SHERWOOD L. GORBACH
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY CHAPTER
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
WALTHAM 54, MASSACHUSETTS

MR. LANGSTON HUGHES
20 East 127 Street
New York, New York

January 22, 1953

Mr. Sherwood L. Gorbach,
Brandeis University,
Waltham 54, Mass.

Dear Mr. Gorbach,

In answer to your letter of January 17th, I am delighted
to come for the first time to Brandeis University for the
N.A.A.C.P. Negro History Week program on February 11, Wed-
nesday. I take for granted it will be held in the evening.

I would appreciate it if you would tell me the best way to
get to the University from Boston, and how long it takes
(or mail me a schedule) so I can plan what train to take
from New York in order to arrive on the campus a couple of
hours before the program.

The financial arrangements you mention are quite agreeable
to me.

Usually there are persons at my programs wishing to secure
autographed copies of my books, so customarily I ask my various
publishers to send ahead a couple of dozen or so copies. If
you would be so kind as to ask one or two of your members to
preside over a book table for me in the lobby or auditorium
where the program is being held, the books could be sold for
the benefit of the chapter---1/3 to your N.A.A.C.P. if that
is desirable.

Usually someone introduces me. I then read and talk about my
poems, how they came into being autobiographically speaking,
and how they express our race problem in relation to American
democracy, with a brief historical preface on the range of
Negro writing, particularly poetry, in our country, suiting the
whole to Negro History Week. My newest book, a juvenile, "The
First Book of Negroes" is a history of our achievements, so I
will send a few copies of this ahead, too.

Looking forward to seeing Brandeis University and meeting your
students, I am

SHERWOOD GORBACH

February 23, 1953

Dear Dick,

I shall not soon forget the hospitality shown
me at Brandeis, and particularly your own per-
sonal kindness in seeing that I got around the
snowy city of Boston the next day to see my
friends. I am most grateful to you for your
courtesy and graciousness. And I hope when you
are in New York I will have the pleasure of see-
ing you at my home.

The trip back was a pleasant one and the weather
did not delay the train. When I got home I found
the proofs of my new book, "Simple Takes A Wife"
awaiting me, and a stack of plays from a play
contest I agreed to judge, so I have been pretty
busy ever since. But so goes the literary life!

Under separate cover I'm sending you my latest
record: Bernice Parks singing "Cool Saturday
Night" which you might let Sir Drake hear some-
time, too.

Continued good wishes to you,

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY CHAPTER
OF
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF
COLORED PEOPLE
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
WALTHAM 54, MASS.

March 28, 1953

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York, New York

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I have sent copies of the pictures taken of you under separate cover. If you would like more copies of these pictures please be sure to let me know.

I was unable to attend the NAACP convention recently held in New York. That is why you did not hear from me last weekend. I was very sorry that I missed the opportunity to see you again. I hope that I will be able to get to New York in the very near future.

I read in the papers that you were summoned to appear before one of the many Congressional Investigating Committee s. I hope that all turned out well. The school newspaper is interested in carrying a first hand account of your testimony. I was wondering if you could supply us with some information and some quotes in regard to your testimony.

Hoping to hear from you in the near future. Thank you in advance.

RNR:bsr

April 1, 1953

Mr. Richard N. Robbins
Brandeis University
N.A.A.C.P.
Brandeis University Chapter
Waltham 54, Mass.

Dear Mr. Robbins:

me

Mr. Hughes has asked %o acknowledge receipt of
your letter and the pictures, and to tell you
that he is especially pleased with them and is
most grateful to you. He is extremely busy now
trying to get back on schedule after his junket
to Washington last week, which you probably read
about in the newspapers. By and large, he
feels that the result of his appearing before
the Committee will be, as it should be, final
and complete vindication for him, in every respect,
despite all the inconvenience and disruption such
a procedure demands.

Mr. Hughes would like to have the books which
he left at Brandeis returned to him as soon as
possible, as he will no doubt need them shortly
on other speaking engagements. Please see that
they are returned in good shape, and thank you
for this courtesy.

Mr. Hughes will shortly send you a copy of his
statement made to the Senate committee.

May 8, 1953

Mr. Richard N. Robbins
Brandeis University Chapter
N.A.A.C.P.
Brandeis University
Waltham 54, Mass.

Dear Mr. Robbins:

I am sorry not to have seen you when in New York
since you say you were unable to come for the
N.A.A.C.P. Convention. Maybe I was in Washington
at the time anyway. I came out all right as you
probably noted from the newspapers. I haven't
gotten a full transcript of the hearing as yet,
but I am sending you a couple of copies of the
portion of my testimony that was transcribed on
the air that night.

