Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-12-02
Friends Urge Appointment
Of Prof. William II. Pipes
AS Pres. Of A|corn College

ing), was finally able to get along
without having anyone else know
/ of my injury. cor course / could
not risk playing football; however.
I became quite a baseball stare
I am thankful today for what that
injured wrist has done to my
character; it has taught me to face
difficult situation and to labor
for years to overcome it.
Once I was able to get along
with the injured wrist, my mother
decided to send us to live near a
good school, We boarded and went
to school in Inverness, in Indianola
and in Clarksdale was a small
boy made fires in the girls rooms
every morning) at the Agricultural
School out from Clarksdale when
this school was started. (Prof.
Mosley was my principally Soon
my people moved to Clarksdale and
1 lived at home and went to the
Myrtle Hall School in Clarksdale
| When my people moved to Lyon,
I walked the two miles to Myrtle
Hall daily.
For three years at Myrtle Hall
was an average student, but not
smart" Then one night I drove
Professor Oliver, the principal of
my school, out to the commence
ment exercises at the Agricultural
School. The thing that impressed
me most was the valedictory adj
dress given by one of the students.
| had always liked to speak in
public, mostly in church and SUM-
day School, and spoke to Professor
Oliver about this great speech
which had been delivered by that
student. / said that I certainly
would like to deliver the address
for our class the next year when
we finished. Professor Oliver laugh
ed and said, well, Willie, all you
have to do is to have the best aver
age in your class next year.
The laugh was on me, he
thought, for in that class were
several very smart students, stu
dents l could never top" /
thought, Just because I am from
the country and don't have nice
clothes the way some of these
students have, he thinks I can't
make better marks than they can
I'll show him; I'll be the best stu
dent next year and deliver that
valedictory address," And that is
just what did People in Clarks-
dale CDR. Hill, Rev. Mason, Mr.. E.
A. Jones, ct alb still talk of that
address which I gave for the class
of 1923; the subject was: eff You
Think You Can, You Can!") Mrs
Oliver of Clarksdale, the wife OF
!; the late Professor George Oliver,
can tell you Of my struggles and
triumph under her husbands prin-
i. cipalship.
The Myrtle Hall situation had
given my self-confidence During
this time, also, / had made friends.
My people had moved from Lyon
to Lambert and I had because of
my interest in auto mechanics) be-
come the chauffeur for a well-to-do
Negro named Carter Mcdowell, of
Lyon. I lived in his house, cut
stove-wood, and did other odd jobs
= for which received three $4,000
dollars a month in cash. 1t was
Mr.. Mcdowell who came to my aid
when I was trying to get money
with which to enter Tuskegee In
Stitute. CMy mother had never for
gotten her earlier plan to send me
to Booker t. Washington's school.
And this idea of my going tc Tus-
kegee had caused some trouble in
our family because my father, who
was an Alcornite, wanted me to go
to Alcorn. The woman had her
way, needless to say But in order
to send me to Tuskegee, we had to
have Seventy-five ($750O) dollars
and no one would lend us the
money. Professor Oliver said that
he could not advance us the money
Ebut would speak to Mr. Mcdowell
about the matter.
Surely enough, Mr.. Mcdowell
sent for my father and me and said
that he would lend us the money,
with the understanding that I
would repay all the money which
my father did not pay = when I
had finished school; if he (Mr.
McDowelD should die before my
father paid the debt and before I
had finished school, 1 was to con-
slider the unpaid money as a gift.
(Mr. Mcdowell did die before my
father finished repaying him and
before finished school owe him
an undying debt of gratitude). The
papers were drawn up by lawyer
In Clarksdale and got the money
with which to enter Tuskegee.
For seven years struggled to
stay in school at Tuskegee, from
1928-l935. The depression years
came; and my people, who had
never made enough money to pay
my expenses at Tuskegee, soon
were unable to send me anything
at all. I worked at many jobs to
defray my expenses; waiter, dish
washer, cook, f1oor-scrubber, bug
Ter, library assistant, and adult
school teacher. Captain Nicely and
others of Tuskegee can tell you of
my days at Tuskegee). I did not
return to my home during the sum-
mer months but worked to earn
money for entering school the next
year. From 1881 to 1885 I did not
4 go home or see my people at all
I was determined to see my way
through TuSkegee.