AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

345 East 46th Street • New York 17, N. Y. • YUkon 6-5320 • Cable: AFRAM

WASHINGTON OFFICE
1346 Connecticut Avenue, N. W.
Washington 6, D. C.

AFRICAN OFFICES
Accra, Ghana
P.O. Box 2192

Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
P.O. Box 2177

Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika
P.O. Box 2995

Lagos, Nigeria
P.M.B. 2382

January 15, 1964

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

Dear Langston,

I have been trying for some days to contact you by tele-
phone without success. I am hoping this letter will reach
you in time for a decision involving an African visitor who
is most anxious to meet with you. A poet from Niger, Guy
Girard Tirolien, is in the U.S. on a State Department grant
and will be coming to New York this Sunday. He is at present
Cultural Advisor to the President of Niger and a good friend
of Ambassador Mercer Cook who has just returned to his post.
Mr. Tirolien has asked us to arrange a contact for him with
AMSAC and if possible a short meeting with you to discuss
some things on his mind.

I am not sure whether you have met Mr. Tirolien in the
course of your travels in Europe and Africa. I understand
that he has spent some time in Paris and is the author of a
book of poems published several years ago under the title,
"Balles d'Or".

Will you kindly let me know if you can see Mr. Tirolien
any time Monday or early Tuesday morning. He is scheduled
to leave the city in the late morning or afternoon. I imagine
that you are being kept busy with your current work in theater,
but I am bringing this to your attention in the event that you
would like to see Mr. Tirolien and can arrange a rendezvous.

DWW:lc

AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

Lagos, Nigeria
P.M.B. 2382

January 23, 1964

Dear Langston,

I appreciate your offer to see M. Tirolien from Niger on his return to New York in late February. He is most anxious to see you, and I hope this tentative date will hold up. I will let you know exactly when he will be in New York as soon as plans are complete for his trip out to the West coast and back.

I am enclosing a brief sketch which gives something of his background and interests. I have found him to be a very interesting person. In Washington last week he spent a good bit of time with Sterling Brown.

He expressed great interest in the works of Negro American writers. He has avoided the use of an interpreter and prefers to make his English do rather than have an intermediary participate in the contacts.

M. Tirolien is on a State Department grant but is being programmed by this organization. I will therefore greatly appreciate your consideration of M. Tirolien's request for a brief meeting with you.

DWW:1c

Enc.

AFRICAN AMERICAN INSTITUTE

1346 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA ON: Mr. Guy Gerard TIROLIEN
Cultural Adviser to the President
Niamey, Niger

Participant in the Foreign Leader Program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State (FY 1964, PL 256).

Visiting the United States January 5 through March 5, 1964.

**DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:** February 13, 1917; Pointe-Pitre, Guadeloupe

**NATIONALITY:** French

**MARITAL STATUS:** Married, three children

**HOME ADDRESS:** 19-21 Boulevard de Bercy, Paris 12, France

**ACADEMIC TRAINING:** Ecole Nationale de la France D'Outre-Mer; Law Certificate

**FAST POSITIONS:**

Assistant Director, Press Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Paris, France, 1942-44

Cabinet Attache to the Governor of Guinea. 1945-57

Head of Administrative District of Maine-Soroa, Niger, 1949-51

Head of Administrative District of Djenne and Gao, Mali, 1952-53

Civil Administrator in the Ivory Coast, 1955-58

High Commissioner of Information of Niger, 1960-63

**PRESENT POSITION:** Cultural Adviser to the President of the Republic of Niger

**PUBLICATIONS:**

"Balles d'Or," a volume of poems, 1960

Miscellaneous articles in French and African magazines

In preparation - a volume of short stories

**ORGANIZATIONS:**

Societe Africaine de Culture

**TRAVELS ABROAD:**

Europe, Africa

(official mission to Great Britain, at invitation of British Government, 1962; official mission to Guinea for President of Republic of Niger, 1962; official mission to Nigeria for President of Republic of Niger, 1962; International Radio Conference, Nigeria, 1962; UNESCO Conference on Information Development. Paris, 1962; official mission to Ghana, 1962.)

**LANGUAGES:**

French fluent; English adequate. Mr. Tirolien will be traveling alone.

**INTERESTS:**

This grantee has indicated that following his stay at Howard University and at Quincy, Massachusetts, he would

Mr. Guy Gerard Tirolien

Biographical Data - Page 2

like a general no technical program giving him the
best opportunity to see America and to become ac-
quainted with its people. He has indicated a willing-
ness to address groups interested in Nige, African
culture and/or the political scene in Africa.

Mr. Tirolien will be interested in meaningful contacts
with writers, poets and intellectuals including, of
course, those from the Negro community. He continues
also to hold a keen interest in all phases of public
information media. His related interest in educational
radio and TV can probably best be fulfilled during his
San Francisco visit.