Since I have not heard from anyone at Brandeis
regarding some of my books which were left there,
maybe I am suffering under the delusion that some
were left, but if I remember correctly there were
a few books left over after my lecture and your
N.A.A.C.P. treasurer was to return the unsold ones
to me with an accounting of those that were sold.
So far I have no received word from anyone concerning
this so I would appreciate it immensely if you would
drop me a word immediately in the enclosed self-
addressed envelope--since I am sure your classes
will be over soon and everybody will be leaving
the campus. Also, since I expect to depart myself
in about a week and won't be returning to New York
for about a month or more. So please let me know
about this now.

I am still remembering my most enjoyable trip to
your campus and have shown a number of people the
catalogues which I brought back with me. My friend
Ralph Ellison has just returned from a lecture trip

to Fisk University and Antioch College. Perhaps
you can bring him to Brandeis next season.

My very best regards to the friends whom I met on
the campus, and continued good wishes to you.

S. Gorbach, Brandeis Univ., Waltham, Mass

WILLIAM B. GORBACH COMPANY X
MA

Managing General Agent

100 ASKUM STREET A HARTFORD, CONN. 06076

MR. LANGSTON HUGHES
20 East 127th Street
New York, New York

October 16, 1953

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am very sorry that this check was delayed, but it was received at school while was home during the summer. As a result, because of some administrational confusion, it was brought to my attention only recently. I think it would be wise to inform Doubleday & Company that you were only at Brandeis for a short visit, not a permanent stay.

You might be interested in knowing that the N.A.A.C.P. has had its first meeting and the response was very encouraging. Our new President, Don Simmons, plans a very active year centering around an Incident Control Program, Negro History Week, and settlement work in the Roxbury area of Boston. If you have any ideas for a possible focus for a Negro History Week, I would very much appreciate hearing from you. I am sure that last year's program added greatly to the success and prestige of the Brandeis chapter, and I hope that this year again we will be able to stimulate the interest of our fellow-students in Negro history and culture.

Again, I wish to apoligize for the delay, and hope to hear
from you in the future.

December 12, 1953

Mr. Sherwood L. Gorbach,
Brandeis University,
Waltham, Mass.

Dear Mr. Gorbach,

Thank you very much for sending me the mis-sent
check and royalty statement (second time!) from
that amazing Doubleday & Company. They assured me
that Brandeis had been removed from their records
as an address for me the first time the mistake was
made. Nobody knows how come the original error was
made that that address got from the Shipping Department
to the Accounting Department in the beginning. Now
nobody knows why it wasn't corrected after the first
error. But they assure me that it is no longer on
their records now. I HOPE NOT. And am sorry you
had to be troubled with this on two occasions. The
check had already been cancelled at the bank as lost,
and they had sent me another. So I am returning this
one you sent to Doubleday. I'm grateful to you for
forwarding it to me.

Maybe for Negro History Week this year you could get
Howard Thurman, the new Dean of the School of Religion
(or of the Chapel) at Boston University. He's speaking
here in New York at Columbia tomorrow night. Or you
might get Sinclair Drake (co-author of BLACK METROPOLIS)
who is at Boston U., too, I believe, or at Harvard this
year doing doctorate work and teaching, I've heard.

Very best regards to you, and continued good wishes,

TWENTY WEST FORTH STREET • NEW YORK, N. Y. 10018 • BRYANT 9-1400

October 1, 1964

Dear Mr. Langston Hughes:

This year the Brooklyn College chapter of
the NAACP is embarking on a program to acquaint
the students with the problems of civil and human
rights confronting our nation. We would like to
do this by a series of free lectures. We would
thus welcome the opportunity to have you express,
to the students of Brooklyn College, your views
on any topic related to human rights.

On our campus, we can engage speakers on
Mondays and Wednesdays between the hours of 12
noon and 2 P.M. We would appreciate knowing if
you are interested in appearing. If interested,
please inform us as to your available dates, and
of any other conditions concerning your appearance.
For your convenience we have enclosed a self-
addressed envelope. Your reply would be appreciated
as soon as possible so that we may arrange our
schedule.

October 13th 1964

Miss Diane Edell
Brooklyn College NAACP
Brooklyn College
Bedford Ave. & Avenue H
Brooklyn, N. Y. 11210

Dear Miss Edell:

Because Mr. Hughes is currently
in Europe, I am replying to your letter of
October 1st in which you tell him about the
series of free lectures to acquaint Brooklyn
College students with the problems of civil
rights. I know that he will be interested
to know about this. But, I also know that
Mr. Hughes has a very heavy writing schedule
upon his return and will probably have no
time for lecture appearances in the immediate
future.

T. Bale
Box 360
Brown University
Providence 12, R.I.

Mr. Langston Hughes
c/o Alfred A. Knopf
501 Madison Ave.
New York, N.Y.

URGENT

PERSONAL

I would like to add a personal, and very strong, endorsement to the invitation which is being extended you. For the first time in years Brown University has an impressive number of young men and women working together in a highly active NAACP chapter. On their own initiative they have conceived and organized this Civil Rights Conference, which, if successful, can be an educating force for many individuals. And, I might add, a successful conference may help spark an improvement in the Negro's position in Rhode Island, a position which at the present is rather dismal.

