Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

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Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 180 existence--President Eliot of whom it was said, "When he goes to rich men they just throw up their hands and say, 'Don't shoot! How much do you want?'" The magnitude of Booker Washington's financial task is indicated in his last annual report which he made to his Trustees in 1915. He reported: "As of May 31st, we have received from all sources for current expenses $268,825.17; for buildings and improvements, $28,919.47; for endowment, $28,102.09; from undesignated legacies, $53,858.10, making the total receipts for the purposes named for the year $379,704,83. "The gifts to the Endowment Fund for the year amounting to $28,102.09 now make the Fund stand at $1,970,214.17 "The budget recommended for your consideration for Page 250 the new year calls for an expenditure for current expenses, repairs, renewals, and equipment of $291,567.92. . . ." Later in the report he said: "Notwithstanding the depressed financial condition of a large part of the country, I feel it would be a great mistake for us in any degree to slacken our efforts to keep the school before the public or to get funds. I believe, as Dr. H. B. Frissell, Principal of the Hampton Institute, has often expressed it, that a large part of the mission of both Hampton and Tuskegee is to keep the cause of Negro education before the country, and that the benefits coming from such efforts of publicity do not confine themselves alone to Hampton and Tuskegee, but benefit all the schools in the South. With this end in view, I very much hope that the Trustees may see their way clear to encourage and help us as far as possible in holding a number of large public meetings during the coming year." These were brave words for a dying man. Five months later he died of sheer exhaustion shortly after addressing one of these "large public meetings." They also show the breadth of his conception of his task. You will note that he points out that such publicity as he urges, "benefits all the schools in the South"--not merely the schools for Negroes, but "all the schools." It never occurred to him to limit his sense of responsibility to his own school nor even to the schools for his own race. As previously mentioned he would sometimes devote an entire public address to an appeal for more and better schools for the poor whites of the South. 24.03.2006
Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 181 Booker Washington's money-raising efforts consumed Page 251 two-thirds of his time and perhaps even more of his strength and energy. He planned these money-raising campaigns just as carefully as a good general plans a military campaign. His last big money-raising campaign was conducted during June, 1915. He and the Trustees of the Institute had been engaged for two or three years in the effort to raise the money to complete the cost of the central power and heating plant, but nearly $100,000 of the $245,000 needed had not been raised. This burden bore heavily upon him. At last, with the approval of the Trustees, he decided to make one last herculean effort not only to raise this huge sum, but in addition, the money necessary to end the school year free of debt. For this purpose he formulated a plan of campaign by which five representatives of the school should cover the chief centres of population throughout the Northern and Middle Western States. This was the outline of the territorial assignments of the collectors: Mr. Chislom: New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts --important centre-- Boston. Mr. Wood: Rhode Island, New York east of Syracuse, and Binghamton, Connecticut--important centre--New York City. Mr. Thomas: New York, west of Syracuse and Binghamton, Pennsylvania-- important centre--Philadelphia. Mr. Stevenson: Illinois, Wisconsin--important centre-- Chicago. Mr. Powell: Michigan, Ohio--important centres-- Detroit and Cleveland. Page 252 Each representative carried letters of introduction to leading men and women in the various centres throughout his territory. All these letters were personally signed by Mr. Washington. At the close of each day each collector telegraphed Mr. Washington at Tuskegee giving the amount of subscriptions and pledges he had secured that day. The next morning Mr. Washington wired each collector, stating the total amount of gifts and pledges secured by all five collectors. When the Trustees met in New York City, on the last Thursday of June, 1915, all but four or five thousand dollars of the over $245,000 had been raised. 24.03.2006
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Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

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