Mr. Tirolien is a personable and sophisticated visitor
who should be given every opportunity for a wide range
of contacts, and his community program should provide
opportunities for home hospitality and attendance at
theatrical performances. Of course, in view of
Mr. Tirolien's fluency in French, home hospitality
contacts with French speaking Americans will have
additional meaning.

SE/sc

AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

Lagos, Nigeria
P.M.B. 2382

February 24, 1964

Dear Langston,

We expect Mr. Tirolien to return to New York about March second for a stay of approximately two weeks and are anxious to arrange for him to meet you when you would have time for a good chat with him about your mutual interests as writers.

Could you drop me a note or give me a call (YUkon 6-5320) to let me know when you would like to see him?

Thank you very much. I know that Mr. Tirolien is looking forward to his interview with you with special interest and pleasure.

DWW:lc

February 27, 1964

Mr. Donald W. Wyatt
African-American Institute
345 East 46th Street
New York 17, New York

Dear Mr. Wyatt:

Mr. Hughes is working under a very
tight schedule and is therefore unable
to make a definite appointment for
Mr. Tirolien, at this time. He suggests
that Mr. Tirolien phones on his return
(TR 3-4022) so that they might arrange
a mutually agreeable hour for their
meeting. Please advise him to leave
a telephone number at which he can be
reached, if he is unable to speak with
Mr. Hughes when he calls, and Mr. Hughes
will phone him.

With cordial regards,

AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

345 East 46th Street

New York 17, N. Y.

YUkon 6-5320

Cable: AFRAM

Lagos, Nigeria
P.M.B. 2382

March 17, 1964

Dear Mr. Hughes:

We have recently learned from Mr. Tirolien that he did not succeed in attending the interview you had so kindly arranged for him and the several other African visitors last Monday. Although we thought we had made clear your exact address to Mr. Tirolien, he seems somehow to have become confused and gone to the wrong address at the time of the interview. From what he has told us, we gather that he made a serious effort to locate your residence but, not being able to locate you in a directory and since the time was after our office had closed, he was unable in any way to find your house. He was very much disappointed not to have met you and is quite embarrassed about not having been able to find the correct address. We asked him if he would like us to try to arrange another brief appointment before he left on Saturday, but he replied negatively. This is probably due to a combination of embarrassment at having failed to find your house, an awareness of your very busy schedule and a desire not to impose further upon you, and a very unfortunate rheumatic condition which he has suffered from considerably during our damp weather in the past few days.

We, too, are very disappointed that this appointment did not materialize, since we had felt it the most important single one that we had been able to arrange for him in New York. Perhaps we should have accompanied him personally to your home; we had thought of doing this but he seemed to prefer to go on his own and we did not wish to give him the impression that we did not trust his ability to find the correct place.

### HONORARY SPONSORS

The Secretary of State and Mrs. Dean Rusk

The Honorable Adlai E. Stevenson

Governor and Mrs. Nelson A. Rockefeller

The Undersecretary of State and
Mrs. Averell Harriman

The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Mrs. G. Mennen Williams

Mayor Robert F. Wagner

Their Excellencies, the Ambassadors from Africa to the United Nations (partial list):

H.E. M. Benoit Bindizi - Cameroon

H.E. Dr. Tesfaye Gebre-Egzy - Ethiopia

H.E. M. Aristide Issembé - Gabon

H.E. M. Achkar Marof - Guinea

H.E. Mr. Burudi Nabwera - Kenya

H.E. Mr. Nathan Barnes - Liberia

H.E. M. Sori Coulibaly - Mali

H.E. Chief S. O. Adebo, G.M.G. - Nigeria

H.E. M. Louis Rakotomalala -

Republic of Madagascar

M. Canisius Mudenge - Rwanda

H.E. Mr. Gershon B. O. Collier - Sierra Leone

H.E. Omar Abdel Hamid Adeel - Sudan

H.E. Dr. Robert Ajavon - Togo

H.E. Mr. Apollo K. Kironde - Uganda

H.E. Chief Erasto A. M. Mang'enya, M.P. - United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

### CO-CHAIRMEN

Miss Marian Anderson

Mr. Paul Hoffman

Mrs. Arthur B. Krim

### THE WORK OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

The thrub of African drums has been replaced with the pulsing beat of human needs and aspirations as the new nations of Africa struggle to achieve stability and strength in realizing the destiny of their long deprived peoples.

The African-American Institute, as America's major private and nonprofit organization in African affairs, has concentrated on helping over 3,000 Africans

increase their skills by:

* Assisting African students to get a U.S. college education

* Establishing schools in Africa to enable Southern African refugees to continue their schooling

* Providing summer job opportunities for African students

* Training women leaders to work for the betterment of their communities.