The sponsors of this conference are very thoughtful and serious individuals; they are working hard on this most important project. I sincerely hope you may be able to help them by participating in the conference.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY CHAPTER
LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

March 22, 1955

Dear Mr. Hughes:

Several months ago our chapter of N.A.A.C.P.
sponsored a concert of folk songs by Pete Seeger, expecting
nothing more from him than a good evening's enter-
tainment. We were surprised and delighted to find that he
was able to say some profound things about tolerance
through his music, and make his audience listen to them and under-
stand them. This experience has convinced us that the
artist has at his command a very powerful and a very sig-
nificant means of breaking down barriers between men.

We would like to continue the program we inadvert-
tantly began with Mr. Seeger and invite you to come to
Bucknell under the auspices of N.A.A.C.P. and our English
department to lecture to us about your work. We could
pay you little more than your expenses. If you are in-
terested in this program, but cannot come this year, we should
like to have you next year at your convenience. We will
be grateful for any help you can give us.

22 South Seventh Street
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

March 24, 1955

Dear Miss Schmidt:

Thank you very much for your kind invitation to come to Bucknell College for a program. I would like it very much, but unfortunately this year I am bogged down with literary deadlines on books that must be turned in before summer, and I will not be in the New York area next fall. Or, I would suggest that you write me again sometime toward the end of this year and it may be that I can come to your campus sometime in January or February of 1956. At that time I expect to have one or two of the books on which I am now working published, so my coming might coincide with the appearance of one of these books.

Again thanking you for your kind invitation
and with all good wishes, I am

Miss Marion Schmidt
22 South Seventh Street
Lewisburg, Pa.

June 25, 1955

Miss Marion Schmidt, Secretary
Bucknell University Chapter NAACP
22 South Seventh Street
Lewisburg, Pa.

Dear Miss Schmidt:

Please forgive me for taking so long in answer-
ing your letter of May 11th but I have, for the
past several months, been tied down with the
deadline on a book which had to be finished by
mid-June and I have just recently gotten it
done and turned in to the publisher. Since I
was running behind schedule I had to neglect
my correspondence which piled up like a mountain
however I hope my note reaches you not too far
behind the ending of your school year.

In any case I think now that I could come to
Bucknell on whatever date you might care to set
in February so I would leave the exact date up
to your Committee.

I would talk about my writing as you suggest
and ready some of my poems indicating their
relation to our democratic problems and the
advance of the Negro people in our country.
A good title for such a talk might be <u>LIFE MAKES
POEMS</u>. When you let me know what date you have
chosen I will put it on my calendar and hold it
for you. Again begging your forgiveness for
being so long in writing, I am,

Sincerely yours,

LH/g

Langston Hughes

January 24, 1956

Dear Miss Schmidt:

I am sending you under separate cover, pictures and biographical material as you requested. I have just learned there is a train leaving New York on the Pennsylvania at 6:55 PM, Saturday, arriving at Milton 12:26 midnight. This will be the most convenient one for me if someone will be kind enough to meet me. I would therefore stay overnight preceding the program. If I can get a train out on Sunday night, I would like to take it, if not I would have to return to New York on Monday.

This coming week-end, I shall be going out West for two or three weeks but will return about the middle of February, or certainly in the middle

31

Langston Hughes
20 East 127th St.
New York 35
N. Y.

Finley Student Center
133 St. & Convent Ave.
New York 27, New York
October 8, 1956

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 E. 127 Street
New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes;

The C.C.N.Y. chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. is planning a cultural evening to be held on Friday, December 14, 1956. We would be extremely proud to have you appear on this program and know that your readings will help make the evening an unforgettable one. On the same program we hope to include a well known folk artist, the Nigerian Dance Group, and a quartet.

Part of the proceeds of this concert will be used to start our Legal Fund, which in turn will be donated to the national N.A.A.C.P. to help finance the many court cases we are being forced to engage in to secure civil rights for all.

If you do accept our offer to appear on this program, and we sincerely hope that you will be able to do so, please contact us at your earliest convenience so we can work out all the necessary arrangements. If December 14th is an inconvenient date for you, there is still the possibility of scheduling the program for December 7th.

October 11, 1956

Miss Marjorie Gettleman, President
CCNY Chapter NAACP
Finley Student Center
133rd Street and Convent Ave.
New York 27, N. Y.

Dear Miss Gettleman:

I very much appreciate your invitation to speak for the CCNY Chapter NAACP in December, but I greatly regret that I am unable to accept anymore engagements this season. I expect to be in California for some weeks this winter and the exact time has not yet been decided.

I hope that at some other time I might be able to come to CCNY where I have always enjoyed appearing.

