The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-08-27
A'LeIia Walker =
COlOrful Figure
Continued from Page u

rev years ago.
$4,000 Wedding
In life replete with social
achievements. probable the eutstand-
ing event in the colorful career Of
A'lela Walker was the elaborate
$4,000 wedding Of her adopted
daughter. Mae Walker Robinson, to
DR.. Gorden Henry Jackson. Chicago
physician. This affair was without
doubt the most lavish and expensive
wedding in the history of the Amer
lean Negro. Criticized for the eX-
travagance of the occasion. the heir
ess. who was the wife of Dir. Wiley
Wilson. coo West 13Sth street. New
York Cit, at that time. insisted that
he YER elahorateness of the affair
would emphasize 10 Negroes that
success in busines is not contingent
IN the color of ones skin but rather
on character, merit and aggressive
ness.
The adopted daughter. who was
later divorced and is now The wife Of
Attorney Marion Perry recent took
charge of the chemical department
Of the company factories in Indian
arolis to protect the secret of the
Walker formula. She succeeds the
late Mrs. Alice Kelley in the posi-
ton
Probably the greatest achievement
of the founder of the beauty pro-
ducts system was the erection Of
Villa | ewaro. a 2t-room wallace built
at Irvineton=on= Hudson. This castle.
which wa named b. the world famed
and furnished at IA cost more than
100000. recently went under the
anctioneers hammer and was
stripped Of its rich furnishings by
bidders of all races who floeked to
the upstate villa.
An effort to sell the house itself
failed when the comparatively small
sum of S600 900 was the highest bid
offered. The Walker interests saved
the homo hv bidding It hack for
SEQ 900. Recent. several attempts
have been made To have the estate
purchased and preserved as a monu-
ment of Negro achievement. but no
definite move has been made in this
direction.
Miss Walker was recently divorced
by DR.. A. ! Kennedy, of the L. S.
Veterans Hospital Tnskegee, Ala.
II was her third unsuccessful martial
venture The last decree was grant
ed on charge Of desertion and was
not contested hy the heiress Her
first marriage was to a Mr.. Robinson.
After the termination of this union.
she married and later divorced DR..
Wiley Wilson Of this city.
In special release from the
Malpm c. !. Walker offices in In
dianapolis. httornen T. b. Ransom.
general manager Of tie huge in
terests. stated that the PASSING of the
president Of the company would in
no wise affect the smoothness of
the company's routine
at is renerallv known" the of
ricial wrote, that Nine. A'Lelia
Walker durin" The lifetime of her
mother was not active in the opera
| ton of the company. She never got
over her timidity in this respect and
! hence. never fnnctoned at any dime
as did her mother In Tact. she
never was active.
Therefore her unfortunate pass
| ing will not in any sense affect the
! future operation of the company.
| The companv will carr on, serving
the public through its thousands of
agents throughout the country"
In attempting to clarity ms much
as possible whatever conjecture the
public might have concerning the
future of the COMPANY and the fl
naneial condition Of the dead Walker
heiress, the general manager went
so far rs to state that despite the
feet that he could not Officially dis
close the contents OF the society
woman's will. he did know this
much that her daughter. Mae
Walker Perry, will succeed her as
president of the company Mrs.
Perry is at present head of the com
panv's Chemical Division