Your support is needed to maintain the forward momentum of the African nations.

THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE INVITES YOU TO

and HARRY BELAFONTE

In Person
HARRY BELAFONTE
with
AFRICAN MUSICIANS AND DANCERS
in their first
U.S. appearance
for the benefit of
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE

Scholarship Fund
at
Philharmonic Hall
65th Street and Broadway
Wednesday
December 9, 1964
at 8:30 p.m.

## AFRICAN-AMERICAN INSTITUTE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Mr. Morris B. Abram
Mrs. Etta Moten Barnett
Mr. Lansdell K. Christie
Mr. Louis G. Cowan
Dr. L. Gray Cowan
Mr. Dana S. Creel
Dr. John W. Davis
Hon. Edward R. Dudley
Dr. Robert F. Goheen
Mr. Ernest A. Gross
Dr. William Leo Hansberry

Mr. Harold K. Hochschild
Mr. John H. Johnson
Mr. Arthur B. Krim
Mr. Waldemar A. Nielsen
Mr. Alan Pifer
Mr. John B. M. Place
Dr. Emory Ross
Mrs. Zelia P. Ruebhausen
Dr. Mabel Smythe
Mr. Mansfield D. Sprague
Mr. Loyd V. Steere
Mr. William J. Trent, Jr.

## WOMEN'S AFRICA COMMITTEE

### Members:

Mr. Peter Buttenwieser
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Carnegie
Miss Anne B. Crolius
Mrs. Edward R. Dudley
Dr. Dorothy B. Ferebe
Mrs. Esther Hymer
Miss Louise E. Jefferson
Mrs. Wenonah Bond Logan
Mrs. Oswald B. Lord
Mrs. Thurgood Marshall
Dr. Jeanne L. Noble
Dr. Marjorie Parker
Mrs. E. K. Reinach
Mrs. Oscar M. Ruebhausen
Mrs. James H. Robinson
Mrs. Emory Ross
Mrs. Erwin Schuller
Mrs. Frederick A. O. Schwarz, Jr.
Dr. Mabel Smythe
Miss Lucile Spence

Mrs. John Spencer
Miss Anna Lord Strauss
Mrs. Ernest Wilson
Dr. Alba Zizzamia

### Advisors:

Hon. Frances P. Bolton
Miss Mary Cannon
Dr. Gwendolen Carter
Mrs. J. Wayne Fredericks
Miss Dorothy I. Height
Miss Margaret Hickey
Mrs. Frances Howard
Dr. Flemmie Kittrell
Mrs. Katie Louchheim
Mrs. Paul Newman
Mrs. Esther Peterson
Mrs. Dorothy B. Porter
Mrs. Ruth C. Sloan
Mrs. Charles W. Tillett
Mrs. G. Mennen Williams

February 8, 1967

Mr. Theodore Harris,
African-American Institute,
866 United Nations Plaza,
New York, New York 10017.

Dear Ted:

Pursuant to our conversation by phone today, I am enclosing herein a Certificat de Scolarite for Blanchard Kekeh at the College d'Enseignement Industriel du Verre in Paris where he is a student in his final year; also a letter to him from one of his professors relative to a summer work-study job a glass making fabrique, SOVIREL, in France last vacation time. The address of the College where he is a fourth year student is on the letterhead. The young man, from Togoland on a government bourse, is 26 or 27 years old, and said to be an excellent student, whose work will be completed in June, and who wishes to come to America for further study or practical work in industrial glass making. He is the only African, so far as is known, engaged in such technical studies anywhere in Europe or elsewhere, and he wished to return to Africa when his learning is as advanced as possible. He feels that if he were allowed to spend some months at Corning, it would be of great help to him. His address is:

M. Blanchard Kekeh,
Foyer A. L. J. T.,
94 Chevilly-Larue,
FRANCE.

Since I am about to go to UCLA in Beverly Hills, should you have any information for him, it be sent direct with, if convenient, a carbon to me.

The other student of whom I spoke has just completed his thesis on the poetry of Aime Cesaire at the Sorbonne. He is a Nigerian, married, English and French speaking, and seemingly a very bright and serious literary-minded chap of about 30, who intends to return to his homeland to teach on the college level. He would like a greater knowledge of American Negro and West Indian literature, and to that end would like to visit the Western World for whatever time is possible, perhaps six months to a year, and is willing to take an instructorship or other work to sustain himself while here. The Presence African folks in Paris, (and I think Pat Belcher at the Centre Culturel Americain) can tell you more about him. He is:

M. Abiola Irele,
61 rue Thiers,
92 Boulogne sur Seine,
FRANCE.

Thank you so much for so kindly consenting to hearing, through me, these student desires.........Sincerely yours,