January 21, 1949

Mr. J. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York, New York

Dear Mr. Hughes:

As education representative of the Columbia University Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People I should like to discuss with you the possibility of your participation in a three-part cultural evening to take place on February 10 at McMillan Theatre, 116th Street and Broadway.

The program, presented in celebration of Negro History Week, will feature an established Negro musician and conductor, a one-act play with the N. A. A. C. P. Players, and a poetry recital.

Since you have shown willingness to cooperate with cultural organizations in the past, Mrs. Homer, Branch Librarian of the 135th Street Public Library, suggested that we might ask you to discuss a possible representation of your poetry at this program.

Thank you.

412 Butler Library
Columbia University
New York 27, New York

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>GIVE</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>RED CROSS</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>FUND</td>
  </tr>
</table>

ms. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York 35, New York

March 18, 1955

Miss Joan Gabriner,
316 West 36th Street,
New York 18, N. Y.

Dear Miss Gabriner, Thank you very much for
kind invitation to address

the Columbia University Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P.
But unfortunately because of pressing literary dead-
lines on which I am running way behind, I am unable
to accept any more engagements this Spring than those
I already have scheduled, booked months ago, and so I
can't very well get out of them. I've two books due
publishers before summer, and nowhere near done! I
remember with pleasure past programs for the Columbia
chapter, and regret that I cannot come this season.

Perhaps my recent LP recording of THE GLORY OF NEGRO HISTORY (Folkways FP 752) might do in my stead, as I cover some 300 years in 55 minutes (!) with music and songs, actors, and the actual voices, too, of Ralph Bunche and Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune. Best place to get it, if the Chapter would like it, is Sam Goody's on West 49th where they give a discount......Or, for a lighter program, and only a half hour LP, my THE STORY OF JAZZ, giving the history of (and samples of the music from field hollers to Dizzy) the Negro's happy contribution to American music. Folkways FP 712. DOWNBEAT gave it 5 stars recently. Louis and Mary Lou are on it, so they'd help liven up a meeting!

I'd rather be there myself, though, and am most sorry
I can't right through now.

Langston Hughes
20 East 120th St.
New York City

Columbia University Chapter of NAACP
Ernest Schapiro
279 West 4th St.
New York City 14
Sept. 21, 1956

Dear Mr. Hughes:

On the afternoon of Thursday Oct. 25th the Columbia University Chapter of NAACP is holding one of its bi-weekly Education Meetings. The meeting will begin at 12 o'clock and last about an hour. It will be open to the public. We would like very much to have you as our speaker on the subject of Negro Literature. If you cannot come, perhaps you could suggest another speaker on the same subject.

With thanks

6434 Balch Hall
Ithaca, N. Y.

GRAND CENTRAL
CONCENTRATION

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 ST. Nicholas to Knopf Publishers
501 Madison Ave.

New York, N.Y.

6434 Balch Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

April 20, 1948

Mr. Langston Hughes
c/o Knopf Publishers
501 Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

The Cornell chapter of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People is currently producing
a series of fifteen minute radio broadcasts over the
local campus station. These programs deal with all
phases of the racial problem. Our supply of available
scripts is almost exhausted. I was asked to write you
inquiring if you have any scripts suitable for our use
or can tell us where we may procure some. Any help
you may be able to give us will be greatly appreciated.

CORNELL CHAPTER

ITHACA, NEW YORK

April 7, 1948

Mr. Langston Hughes
634 St. Nicholas Ave.
New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes:

The Cornell Chapter of NAACP conducted a survey last spring concerning the appointment of Negroes to our faculty. We are enclosing a reprint of this survey for your consideration. Reprints have also been sent to interested faculty members.

The results of this survey showed that 93 per cent of the students were not opposed to and even desired instruction from qualified Negroes. The survey among department heads revealed that 88 per cent had never received applications from Negroes.

We are now seeking to remedy this situation by encouraging qualified Negroes to apply for faculty positions. Cornell University has no stated discriminatory policy regarding faculty appointments. If you are interested, we suggest that you apply directly to the department heads.

NAACP does not plan to take any action on this, but for the purpose of our records we would appreciate hearing from you in regard to your intentions concerning this matter.

Reply to:

Elaine Tobkin
Cascadilla Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

December 11, 1950

Miss June M. Fisher
N.A.A.C.P.
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville 8, Tennessee

Dear Miss Fisher:

Thank you very much for your letter of December 5th inviting me
to speak to the members of the N.A.A.C.P. Chapter of Sarah Lawrence
College.

I find that on Wednesday, January 24th I would be able to come to your
meeting and speak about *The Negro In the Arts* and read some of my
poems suitable to the subject. I would be happy to accept your invi-
tation to dinner before the program if you will let me know where and
at what time.

Under separate cover I am sending you some biographical and publicity
material that may be of use to you in relation to the program. Usually
there are persons at my programs who wish to secure copies of my auto-
graphed books. So, if it is permissible, I shall bring a dozen or so
with me.

