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Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

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<strong>Booker</strong> T. <strong>Washington</strong>, <strong>Builder</strong> of a Civilization. 201<br />

First, I am convinced that we must arrange to give more systematic and constant<br />

attention to the individual teachers in your department in the way of seeing that<br />

they<br />

Page 277<br />

follow your wishes and policy regarding the dovetailing of the academic work<br />

into the industrial work.<br />

I am quite convinced that the matter is taken up in rather a spasmodic way; that<br />

is, so long as you are on hand and can give the matter personal attention, it is<br />

followed, but when you cease to give personal attention to it or are away,<br />

matters go back to the old rut, or nearly so.<br />

In some way we must all get together and help you to organize your department<br />

so that this will not be true.<br />

There are two elements of weakness in the academic work: First, I very much<br />

fear that we take into it every year too many green teachers, who know nothing<br />

about your methods. This pulls the whole tone of the academic work down<br />

before you can train them into your methods. I am quite sure that though you<br />

might not get teachers who have had so much book training, that it would be<br />

worth your considering to employ a larger number of Hampton graduates or<br />

Tuskegee graduates, who have had in a measure the methods which you believe<br />

in instilled into them.<br />

In my opinion, the time has come when you must consider seriously the getting<br />

rid of, or shifting, some of your older teachers. You have teachers in your<br />

department who have been here a good many years, and experience proves that<br />

they do not adapt themselves readily and systematically to your methods. I think<br />

it would be far better for the school to find employment for them outside of the<br />

Academic Department, or to let them take some clerical work in your<br />

department, than for them to occupy positions of importance and influence,<br />

which they are not filling satisfactorily and where they have an influence in<br />

hurting the character of the whole teaching.<br />

All these matters I hope you will consider very carefully.<br />

Page 278<br />

I am sure that the time has come when definite and serious action is needed.<br />

24.03.2006

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