Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-06-24
About President Bell And Alcorn College

the Institutions of Higher Learning thus probably end
ing period of years service president OF the
states only institution of higher learning for Negroes
period which, almost from it's very beginning In 1884
may well be characterized of the most stormy
of by any president in the history Of the nstu
on In spite of the fact that president OF Acorn from
the standpoint of scholarship from that of national
IGNITION a member of some of the most important edu
cational humanitarian bodies of the nation he brought
to the institution and to the state dignity prestige and
gle exception of the late Hiram r. Reves, whose honor
attained as member of the United States Senate from
Mississippi reflected honor upon Alcom College.
The resignation of Prof Bell during an investigation
being conducted at the college, marked the elimination
of of charges occurring with periodic regularity
interim concidental with the meeting the Board to
select the presidents of the state institutions of Higher
Learning The charges being regularly made renewed and
added to by small group of the alumni and tiny group
of Negro leaders, whose main interests JOBS and the
return to old system administration during which
the college known have spent hundreds of dollars OF
its meagre support annually in unnecessary costs and ex
penditures. .
According to one opinion the resignation of Prof Bell
may be either the end the beginning of tragic era TOR
Acorn College but before reaching opinion may De
well look rather closely at the charges made against
him, well at the sources from which cometh the
charges -;
ten years as president of Alcorn College by those who
sought his removal, include the failure of the institution
to properly perform the functions Of andgran college,
that he too Liberal Arts minded that ne was at
tempting teach social equality at the institutions and
many others calculated to his removal with the ex
ception of Incorporating public money.
For many years gone by, and for many more years
come Acorn College has been and will be the state
one and only institution of higher learning for Negroes
and within the letter of the law creating landgrant
colleges certainly within the spirit of the law Acorn Col
lege has been attempting to- and has been expected to-
fulfill the desires of Negroes the state for higher edu
cation in preparation for further training for any and eV
erv field of endeavor however mperfecy the attempt and
expectation has been realized and for years to come
Acorn College must continue to be so regarded by Sss
sippi Negroes.
Granting the need for trained farmers and agriculture
workers. to far greater degree than any other state
there crying need for Negro DOCTORS dentists lawyers
minister's social and welfare workers as well as Tor those
trained other professions and fields of leadership IN
Mississippi And the educational desires and ambitions OF
the Negro youth and parents of the state run also In these
directions The fact that all to many of these mississippi
Negro youths most of whom become forever lost to the
state pursuing their education in the institutions or
other states due to knowledge and that of their
parents of the bitter experiences of Acorn College grad
yates in their efforts to gain admission to professional
schools due to the low standard of its liberal arts depart
ment and not because of the fau of the college to
ery perform the functions of land grant college, be-
cause President Bell is too Liberal Arts Minded
The great majority of those members of the Alcorn
Alumni Association of which they represent only frac
tona part who have been opposing Prof Bell could easily
be pointed out those having purely personal grev
ance to avenge or some purely personal ambition TO sat
fly and therefore the future welfare of Acorn College and
its proper service to the Negro the state not their
first, nor major
The charge made some four years ago, that he
attempting to teach Social Equality at the college, shows
to what desperate they willing to resort and
should demonstrate their fitness to pass judgment in such
far reaching and important matter
It is most unfortunate condition of Negro life in
ready to those in authority belong to tiny
group who tune their to the passing Winds and in all
matters affecting Negro life in the state choose the line
of least resistance adopting the reaconary approach to
every problem upon which they given audience.
With them any thing and everything is all right with and
for the Negroes of the state long they stay in
the position in the eyes of those in authority to cash
few begs, of kind another. They have and
will present truthfuy the thoughts and opinions
of the Negroes of the state their activities and utterances
being in small degree responsible for the growing rus
tration and bewilderment the Negro 1t
fhof roofto
ty heard.
AS the states only institution of higher learning for
Negroes supported by Tax Payers Money what happens
at Acon College is the of all the Negroes of the
state and not just the Acorn Alumni And whether not
tragic has ended, is just beginning for Alcorn
College with the resignation of President Bell will not be
the fault of the Board of Trustees but of the great major
ity of intelligent Negroes of the state who continue to
remain silent while bearing the Increasingly heavy bur-
den of sending their children outside the state to properly
accredited COLLEGES while tiny group of Negro leaders
and over ambitious alumni scheme and plot against the
president seeking to improve the policy and raise the stan
dard of Alcorn College