LH/nvw

Enclosure:

January 10, 1951

Miss June M. Fisher
N.A.A.C.P.
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville 3, New York

Dear Miss Fisher:

On December 11th Mr. Hughes wrote you a letter accepting your invi-
tation to speak at Sarah Lawrence College to the members of the N.A.
A. C.P. Chapter. He also accepted your invitation to dinner before
the program and since you did not state the time and place of the
dinner he has been wondering just what happened.

In looking over the carbon of the letter mailed to you, I noted
(with a great deal of embarrassment) that the letter was addressed
to Bronxville 3, Tennessee! I am including a carbon of his letter
to you. Now, it is quite possible that the envelope was not erroneously
addressed and if it was not, then you should have received the letter
by now. If it was, then the letter is probably puzzling postal officials
in some out-of-the way Tennessee countryside.

If it is still not too late, please accept the enclosed carbon of Mr.
Hughes' original letter as his acceptance to both the speaking engage-
ment as well as the dinner, and be so kind as to inform him as to the
time and place of the dinner.

I am dreadfully sorry this has happened—and I assume that you have
not received either the publicity material or his letter—and accept
this if you will as my sincere and rather contrite apology for being
so careless.

Enclosure:

February 28, 1951

Miss June M. Fisher
N.A.A.C.P.
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville 8, New York

Dear Miss Fisher:

I have just come back from a long Negro History Week tour of the south from Dillard and Southern Universities in Louisiana, Fisk, Kentucky State, etc., to Morgan State College in Baltimore. It was a very pleasant trip.

I am still remembering, too, my delightful audience at Sarah Lawrence College, and I spent a pleasant hour with President and Mrs. Taylor afterwards.

I am wondering if you collected for the books which were left with various students there? I would very much appreciate your letting me know about this.

Today at the N.Y.U. Negro History Week Program, I met James McDonald, who tells me that he knows you.

In case you are in New York City on them afternoon of March 11th, you might be interested in attending an autographing party for my new book, MONTAGE OF A DREAM DEFERRED, which the Afro-Arts Bazaar is holding from 7 to 9 P.M. at their new shop, 7 West 125th Street. Perhaps you might tell other students about it who might be interested in coming. There will be music and refreshments. I think Etta Moten is going to sing, and Margaret Bonds is going to play.

With all good wishes to you.

LH/nvw

5 April 51

President
Student N.A.A.C.P.
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville-8, N. Y.

Dear Miss President:

Sometime ago I wrote Miss June Fisher asking her if she would kindly let me know if the students had paid for the books which your branch so kindly offered to collect for after my program for you sometime ago. I have not heard anything further nor have I received the checks, so I would appreciate it very much if you or Miss Fisher would let me know.

I am still remembering my very pleasant evening with your branch and the delightful audience you had gathered for me.

January 22, 1960

Dear Miss Grimes,

I am grateful to the Sarah Lawrence NAACP
for thinking of me as a possible speaker,
but as you may see from the enclosed sched-
ule, I have a very heavy out-of-town lecture
tour booked this season and, unfortunately,
I regret that I cannot add any more engage-
ments to my itinerary. I recall with real
pleasure an evening with your NAACP chapter
some years ago, and I hope that another time
I may be able to come to Sarah Lawrence
again.

March 13, 1959

Adine Ray, President
Oberlin College Chapter
N.A.A.C.P.
P. O. Box 92
Oberlin, Ohio

Dear Adine Ray,

Mr. Hughes has asked me to thank you for inviting him to speak on April 10th for your chapter of the N. A. A. C. P. He will not be able to accept at this time.

His schedule for the spring is completely full what with lectures, poetry-to-jazz, not to mention creative writing.

Thank you so much for the invitation.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
OBERLIN COLLEGE CHAPTER

P.O. Box 92, Oberlin, Ohio

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 E. 127th St.
New York 35, New York

October 12, 1959

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Much has been heard and discussed on Oberlin College's campus of the new jazz medium. You are among the avant-garde in using this medium to convey your poetry and that of other contemporary poets to the public. For this reason, the Oberlin College Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is asking you to appear before our students in your own "poetry read to jazz" program. Since we have never had a program of this sort on campus and since music and creative writing play a rather large part in the life of an Oberlinite, we know that the students would profit tremendously from an opportunity to see and hear you, to say nothing of the financial profit our chapter would make to help the national office of the NAACP.

If possible we would like you to appear with the Charlie Mingus group. We're hoping that among these dates, you will find a convenient one: November 7; December 4, 5; January 8, 9, 15, 16. Please send us the cost for the whole group if and when you can accept our invitation.

