The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1946-04-20
President Pipes
Against Moving
Alcorn College

Alcorn College
The following letter was writ
ten by the present president of AL
corn A & M College in an effort
to give his reactions to a more
centrally located in the state. 1t
was sent to Hon. E. T. Scrap"
Voolfolk, Mississippi House of Re-
representatives., Jackson, Miss.
DEAR SIR:
1t was kind of you to write us
corning the new road to Alcorn
A & ON College and the recent
newspaper articles relative to the
moving of the institution. In keep
ing with your request, we shall
give you our reaction.
Previously, we have taken no
stand publicly as to the moving of
the college, since we felt it wsse
to leave such matters to the dis
erection of our Board of trustees and
the Legislature until our reaction
was requested.
We have tried to consider all
angles of this matter in practical
down-t earth, realistic manner and
have gone othe Negroes out in
the State to get their opinion. The
conclusion seems to be that we
should not plan to move Alcorn
A & M College from its present
site but should take advantage of
the apparent interest of such men
as yourself, Governor T. L. Bailey,
our trustees, and others, in i'm
proving the college where it is now
located.
Having just returned from tour
of the State we find that many
Negro leaders over the State are of
this opinion.
They feel: Cd that the State will
be reluctant to abandon the valu-
able property now at Alcorn. CD
that if it did, we have no assurance
that the State will advance. within
the next twenty years, the money
necessary for building a new col
lege even the equal of the present
college. They feel that the handi-
cap of the present location of the
college will be overcome provided
l. The hard-surface highway is
built from Highway 81 to Alcorn.
2. The State advances the college
sufficient funds for teachers salar-
les, and buildings and equipment.
3. The proposed Negro Junior
college in the Delta is made an out
outpost college of Alcorn A & M
College. This would mean: (a) That
the lack of good farming land at
the present site of Alcorn A & M
College would be taken care of,
since the college could do much
of its agricultural work on the
good Delta land of this outpost
college; (b) This outpost college
could be ideally located so as to
serve the masses of Negroes in the
State; (c) The funds appropriated
by the State would no the spread
out thin in supporting Alcorn AIM
College and the Delta Vocational
College but these funds would be
united to build one first-class in
stitution.
AS we stated before, these Ne
gro leaders out in the State who
take this position are practical,
down-to-earth men. They sense and
appreciate the new attitude in the
State towards Negro education,
They feel that the desired goal for
Negro education in the South must
be reached gradually They know
that conditions must become better,
that the white man must allow
us more but that also we must
better deserve that which we got.
In this crucial hour of Negro
education in the State we pray that
the actions of men like yourself
will be conditioned by the attitudes
of practical Negro leaders.
Respectfully yours,
w. H. P.
w. H. Pipes, President