A Boys' Life of Booker T. Washington/Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX
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.
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 multimillionaire! 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.
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:
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.[1]
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.
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.
- ↑ "Booker T. Washington: Builder of a Civilization," by Scott and Stowe, pp. 258–259.