AR/sh

October 16, 1959

Dear Miss Ray: Charlie Mingus says he would be delighted to do a program at Oberlin, but referred me to his agency for terms. Should you wish to carry negotiations further, the person to write to then is:

Mr. Jack Whittemore,
Shaw Artists Corp.,
565 Fifth Avenue,
New York, N. Y.
(Ox. 7-7744)

Mingus now has a new group other than the one I did a number of programs with at the Village Vanguard, so we would have to have at least two rehearsals, union scale. These, with the poetry-jazz performance, and transportation to and from New York, Mr. Whittemore feels that the fee, including myself and the Mingus group, would have to be about $1200.00 according to my conversation on the phone today. It is possible it might be somewhat less if a couple of other engagements are arranged in the immediate area, so he indicated to me by phone today. At the moment any of the January dates--8,9,15 or 16 would be O. K.

In November I am flying to Trinidad for a series of poetry readings for the Port-of-Spain Library. And February, being Negro History Week time, is all booked up from Kentucky State and Hanover Colleges to Grand Rapids and University of Buffalo. But, remembering past appearances at Oberlin with pleasure, certainly I would be happy to come there again in January if matters work out with Mr. Whittemore. And I am grateful to your College NAACP for the invitation.

With cordial regards,

Sincerely,

November 3, 1959

Dear Mr. Hughes,

We still want you very much and are making plans to present you on the night of Saturday, January 16, but after reconsidering all aspects of your appearance on Oberlin College's campus next January, we have decided that the cost of bringing the Charlie Mingus group here would be too great. Since you, Mr. Hughes, are the attraction, we feel that the group that accompanies you will have little bearing on the size of the audience. Therefore, any other group that you have worked with would be quite adequate. We're leaving the choice of this group to you, hoping that you'll keep chiefly in mind finances.

AR/sh

41-39 149 Street

Flushing, N.Y.

September 24, 1956

Mr. Langston Hughes

20 East 127 Street

New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I would like to thank you on behalf of the Queens College Chapter 6 of the N.A.A.C.P. for accepting our invitation to speak to us on Wednesday, November 28, at 1PM. It will definitely be arranged for someone to pick you up in a car and drive you back uptown.

Thank you also for the photographs and the biographical material which you sent me. They will be very helpful to us in publicizing the discussion.

The topic which you suggest, "The Poetry and Problems of Negro Life", is the one which we were hoping that you would select. We expect the discussion to be a great educational experience, not only for the members of our chapter, but for all of the students who participate as well. Thank you so much.

41-39 149 Street

Flushing, N.Y.

October 3, 1956

Mr. Langston Hughes

20 East 127 Street

New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes:

Recently I have been corresponding with you as a member of the Queens College Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. I am writing to you now in the capacity of the Metropolitan N.Y. Regional Vice-Chairman of Educational Affairs of the United States National Student Association. I hope that I am not taking advantage of your generosity.

We are planning a Human Relations Conference for Friday night and all day Saturday, November 31-December 1. We hope to have representatives of many of the college campus religious and cultural organizations such as the Hillman, Newman, The Inter-Fraternity and Inter-Serenity Councils, N.A.A.C.P., N.C.C.J., Y.M.C.A., participating in the conference. This will be a workshop conference partially devoted to theoretical discussion of the human relations problems which exist on the Metropolitan N.Y. campus, such as "voluntary or self-segregation", but will be primarily devoted to practical discussion of how to deal with these problems.

I would like to invite you to give the Friday night keynote ad-

41-39 149 Street

Flushing, N.Y.

August 20, 1956

Mr. Langston Hughes

20 East 127 Street

New York City

Dear Mr. Hughes:

The Queens College Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. is in the
process of planning its program for the fall semester of 1956.
As part of our program for future terms we plan to invite out-
standing artists from various fields to speak to the students
on the position of the Negro in the arts. We would like you
to be our first guest, to speak on November 23, a Wednesday
afternoon, at 1:00 P.M. during the campus free hour.

Although we would rather that the topic for discussion be of
your own choosing, we would like to suggest as one possibility
that you read aloud some of your work, speak of its significance,
and talk on the role of the Negro writer in our society. We
know through your writing that you are extremely concerned with
these problems. Since the history of the Negro, as well as the
art of the Negro in the United States are rarely heard of among
students, your coming would be of especial educational value.
If November 28 is not convenient for you, we would be happy to

August 24, 1956

Miss Ellen Sparer, Chairman
Planning Committee
Queens College Chapter NAACP
41-39 149 Street
Flushing, N. Y.

Dear Miss Sparer:

I would be happy to read my poems for the Queens College Chapter of the NAACP at 1 PM on Wednesday, November 28th, providing someone could pick me up in a car at noon and drive me to and from the school, as it is much quicker to come that way than to take the long subway ride from Harlem.

I would suggest as a possible topic, "The Poetry and Problems of Negro Life" since many of my poems tie in with the problems so much under discussion today.

