Honor on
Tenor by Proxy at An
nual Meet.

| Philadelphia, Pa, July 3.-Roland
Hayes. acclaimed by critics the
world over as the premier tenor of
his day and who at this time is on a
successful concert tour of European
capitals, received by proxy the Spin
garn medal for 1924 Tuesday night.
The medal was presented by DR.. Jo-
siah H. Penniman. president of the
University of Pennsylvania, at
mass meeting of the 18th annual con-
clave of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
The committee making the award
consists of Bishop John Hurst, chair
man; Dorothy Garfield Fisher, au-
thor; Theodore Roosevelt, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy; James H.
Dillard, director of the Jeanes and
Slater fund; John Hope, president of
Morehouse college, and w. E. B. Du
Bois, editor of the Crisis.
The Spingarn medal is awarded
each year to the person of African
descent who has made the highest
achievement in the field OF hu-
man endeavor. In 1915, the first
lyear of the award, DR.. f. f. Just of
Howard university, scientist, received
the vote. Others who have received
the medal, and the order in which
they were awarded it, follow. 1916,
Col. Charles Young; 1918, w.
Is. Braithwaite: 1919, Archibald
Grimke. educator; 1920, DR.. w. E.
Du Bois, editor and scholar; 1921,
Charles S. Gilpin, actor; 1929, Mary
B. Talbert. @women's clubs; 1928.
George w. Carver, scientist.
Roland Hayes, the 1924 winner,
was born in Curryville. Ca, in 1887.
Almost Immediately he began to work
and study for a career that is now
beginning to be realized. Until 1912
he remained in the South, where he
worked his way through Fisk and
sang in a choir and with the famous
Fisk singers. In early 1912 Hayes
appeared in a concert in Boston,
where he attracted the attention of
music lovers of that city. His great
est encouragement, however, came
from Arthur J. Hubbard, who as
sisted him in procuring the kind of
teachers necessary for his advance
ment.
First Real Triumph.
Hayes first real triumph came in
1921. when he was commanded to
sing at Buckingham palace before
the King and Queen Of England.
From that time his success was as
sured. He has since that time ap-
/ peared in almost every city of impor-
tance in Europe and America. Crit
les in this country have not ceased
to sing his praise as an aftermath
of his first real tour of his native
country, which ended when he sang
before a crowded house in the Town
hall of New York last February.
Less than month ago he entered
Berlin. city of skepticism, of doubt
and Of prejudice born Of hate and
the world war. Here was a people
who did not believe that an alien,
especially an alien of darker race,
could sing the songs of Handel, of
Schumann, Of Gounod and Of Faust
But they willingly admitted their
mistake and unanimously proclaimed
Roland Hayes the peer of his con-
temporaries. His German, like his
French, was found to be faultless;
his English diction was proclaimed
far superior to that Of most singers
and his stage personality above criti-
cism.
| He is still in Berlin, where crowd
ed houses greet his every appearance
and critical populace listen to him
with enthusiasm. In the fall he
plans to return to America and re-
peat his successes of last winter.
Roland Hayes is just past his 37th
birthday. Already he has proved by
his indomitable will. his ability and
his superior character that obstacles,
even Of prejudice due to his color.
may be surmounted IL the determine
tion is present. He has, indeed,
earned the Spingarn medal.