Evening star., 1947-02-13
Letters to The Star
Booker T. Washinston's Work
Goes Marching Forward

A\SS$AO ~ = IN OSd1
Booker T. Washinston's Work
Goes Marching Forward
To the Editor Of The STAR
According to facts given in the No
vember issue of the Alabama Education
Associations Bulletin, and commented
on by the Southern press, more than
half the Negro children In Alabama
quit school with one year of formal
education, and even that year is
short one Of poor attendance, which,
in general probability, achieves little,
If any, results" What Is true of Ala
bama is generally true of the entire
Southland, where live 10000, 900 Negroes.
This is attested to by the fact that gen.
eral statistics show that II per cent OF
the Negroes Of the United States have
had less than q fifth-grade education;
IL per cent have completed high school,
and only IL per cent completed four
years Of college.
These figures indicate that there Is
serious need for opportunities to be
opened for industrial education which
will train this vast crowd Of unframed
Negroes in such manner as to make
them assets to society. The idea put
forth by Booker T. Washington many
years ago-that the Negro would con-
tribute to the prosperity Of the South,
or to its depression, in proportion to
the amount of educational opportuni-
ties opened to hirn-still holds good
The Southland today is in better
position than 1t ever has been before
to make such industrial training oppor-
tunities possible to its Negro citizens.
This is true for the reason that through
out the South there are large Govern
ment plants that were used as Negro
training centers in the recent war. Most
clared surplus property. There are build
ings, grounds and, in some instances,
equipment that readily could be trans
formed into vocational classroons,
workshops, laundries. ETC., which could
offer type Of training that would take
care of the trade educational needs of
that vast crowd of young Negroes who
are dropping out OF school before re-
ceiving sufficient training to equip
themselves for life.
Booker T. Washington once said that
fighting the evils of ignorance was just
as serious and necessary battle as one
that would be waged against an enemy,
because ignorance is one Of mankind's
greatest enemies.
The millions of dollars that have been
invested by the United States Govern
ment in establishing these training CEN
ters to win the war could be converted
to no better use than that Of giving suf-
fcient industrial training to thousands
Of its people, so that they may be fitted
to perform some definite service to the
communities in which they live. It is
our opinion that such industrial train
ing centers would contribute far more
to the general welfare of the Southland
than any other project that could be
undertaken at this time. Such centers
would meet the actual needs Of the
Negro and the South in particular and
the Nation in general.
Oficials in charge Of retraining and
unemployment think well Of the pro-
gram of the service u1emoriaf' planned
for the birthplace of Booker T. Wash
ington. These plans are shaped along
lines Of industrial training for Negro
youth below high school and college
levels. It's central plant hopes to func-.
ton through branch institutions in va
rious communities. This organization
will be glad to receive suggestions from,
or work with, any community which is
interested in opening industrial training
opportunities to its Negroes.
S. j. PHILLIPS,
President, Booker T. Washington Birth
place Memorial, Rocky Mount, Va.
Concerning Sewanee's Age
To the Editor OF The Star:
AS the University Of the South begins
q program for expansion OF its physical
plant and endowment, we Washington
area alumni, numbering some 100, ap-
preciate the notice taken by your paper.
But referring to the item in the Feb
ruary 8 edition, page Ais, the state
ment there that the school is 91s years
old is somewhat inaccurate considering
that we have such diverse alumni as
Ellis Arnan of Georgia; Niles Trammell,
President of N. B. C. in New York; and
Harry P. Cain, Senator from Washing
ton, to name q few.
Also, further to illustrate the point,
I might cite q somewhat unusual and
interesting occurrence, of not so recent
date. Four men met in the Nations
Capital. One was the President of the
United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
Turning to Major Archie Butt, his aide
who later met valiant death aboard
the Titanic, he said: Butt, where were
you educated?" "Sewanee, sir, said Butt.
DR.. Cary T. Grayson, later admiral and
personal physician to Presidents, was
one of the others present. He spoke up:
II went there, too." Roosevelt turned
to the third man, the man without
whom the Panama Canal could not have
been built, General William G. Gorgas,
Surgeon General of the Army and con-
queror of yellow-fever "And where
were you educated, Gorgas?" the Presi-
dent asked. "Sewanee, sir" came the
answer
The President was deeply impressed
and made many inquiries. As a result
of personal observations he wrote thus
of the University of the South at
Sewanee, Tennessee: II do not know
of anv institution of the same size in