RAISING MONEY FOR TUSKEGEE
Tuskegee grew rapidly and steadily. Students began to pour in from all
parts of the country. Girls were coming as well as boys. It was
absolutely necessary to find some place for these students to live and
carry on their school work. Tuskegee Institute had no money. You will
remember that the Legislature of Alabama appropriated two thousand
dollars a year for the payment of teachers, but gave nothing for
buildings or land or equipment. So if new buildings were to be erected,
it meant that the money would have to be raised by some other means.
This was not a church school, and it could not, therefore, appeal to any
religious denomination for help. There was only one way to secure funds
for its development and growth and that was by going out and asking
people directly for aid.
Washington did not like to do this, but, recognizing the necessity for
it, he went bravely ahead. And perhaps no man was ever more successful
in this work than he was. President Charles W. Eliot, of Harvard
University, had to raise money in the same way for Harvard. He was so
successful that it was said of him, “When he goes to rich men they just
throw up their hands and say, ‘Don’t shoot! How much do you want?’” And
President Eliot said that Washington could beat him raising money.
Before Washington’s death in 1915, it required from $250,000 to $300,000
a year to run Tuskegee. That is a big sum of money. A very large part of
it had to be raised by personal solicitation. And it had to be raised
almost entirely in the North. This meant that Washington had to spend a
large part of his time away from Tuskegee, traveling over the country,
making speeches, and talking to individual men. It was hard work, and it
took a great deal of strength and effort as well as time. He had many
remarkable experiences. He met many great and good people, who were glad
to help him. He had an opportunity to tell them about his school and
about his people in the South; and an opportunity to hear this
remarkable man was given to many people.
This is the way he was led to undertake this work. When the girls began
coming to school, they had to have a dormitory. The boys had been
staying in the attic of Porter Hall, living in the shanty, or boarding
in town. But this would not do for the girls. They must have different
accommodations. The boys ought to have, but the girls _must_ have better
surroundings. So they proceeded to plan a dormitory. They did not have
any money with which to build a house. It was just like starting Porter
Hall. But they said they could at least plan the kind of building they
would build if they had the money. They made plans for a building that
would cost ten thousand dollars, and named it Alabama Hall. But that
Alabama Hall was on paper only and in the minds of folks; so they could
not use it very well.
[Illustration:
WHITE HALL (Girls’ dormitory), CHAPEL (rear), TATUM HALL (right),
TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE
]
Then an interesting thing happened. Have you noticed how often something
interesting turned up with Washington? Perhaps there is a good reason
for it. “Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a
result of hard work,” Washington himself has said. It was not just an
accident after all that these good things were happening. It was because
Washington by his work and his good sense had made lasting impressions
upon people who were in positions to give him help.
This is what happened. While thinking about how he could get the ten
thousand dollars for Alabama Hall, he received a letter from General
Armstrong, asking if he would agree to go with him on a tour of the
North; if so, to come to Hampton at once. Washington was delighted and
accepted the invitation. To his great surprise he found that General
Armstrong had planned to take a quartette of singers from Hampton and go
himself with Washington on a tour of the North in the interests of
Tuskegee. Washington thought the trip was planned for Hampton, of
course, and, when he found that General Armstrong had been so unselfish
as to plan it for him, he was overcome with gratitude.
They had a great trip. General Armstrong had Washington do most of the
speaking. “Give them an idea for every word,” he said to Washington as
they started. And Washington did. It was on this trip that Washington
first introduced Tuskegee to the people of the North, and that the
people first got acquainted with Washington. When he returned from this
trip, he was able to begin work on Alabama Hall, and it was soon
completed and paid for. From this time on Washington went North a great
deal to speak publicly and to talk privately to men about the needs of
Tuskegee.
