The Phoenix index., 1941-11-08
RACECREWS,
CONTRACTORS
SPEED WORK
Men Of
Both Races
Work Together
By ALBERT ANDERSON

There cOulQ SCdTCcly NC "
more inspiring sight for one
who was interested in dem
onstration of the abilities OF
Negroes in the field of con-
struction, than to observe the
progress of the two airports
being erected here at Tuske-
gee, each of which is being
built bv Negro contractors
and their crews.
Both are being developed mel
dent to the training of the 99th
Pursuit Squadron, the au-Negro
group of flying cadets. This group
is really in training at the CIVIL
ian Army Training field, almost
Z completed and such is owned oy
.eTuskegee institute AS soon as the
students graduate from this pre-
iimirary army course required be-
fore the cir corps accepts them
as cadets. they will be given their
broader, mere eXacting training al
the big TOO acre airfield which IS
mushrooming up much after the
fashion of vigorous. growing
young city.
THREE AIRrORTS
There will be three flying 1leioS
= here Tuskegee had temporary
field where the CAA primary
course is given. Some 40 students
are enrolled there at present. Be
cause of the superior record when
the youth of this school have mace
Tuskegee was selected for the more
\ difficult civilian army training
course. That required a more aoe-
ouate field so Tuskegee which plans
to make aviation a definite part
of its future program, bought lana
at another more favorable location
and erected a new field at q cost
of 100000 for field and equip
ment.
This new field Is almost finish
led but training has been going
on there for several weeks. There
are some so students there Archie
Alexander. the famous Negro con-
! tractor from Des Moines, Ia, has
. the contract for building this air
port. and while small in area COM
pared with it's huge neighbor be-
ING erected by the air corps, it is
one of the Slickest, trimmeSt air
fields you ever looked at. It's large
brick hangar accommodates ten
army training planes anu working
quarters for Capt Parish, army
supervisor; FG. L.. Washington,
civilian manager, chief pilot Al
fred Anderson and their various
aides. The students have living
quarters. at Tuskegee.
1,5OO WORK
A seant six miles further, 1900
Workmen, telling day and night on
three eight, hour shifts are rushing
to completion The third airport, the
big two million dollar army field
whicht is expected to be named
"Moten field"
The irnmensity Of this joo
staggers an onloOker. Apparently
t,does not phase Calvin McKissack.
Younger of the two noted archl-
tects and builders of Nashville, and
actively engaged in charge OF the
job while his brother, Nose, looks
after other contracts. Calvin Nc
Kissack. with his quiet manner,
smooth. almost unctuous voice
shoots his car over hills, ruts and
bitches and Chambers where the
car just cannot go over these
hundreds of acres as they emerge
from a nilly, wooded, stretch OF
red clay farm land into a COM
murity which win house and af-
ford training and working quart
ers for a thousand or two Of
ficers, flyinf cadets, soldiers, me
chanics and employees, as calmly
as if he were constructing one Of
the churches for which his firm
is famed throughout the southland
Mr.. McKissack won't talk much
about his job. He modestly says
that his task is to turn over t1
the United States army a plant
completed to specifications laid out
ny army engineers, within the pre-
$cribed time and cost limits, and
to prove when he does SO thai
10 mistake was made when the
contract was awarded to a colored
firm Under him are $500 skilled
and uqskilled men, black and
white. The, ratio runs about 1,O0C
Go1ored Ito 500 white. He has en-
ployed, all the competent skilled
black men he could find most OF
the white men working for white
Subcontractors who handle certain
phases of the work which were sub
let and secured on bid. Most cf the
men have been employed from
fuskegee and nearby counties. A
few are his regular foremen anc
Vorkmen who go with him where
dyer hs has a job to do
Herein the deep south these men
have demonstrated that there is
hot the slightest difficulty in hav-
Ing wQrkmen of two races work
ing side by side under the gen.
eral supervision of a colo~ed con-
tractor, There has not been the
slightest bit Of friction or trouble
Everyone seems imbued with the
fact that they want to get the
plant finished on time. The plant
is to be handed over in December
Already trainees are pouring in
Some 200 mechanics from Chanute
field arrived last week