St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-07-27
Noted Scientist
Barred From Chi
Union Leoque Club

League, an organization originally
founded by whites and Negroes
during the Civil War, last week
moved to the other end of the
tolerance road by refusing to al
low the Negro scientist, DR.. Percy
Julian to eat there.
Or. Julian, research director for
the sOya division of the Ghdden
company and recognized as one of
the worlds leading scientists, was
to have attended a luncheon with
"a other scientists from all parts
of the country to hear DIR. Robert
r. Williams, discoverer of Vitamin
B1.
His invitation, sent June 26 by
DR.. Joseph W. Barber, president of
the non-profit Research Corp. of
New York, called for him to at
tend a private luncheon, Wednes-
day, at the Union League club, IS
w. Jackson Blvd, in downtown
Chicago.
On the morning Of the luncheon,
DR.. Barker telephoned him, DR..
Julian said, and told him that he
could not attend. DR.. Julian said:
He said that he must apologize
deeply to me, but that while ar
ranging the place cards for the
luncheon, the Union League club
representative advised him that
it could not allow a Negro to at
tend the luncheon"
When the Associated Negro
Press called on the Union league
secretary to the manager, Tay-
lor Hay, answered that all I
know is what saw in the papers"
She added that the manager
would not return to his office at
least for the rest of the week, and
that the club president, Joseph A.
Matter, is on vacation in Califor-
mia and will not return to the
city until the end of August.
Il cannot make a statement, "
she said.
DR.. Julian, who during the past
eight months has suffered through
several anti-Negro incidents be-
cause of his race, had some bitter
comments to make. He said:
1T appears to me that organi-
cations like the Union League
club are as directly responsible as
any other agency for such I'M
American incidents as the bomb
ing of my home in Oak Park and
the Cicero riots.
when individuals in high
places behave as the Union
League club behaves, ordinary
citizens follow suit. These ordin-
airy citizens cannot revoke an in
vitation as did the Union League
club, they therefore resort to the
bomb and mob violence"
According to DR.. Julian, DR..
Barker protested the statement
that the club could not serve a
Negro, but he did tell the lunch
con why DR.. Julian was absent.
DR.. Barker said Hay told him he
was acting on explicit instruc-
tions" from the clubs directors
who have declared a policy of
keeping Negroes out.
Hay is also quoted as saying to
reporters, This is a private club"
DR.. Barker and DR.. Williams left
Immediately after the luncheon
and were not available for com
ment.
This incident Is another In a
series Of determinations that have
plagued DIR. Julian during the past
year. On Nov. %, 1850, he first
was troubled by race haters when
white mobsters tried to set his
new home in Oak Park. a Chicago
suburb, afire.
He had moved there to be near
er his office. Just a little more
than a month ago, someone ex-
ploded a bomb in his front yard
while he was out of the city to at
tend the funeral of his father in
Baltimore.
At that time. only his two chill
dren were at home. DR., Julian
recently commented that it was
costing him $1,000 a year to pay
for private protection for his
home "a hours day because APP
parently public law enforcement
officials were not able or were
not doing the job.
DIR. Julian. 81, was named the
"Chicagoan Of the Year" for 1880
for his work In finding medical
aids for arthritis, rheumatic
fever. and other ailments.
The Union League club in Chi
cago dates back to 1865. Accord
ing to the Encyclopedia Ameri-
cana, it is an offshoot of the old
Union League of America, or
ganized by Negroes and whites
during the Civil War.
In the north, the old League
soon died out, and surviving club
became private social groups. In
the south. during post-Civil War
days. II continued to function as
political machine to control Ne