He met a great many rich men. He had many interesting experiences with
them. He did not “beg” from them. He says he always followed two simple
rules in this work: first, to do his full duty in presenting the needs
of the school, and, second, not to worry about the results. He found
these rich men unlike what he had expected. He said they were among the
best and kindest and most generous people in the world. While he
sometimes received discourteous treatment, as a rule he was gladly
received and treated with great respect, and help was gladly given.
Three of the rich men who helped Washington a great deal were: Collis P.
Huntington, the great railroad builder; H. H. Rogers, of the Standard
Oil Company; and Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropist, who had made a
fortune in the steel industry. Washington says that the first time he
interviewed Mr. Huntington he received a donation of two dollars. Two
dollars from a multi-millionaire! But the last donation he received from
Mr. Huntington was a check for fifty thousand dollars. And between the
two gifts there had been gifts of many thousands. Mr. Rogers also gave
many thousands of dollars and helped particularly in the great extension
work of the college.
[Illustration:
JOHN A. ANDREW MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE
]
The most liberal giver was Andrew Carnegie. As soon as Carnegie heard of
the work that Washington was doing, he sent for him to come to New York
City. The result was that Carnegie gave him fifteen thousand dollars
with which to build a library. Washington and his coworkers spent a
great deal of time working out the plans for this building. All the work
was done by the students of Tuskegee. When it was completed, Carnegie
was amazed that such a beautiful and useful building had been built for
that sum of money. It convinced him that these people could be trusted
to spend money wisely. He therefore determined to give a large sum to
the school. Thus it happened, in 1903, that the President of the Board
of Trustees of Tuskegee received the following letter:
NEW YORK, _April 17, 1903_.
My dear Mr. Baldwin:
I have instructed Mr. Franks, Secretary, to deliver to you as Trustee
of Tuskegee $600,000 of 5 per cent U. S. Steel Co. bonds to complete
the Endowment Fund as per circular.
One condition only—the revenue of one hundred and fifty thousand of
these bonds is to be subject to Booker Washington’s order to be used
by him first for his wants, and those of his family during his life or
the life of his widow. If any surplus is left he can use it for
Tuskegee. I wish that great and good man to be free from pecuniary
cares that he may devote himself wholly to his great mission.
To me he seems one of the foremost of living men, because his work is
unique,—the Modern Moses, who leads his race and lifts it through
Education to ever better and higher things than a land overflowing
with milk and honey. History is to know two Washingtons,—one white,
the other black, both fathers of their people. I am satisfied that the
serious race question of the South is to be solved wisely only by
following Booker Washington’s policy, which he seems to have been
especially born—a slave among slaves—to establish, and, even in his
own day, greatly to advance.
So glad to be able to assist this good work in which you and others
are engaged.
Yours truly,
(Signed) Andrew Carnegie.
To Mr. William H. Baldwin, Jr.,
New York City, N. Y.[17]
One other name must be mentioned, and that is Julius Rosenwald of
Chicago. Mr. Rosenwald not only gave large sums himself—and is still
giving enormous amounts not only to Tuskegee but to the cause of negro
education throughout the South—but frequently left his own business and
helped to raise money among his friends for Tuskegee.
[Illustration:
CLASS IN PHOTOGRAPHY, TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE
]
There were many large gifts from many men and women, all of whom cannot
be mentioned here of course, but most of the money that was given to
Tuskegee came in small amounts from a large number of people,—from
churches, Sunday schools, missionary societies, and other organizations;
from preachers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, farmers—from every class of
people came gifts, sometimes large and sometimes small. All the
graduates of Tuskegee were loyal and gave something, however small the
amount might be. The Alabama Legislature gave more and more as the
school grew. The Slater Fund and the Peabody Fund also began to make
annual contributions to the school.
It was through all these channels that the money came pouring into
Tuskegee in such amounts that it was possible for it to grow and develop
in a remarkable way. Building after building went up. New students came.
New equipment was purchased. Additional faculty members were secured.
And the school grew in size and usefulness and in favor in the eyes of
the people.