Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

OFFICE OF ALUMNI SECRETARY
ROBERT J. PILGRAM

September 18, 1940

Mr. Langston Hughes
C/o Alfred A. Knopf
New York, N. Y.

Dear Mr. Hughes:

I have been interested to read in the Saturday Review of Literature for August 31, page 12, the article, "The Negro Intellectual", review of your book, "The Big Sea" by Oswald Garrison Villard, particularly with its reference to Franklin and Marshall College.

I note that Mr. Villard says: "So when at an interracial conference at Franklin and Marshall College, which bars Negro students from attending, Mr. Hughes was wicked enough to think that this, his first interracial conference ought to 'get at the root of the matter right there on the campus where we were in session - as to why Negro students could not attend that college.'"

I do not know when you attended this interracial conference at Franklin and Marshall, but I do know that this college has never barred Negro students from attending. Several years ago, a Negro student enrolled, but did not complete his course, although this was not due to the attitude of the students or to any prejudice against him.

We regret that you and Mr. Villard are under the impression that this college does not admit Negro students, and would appreciate knowing how you got this impression and when the interracial conference was held which you attended on our campus.

P:W

August 13/65

Langston Hughes
% The New York Post

Dear Mr. Hughes;

Surely your Mr. Simple doesn't think that a race war would bail him out. Why should he think that the Chinese, the Indians, the Vietnamese would hand him the palm simply because he was non-white? What's he offering them: his philosophy? (Any such group might, in due time, like to "develop" Africa.)

You might explain to your friend that racism, as an ongoing world sport, is like a cross between master-level chess and Karate. Right now, it's the back-room game. But everybody plays.

A W.A.S.P. myself (British "Empire type" parentage) I'm bewildered by the American Negro "marching for respect" thing. What's this, when U-Thant tries to negotiate with an African Head of State, and winds up disgustedly calling said Head a "clown"? Where are your image-builders?

I put it to you: other races' respect will flow out to Negroes, as Negroes (from the Latin "niger": black) when - and only when - out of Africa, something blooms that lights, or shadows, all our doorsteps. It could be an emanence of beauty, of power -- whatever. But it must say "I AM", both narcissistically, and in terms that will make all us others say "By God....HE IS!"

Forgive me lecturing. You must get so much "how to" - unsolicited - guidance. But, when I hear the the Simple-type "Chinese for us" notion in the context of American Negroes using hair-straightener and skin-lightener ... it sounds like what's talking isn't people, but bones. It makes me furious and tearful.

634 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York City

October 4, 1945

Dear Mrs. Frasconi;

I am so sorry to have been so long in answering your
letter but I have been away in the country for several
weeks.

I was not at all disturbed by your visit that day,
except that I regret that I had an appointment and I
had to rush away so quickly. Did you get to meet any
of the other Negro writers or artists? I think you
might particularly enjoy a visit to Richmond Barthe's
studio to see some of his work. I believe that I
gave you his address; 285 Eighth Avenue, here in New
York. I think his phone number is in the book.

I shall be grateful to you when the Spanish version
of my Big Sea arrives. It has not come as yet. If
you are still in New York, and I can be of any assis-
tance to you, kindly let me know.

With my very best regards,

Mrs. Renee Frasconi
210 E. 77th Street
New York City

634 St. Nicholas,
c/o Harper, 1-D,
New York, N. Y.,
February 7, 1938.

Dear Mr. Fraser,

Thank you for your letter of February 4th. I shall arrive in
Montreal on Saturday morning, Bonaventure Station, at 7:50, as
you suggest, and would be happy to be interviewed as you have
arranged....I shall also be pleased to be a guest of Mr. and
Mrs. Macdonald's over the week-end, and appreciate very much
their kind invitation....I have asked Miss Betty Anthony of the
McGill Cosmopolitan Club to get in touch with you regarding her
request that I speak to the Club. I wrote Miss Anthony that if
such an engagement in now way conflicted with your plans, or those
of the Women's Club, I would be willing to meet with the students
on Monday, but I requested her to get in touch with you first to
make sure.....Since you did not state in your letter whether one
dresses for your programs or not, I am taking it for granted that
an ordinary suit is O.K., just as for the Boston Forum. (My even-
ing clothes are all in Cleveland, anyway!)....Other than our inter-
views, please do not permit anyone to arrange any sort of engagements
any day before noon.....Monday evening I must return to New York.
Montreal will be my first appearance since my return from Europe. And
the subject as announced in the program is all right. The subject
really doesn't matter. It's the same speech, whatever it's name!

March 6, 1944

Mr. William Fraser
1610 Sherbrooke St., West
Montreal, P. Q.

Dear Mr. Fraser:

Just a little note to tell you that I am still remembering with great pleasure my short stay in Montreal, and to thank you and the members of your forum committee for making it so pleasant.

My return flight to New York was almost a record flight. It was non-stop with a tail wind behind us and we got to La Guardia Field in exactly an hour and a half.

Just now I am heading West with some twenty engagements across the country, taking me all the way to California.

With my best regards to you,

LH:mo

FREDERICK DOUGLASS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

201 PINEWOOD AVENUE TOLEDO, OHIO

(Founded by Albertus Brown, 1919)

GArfield 6722 - 6723

WILLIAM A. SMITH, JR.,
Executive Director

Serving the
RED FEATHER
SERVICE
whole Family

April 20, 1953

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

Dear Mr. Hughes:

The President of the Langston Hughes Chapter of the National Phyllis Wheatley Foundation, Mrs. Lucille Goodloe, in Toledo, approached me recently about establishing a reading nook in our building for children, and also setting up, at least twice a week, a program designed to increase the appreciation of our children in the works of poetry contributed to American life by Negroes.

