Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 207
to each parent whom he had met while away. After he had addressed a meeting
and was shaking hands with those who came forward to meet him a man would
say, as one once did, with embarrassed pride, "I 'spec you know my boy--he's
down to your school. He's a tall, black boy an' wears a derby hat." When Mr.
Washington got back to Tuskegee he sent for "the tall, black boy" with the
derby hat and wrote his proud father all about him.
On his return from journeys he would write individual letters not only to the
parents of students and to his hosts and hostesses, but to each and every person
who had tried in any way to contribute to the pleasure and success of his trip.
On returning from the State educational tours which we have described he
would write personal letters of thanks and appreciation not only to every
member of the general committee on arrangements which had managed his tour
throughout the State, but also to every member of the local committees for the
various towns and cities which he visited. He would also write such a letter to
the Governor or Mayor or whatever public official or prominent citizen had
introduced him. Usually on these tours
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school children, or a group of women representing a local colored women's
club, would present him with flowers. He would in such cases insist that the
name of each child or each woman in the group be secured so that he might on
his return write to each one a personal letter of thanks. Many such letters are
now among the treasured possessions of humble Negro homes throughout the
country.
Recognizing that Tuskegee's chief claim to support from the public must be
found in the achievements of her graduates he built up the Division of Records
and Research to keep in constant touch with the graduates and gather
information about them and their work. By this means he could find out in detail
at a moment's notice what most of the graduates were doing and in terms of
statistics what all were doing. Eighteen to twenty of them are building up or
conducting schools on the model of Tuskegee Institute in parts of the South
where they are most needed. With these he naturally sought to keep in
particularly close touch.
With funds provided for the purpose by one of the Tuskegee Trustees,
committees of Tuskegee officers and teachers are sent from time to time to visit
these schools established by Tuskegee graduates. They act as friendly inspectors
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