Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-10
DC. Scholar Looks
At 100 Years of Living


at 20i T street NV. A con-
crete balustrade runs on two
sides OF the house and at one
corner there Ia an octagonal
sunroom jutting out from the
house. The surrounding yard
u attractively overgrown.
A faded and Clipped sign
hangs over the doorway. an
nouncing 10 q visitor the home
IA "Frelinghuysen University"
IN a small room of the pam
eled center hall--a room filled
with religious pictures and the
bust OF Frederick Douglass. the
abolitionist-Dr. Anna J.
Cooper fused about some OF
her material" She said "they"
had stuffed II somewhere and
she wanted II brought out so
she could get on with her
book"
Today, DR.. Cooper will reach
the end OF her first century.
There Is still a spark In her
eyes. Though she hears with
difiiculty, and her sight Is not
the best. once she starts on a
subject she viii talk with only
a few hesitations - fumbling
here and there for a name. a
date.
Back in the 1906, DR.. Cooper
had completed more than 40
years Of teaching Latin az the
old M Street High School"
now Dunbar High School, She
was its principal from 1901 TO
1906. Retiring from the public
school atmosphere. she took
over and established, in her
own home. Frelinghuysen Uni
versity. operated until then by
a male educator. With a hand
full OF students. she conducted
courses In religion, law and
academy" The classes we're
In the evening "for employed
colored persons"
Educated at SOrbOnne
DR.. Cooper-she was edu-
Gated at Oberlin College in
Ohio. and received her Phi. d.
at the Sorbonne in France
passed to a visitor pamphlets
telling of her fight to have the
school oficially recognized. or
accredited. It never was. II
quietly went out Of existence
In the late 1940s-though the
one-armed chairs for students
are still arranged In rows on
the rambling porch Of the old
place. And the sun room still
carries the sign: Registrar"
One pamphlet passed out BY
DR.. Cooper carried these words
on her long fight for accredita-
ton:
"A decade is long enough for
one to head the fight for recog-
milton. II I hear no objection
! want to continue teaching as
long as the brain functions
clearly, but anyone who covets
my salary as president may
have that part Of the job. ]
have no theorem to demon
strate. no point to prove. have
no fight against ideologies. j
If affiicted or gifted with in
feriority or superiority COM
plexes am not aware Of them.
Regrettable, but human, it is
that those who have arrived.
or who think they have, are
so completely committed to
conformity they lean back
wards in the effort TO stand
straight, allowing not the
straightest deviation from their
notion of accepted norms. :"
Fought Racial Battle
The pamphlets are also filled
with evidences Of another
struggle-racial equality.
She was asked how she felt
about integration.
ut Is a mistake" she said, |
ITO put It on the children. 1t
should start with the adults at
the top. Doctors and teachers
should have access to the same |
ideas. 1t strains the child
too much. One never knows
how a child feels. :"
DR.. Cooper, born in slavery
In Raleigh, N. c., 100 years ago,
felt with her long fingers more
of the material she had assem-
bled on the couch beside her.
There we're two clean, white |
envelopes.
She handed them to the Wis
itor. Both were from the White
House. Both were birthday |
greetings. One was signed by
Mrs. Eisenhower and the other
by the President.
"She has many friends" one
of her friends said.
Today. at 5 pm, a simple
reception is planned for the old
teacher. 1t will be held in her
home, 'Frelinghuysen Univer-
Ssky"