Both of these projects are of interest to me, and I have accepted the offer of cooperation from Mrs. Goodloe. She is making arrangements, I understand, with your office for the purchase of books amounting to Forty One ($41.00) Dollars for the beginning of this project. The list is as follows:

First Book of Negroes 5 copies
Not Without Laughter 6 "
Laughing to Keep From Crying 3 "
The Big Son 3 "
Drive Keeper 3 "

I was particularly impressed with the First Book of Negroes. It is colorful and can be used very well with pre-school children, as well as with our 7-12 year group.

I am looking forward eagerly to the receipt of these books as a worthwhile addition to the many tools that we have available for enriching the lives of the people of our community.

It has been some time since I have seen you. I would be very pleased to have you visit our institution when you are in this area.

WAS:rw

<table><tr><td>NEW YORK, N.Y.<br/>SEP 21<br/>4-PM<br/>7943</td></tr></table>

Freedom

Where one is enslaved, all are in chains!

53 WEST 125 STREET, NEW YORK 27, N. Y. • ENright 9-3980

September 30, 1952

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

Dear Langston:

In order to further intelligent discussion of public issues among the readers of our paper and the general public in Harlem, FREEDOM is sponsoring a series of five Freedom Forums each Thursday evening beginning October 16. The forums will address themselves to questions of interest in the fields of culture, politics, civil rights, foreign policy and the colonial question.

I am writing to ask you to participate as a speaker in the Forum planned for Thursday, October 16. The question under discussion will be: What Do You Think of the Showing of "Porgy and Bess" in Europe? We are also inviting as speakers William Marshall, Alice Childress and Lawrence Brown. We are asking Gladys McDonald to serve as moderator for the evening.

We plan a program in which each speaker will make a 15 minute presentation. This will be followed by a half-hour break for refreshments and entertainment. We will then have a 45 minute discussion period during which we hope the speakers will remain to answer questions from the audience. The entire program is scheduled to take place between 7:30 and 10:00 P.M. and will be held at the United Mutual Auditorium, 310 Lenox Avenue, at 126th Street. The auditorium seats approximately 200 people.

We hope your commitments will not prevent your being with us. It is our expectation that out of the discussion will come a greater understanding of the need for a Negro people's theatre movement in Harlem and throughout the country. Because we should like to send out invitations for the entire series as soon as possible, I hope that we may have your affirmative reply in an early mail. Please accept every best wish.

264

FREEDOM NATIONAL BANK OF NEW YORK

271-275 WEST 125TH STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10027

Organization Office - Room 211 • RI 9-4446-4447

February 6, 1964

Mr. Langston Hughes
20 East 127th Street
New York, New York 10035

Dear Mr. Hughes:

You will be pleased to know that the Comptroller of the Currency of the U. S. Treasury has authorized us to proceed with organization of FREEDOM NATIONAL BANK OF NEW YORK. I am, therefore, calling upon you personally to send in your pledge to purchase shares of stock in this Bank as well as to join us in the effort to enlist widespread participation by others who live in or care about the Harlem community.

This Bank is being founded--in the spirit of the Freedom Movement-- to demonstrate the determinaton of the people of our community to take the initiative in the creation, directorship and management of a first-class, commercial bank, headquartered in the heart of Harlem. In that same spirit, this initiative is to be asserted-- not by discriminatory exclusion of other groups on the basis of race or color--but by vigorous response from within the involved communities to the opportunity to purchase the shares of stock now being offered.

You know, of course, how important it is that this word be spread as quickly as possible and how difficult it is for us to write everyone we wish to reach. For this reason, I am asking you to read carefully the enclosed folder describing the offering of 60,000 shares of FREEDOM NATIONAL BANK stock to the public and to pass this information on to your family, friends, and neighbors. Also, I urge you to make this offering known to the organizations you belong to. I hope you will call us for additional folders and subscription forms to be used for this purpose.

As one of the organizers, I vouch for their intention to make this Bank a genuine community institution that will belong in every way to the people it is to serve--not only in Harlem but in the other areas where banking services are inadequate. You are one of those upon whom all of us are depending for support of this eminently desirable enterprise.

JR:ry
enc.

ORGANIZATION
COMMITTEE:

Dunbar S. McLaurin
Jackie Robinson
Co-Chairmen

Herbert B. Evans
Treasurer
Irving B. Altman
Consultant

Alvin C. Hudgins
Secretary
Jack Blumstein
Organizer

Samuel R. Pierce, Jr.
Counsel
Frank Schiffman
Organizer

Box 100
Milledgeville, Georgia

February 13, 1948

Mr. Langston Hughes
Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Mr. Hughes:

Can you help me in securing the names of Georgians
who have published short stories?

I have a fairly good list but I am afraid that it
is incomplete. I believe that your position will enable
you to fill in certain omissions that I may have made.
I have such names as Vereen Bell, Erskine Caldwell,
Berry Fleming, Nunnally Johnson, Frank Yerbey, Arthur
Gordon, Edison Marshall, Minnie Hite Moody, Elmer Ransom,
Addis Scott, Marion Sims, Zora Neale Hurston, and Fred
Shaw. I am today writing Walter White to see if he has
short stories.

I am making a study of the short stories (fiction)
of Georgians published within the past 25 years. This
is for my doctorate in English at Teachers College at
Columbia University.

If you will help me in securing other names that
I should include, do know that I shall be greatly
indebted to you for doing so.

acg

Princeton, New Jersey,

January 15, 1961.

Dear Miss Freund:

My winter lecture trips have begun---
the Hun School at Princeton how---and I will
be out of New York most of the time from
hereonin until April. The end of this month
I begin a poetry reading tour cross country
to the Coast---Mills College. So I very
much regret I cannot attend the ASMP meeting
to which you have so kindly invited me on
January 25th. Perhaps another time.