With all good wishes to you,

Sincerely yours,

LH/g

Langston Hughes

101

Ellen Sparer
4 1-39 149 Street
Flushing, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes,

Ever since last November 28, many of the students and the faculty members of Queens College have been asking, "When is Langston Hughes coming to school again?" The only thing that I can reply is, "Soon, I hope!" Those of us who are building the NAACP chapter at Queens greatly appreciated your help last year, for it was your friendly talk that first made the people at school aware that our chapter was here, and that our purpose was primarily a cultural one. We would like to invite you to speak at Queens again this year, sort of as an anniversary of your last year's talk, on either Tuesday, November 26, at 11a.m., or on Wednesday, November 27, at 1p.m. I remember how overjoyed I was last summer when I came home from Chicago at three in the morning and dead tired, to find your letter of acceptance. I do hope that you will be able to spare the time to come again this year to Queens College. This time I would be able to pick you up and take you back to New York myself, in my new, 1946 Dodge. I hope to see you soon.

Ellen Sparer
41-39 149 Street
Flushing, N.Y.

1907 ARROWS TO ATOMS 1957

50TH
ANNIVERSARY
OF

OKLAHOMA
STATEHOOD

3c

UNITED STATES POSTAGE

Dear Mr. Hughes,

One of the projects which the Queens College Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. has planned for the coming school year is a small informative sheet for distribution on the campus. The purpose of this sheet will be to keep the students informed of what is happening in the daily fight of the N.A.A.C.P. to gain civil rights for the Negro people, and to give the students a few facts about the contribution of the Negro to American culture, which we never hear anything about in our classes at Queens. In it we plan to have an article on current news, one on a historical figure or event, one on a current personality of importante, and perhaps some suggestions for a play or a book. We would like to include in our first issue an ad for your "Simply Heavenly". We also thought of including one of your poems. I would like to ask you to send one to me-- one which you feel would be appropriate, and perhaps say a few words about it. I hope that this will not be too much trouble for you. I am now looking forward to hearing from you on two accounts. I hope to hear from you soon.

Ellen Sparer
41-39 149 St.
Flushing, N.Y.

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127 St.
New York City

July 18, 1958

Miss Ellen Sparer
41-39 149 Street
Flushing, New York

Dear Miss Sparer:

It is very nice of you to invite
me to come to Queens College again and
I regret that it will not be possible
for me to do so this fall since I am
booked for a cross-country tour all the
way to California and I cannot add any
more dates to my calendar.

I remember my last visit to your campus with a great deal of pleasure and I wish very much that I could accept your invitation.

AFTER 5 DAYS. RETURN TO

Nina Relin
41-19 41 Street
Long Island City 4, N.Y.

Mr. Langston Hughes
c/o Dodd, Mead and Company
432 4th Avenue
New York, New York

July 15, 1959

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I am writing on behalf of the Queens College
Chapter of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.

We are now planning our programs for next fall.
We intend having several large meetings with
prominent personalities who are directly or
indirectly concerned with the NAACP and its
purposes. The intent of these meetings is
to make the students on this college campus
aware of the importance of our organization.

I realize that you have a full schedule; however,
would you be able to speak at Queens College
sometime next fall?

I look forward to hearing from you.

September 29, 1952

The President,
N. A. A. C. P.,
Roosevelt College,
Chicago, Illinois.

Dear President,

Last winter Paul Glover invited me to speak for your NAACP Chapter during Negro History Week, but being on a Southern tour at that time, I could not come.

I find that I shall be in Chicago on Thursday and Friday, October 16th and 17th, three weeks from now, and should you like to have me come to your chapter for an hour on one of those days, and read some of my poems and talk a bit, I would be happy to do if you will let me know the time so I can put it on my calendar.

About that time by new book of Negro history for children, "The First BOOK OF NEGROES", a part of the "First Book" series, will be coming out. It contains a drawing of Charlemae Rollins, who teaches, or did, at your college.

With all good wishes,

Roosevelt College Chapter
480 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois

December 19, 1951

Mr. Langston Hughes
c/o Chicago Defender
Box #5528
Chicago 80, Illinois

My dear Mr. Hughes:

The Roosevelt College chapter of N.A.A.C.P. would like to extend to you our cordial invitation to appear as a speaker during the Negro History Week program we are sponsoring at Roosevelt College. We will be happy to arrange the date of your appearance for any time during Negro History Week that would be most convenient for you.

We would like your permission to charge an admission fee for your engagement in order to aid our plans for a scholarship fund sponsored by our chapter of N.A.A.C.P.

Unfortunately, we are unable to assume the expenses such an engagement would necessitate on your part. We can only assure you that your participation in our program will immeasurably advance progress toward the goal of brotherhood and equality that we are jointly pursuing.

May we hope to hear from you as soon as possible?

