The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1938-02-04
ONE OF FIRST
TRUSTEES AT
LINCOLN UNIV. A
FORMER SLAVE

the lSGpsu MI ssjsti lss-a II sfiisst7ss =
sid ice Il are being cited sor a.
teasion dusi & preparations FOR ob-
.csvance Of NJ gro History Week at
Lincoln Unve u ebfaaly e-lA' Y
James Milton Imner, 4 lave, edp--
cater, orator. diFlomat
Turner was born slave on MAJ
is. 1870 in st. Louis County on the
ST. Charles Road rlsnt ton oi
Charlie A. Loring. His father John
Turner, vas said to claim decent
from Moorish prince, and his mo-
ther, Hannah Loring. from tae va
triha ii Africa. Ills father fcput--
ed to be nephew Of Nat turner
was removed from Virginia to MIS-
sonri by Benjamin Tillman, ms
young master. after the lnsnfteat'o'i
in 1881. Here Tillman taught hin
the rudiments Of veterinary aed'~'
cine. and the two set up partner
shin ii Carondelet. Tillman was
later obliged TO sell him % fredef-
;ek Colbnrn, and hereafter Iufnef
80 often called John Colburn. lie
managed to save money TO bn9 -,
own freedom, then ii l8d3 that $
his wife and SON. james Milton
The on was first taught ~
secret tallow candle school Tor Ne
proes. which was discovered by tos
l;ce afterwards he attended sehooi
for slave children conducted ~
INNS al the ST. Louis Catholic "a
tbearal on Walnut Street near lne
river However, an associate saSs
that Turner was elaadestlnety laughe
s read by VIII . religious 2aaio &
,yAo btlieved ali persons should be
able to read tie Bible. Be '1at y
may the insercst and aptitude Wiale
he ii. played caused his parents Is
sond Inn Is Oberlin College wh ff
he spent his fourteenth yeaf u tiss
preparatory department unaef W.
tntelape of James Harris Fafch1las :
there ne progressed somewhat fases'
than the average student However
his fathers death compelled hlm V
return to Missouri to support NJ
mother and sister
After the close of the war uii.ei
directed his attention 70 Negro pun
liz education as required hY .he
Missouri Constitution Of 1869 thae
i that Negro children be edacatea
lust as white children, n free pao'-
lie schools supported BY tax money
I, Anril 1866 he was appointed y
the Kansas City. Missouri sehool
Board to conduct 4 school fer TNe-
eroes during the winter, beileVea =
he the first tax-maintained sehoo
for Negroes in the border states
and actually Missouri's first tree
school for Negroes. He was reap
pointed in June 1868. In the mean
time, he had become interested =
nlans FOR an educational instltusioH
for Negroes in Jefferson City NO,
He In conjunction with the soldiers
and officers Of the Slxty-seeohe
limited States Colored Infantry sta
toned at Fort Mcintosh, Texas Whe
were Missouri volunteers raised ap-
proximateiy $4,000 to founa th'
institute. An appeal 70 the Sixty
6fth United states Colored Infantry
brought contribution Of Sl,324,ao
In 1866 site was purchased 2
jefferson City, and small sc.loo
building erected; the sohooi wa
named Lincoln institute. The com
mittee on organization Of the pro.
iect now became the board ot tfos-
tees. of which James Milton Iurne
was a member, Since It was IN
tended from the outset TO make u
institution State school, On Jan
uarv f9. 1870 q convention OF III
terested persons met at the star
capital, with Turner as presiaihl
officer. The convention drafted an
presented to the Legislature Oh
to endow Lincoln Institute as oea1
Normal School for training colofe
teachers. The Legislature approve
resolution providing that as 500
as the promoters Of the college rals
Cd $4,000 annually for It's main
tenance. Turner was instruments
in raising the required amount, an
was appointed Second Asslstal
State Superintendent Of sehooi
with the duty of establishing Negl
schools. He was also connected WI
the education work for Negroes pe
inp promoted by the Federal freee
mans Bureau under the directie
az General O. O. Howard, It's chle
Upon the nomination of Preslde'
Grant, and confirmed by the Seha
on March /, 1871, Turner becan
miniser resident and consul genef
to Liberia, the first Negro to ser
in the diplomatic corps. He succeed
ed James w. Mason, who had
turn succeeded John Seys.
Turner arrived at Monrovia {
July 10, 1871. and formally prt
sented his credentials on July z
Liberals frequent government
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