Paul Glover,
Chairman Negro History Week
Program Committee

PG:zk

RUTGERS • THE STATE UNIVERSITY

DOUGLASS COLLEGE

NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY

2

The Chapter members would like to open the weekend with an impressive evening affair and would be most happy if you would make available to them a dramatic skit or short play to be performed by students of the drama department. Your own presence, and a message given by you would, of course, be one of the contemplated high lights of the event.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would let us know as soon as possible whether you would be interested in this affair which means a great deal to all of us and whether a script could be made available to us as soon as can be so that work for the dramatic event can start.

Hoping that these plans will meet with your approval and that we may
have the joy of your presence at Douglass and Rutgers,

January 25, 1961

Mr. Robert Singleton, Pres.,
UCLA Chapter NAACP,
516 Gayle Avenue, Apt. 1,
Los Angeles 24, California.

Dear Mr. Singleton:

Thank you and the student NAACP chapter for your kind invitation to again visit UCLA where, I believe about a year and a half ago, I read my poems to an English seminar there one morning. The fee paid was, I think, $50.00. But if it is the NAACP chapter itself presenting me (and not the University) there would be no charge---except possibly taxi or transportation. If it is that campus way out in Brentwood or somewhere, it is certainly a LONG way from downtown Los Angeles, and I don't believe I'd like to try to make it in the morning again. As I recall, one had to get up before dawn!

If the English department would like to have me read some of my poems to a group and talk about the Negro folk life and problems from which most of the poems derive, the afternoons of Wednesday, February 22 or Thursday, February 23 are the only dates now open during my stay in Los Angeles. On either of these days, I could come to the campus, and would be delighted to do so, if one or the other is agreeable to you, and the session is not at daybreak.

I am not really an authority on Africa, so wouldn't like to venture into that department. And I'm not a speech maker---just read my poems and talk about them and the life behind them, which of course includes most of our problems.

I leave New York on February 7th to start my lecture tour as Berea College in Kentucky, so please let me know before then what you decide.

With cordial regards,

UCLA Chapter of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People

405 HILGARD AVENUE
LOS ANGELES 24, CALIFORNIA
GRANITE 4-4012

January 31, 1961

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York 35, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

We deeply appreciate your personally accepting our invi-
tation to visit our campus during your lecture tour west. The
UCLA NAACP will be presenting you at a noon reading of your
poems on the 22nd (twenty-second) of February if we may re-
serve that date. Additionally, the English Department has
expressed interest in having you appear for another seminar
for their graduate students. Rather than wait for this to
materialize, I chose to write you before your schedule began
to pile up in preparation for your trip. I have told them
the date we expect you on campus, I feel they will request
a 2-or-3:00 P.M. appearance of the same day. I will send a
final word if they decide before you leave New York.

We shall feel no end of remorse, however, if we do not
get to talk to you in a more relaxing setting. We do hope
you will have time to have coffee with us that afternoon at
the campus YWCA, our stronghold of support. There we can
perhaps get to know Langston Hughes the Man and thus better
understand Langston Hughes the Poet.

Thank you also for the materials you sent concerning your
biography and other appearances. This is a good time to men-
tion the exhibit we have managed to arrange with the Univer-
sity Library of your works. We hope to be able to get a pic-
ture of you at the exhibit to place in our files for poster-
ity.

A last and less certain request at this time: On the
19th of February our group and several other student groups
will have a social with guest appearances for the purpose of
raising money for the needy families of Freedom Village, Tenn.
We will be holding it from about 3P.M. to about 8 or 9 P.M.
A guest appearance by you at this affair would make it a much
bigger draw. This may be wearing out our welcome a bit, but
we feel the cause is worth the chance. Would you please take
a last look at your presumably packed schedule and consider
the possibility of this last favor? If it is at all possible,
would you let us know so that we might publicize the fact.

January 3, 1958

Miss Diana Slaughter
U.C.Chapter NAACP
5825 Woodlawn 1309X
University of Chicago
Chicago 37, Illinois

Dear Miss Slaughter:

I am very sorry indeed that I
cannot accept your kind invitation to
address the U.C. Chapter of the NAACP.
It happens that I will be in Chicago
during Negro History Week for an engage-
ment there with Mahalia Jackson but a
full schedule of lectures demands my
leaving immediately after the concert.

I will get in touch with you
the next time I come to Chicago and per-
haps a mutually satisfactory date for me
to appear before your group can be worked
out.

With all good wishes, I am

January 27, 1956

Mr. Willie B. Hackett
President
University of Michigan
Chapter NAACP
1702 Hill
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Dear Mr. Hackett:

Your letter has just reached me a few hours
before I leave for California, so regretfully
I cannot come to Ann Arbor during Negro
History Week since I will still be on the
West Coast. But I very much appreciate your
kindness in thinking of me as a speaker and
I trust that you will extend my good wishes
and gratitude to the University of Michigan
Chapter for the invitation.

With all good wishes to you,

LH/g