Wilberforce Univ., Green Co., Ohio
Senator Geo. F. Hoar,
Sir:
Will you kindly al-
low me to solicit your good offices in
my behalf! I am a Negro, 28 years of
age, born in
Massachusetts (Gt. Barring-
ton, Berkshire co.); I was educated at
Fisk University, Nashville Tenn., at Har-
vard (class of ’90) and at
Berlin, Germany.
I am at present professor of latin & Greek
at Wilberforce Univ. My special line of
work, however, for which I have the degree
of Ph. D. from Harvard, is History and Soc-
ial Science. In my present situation I am
not teaching my specialty, have no library
for use, and I fear the institution is
not one which has a growing future be-
fore it. My wish therefore is to get into
some position which will allow me a
chance to do real, solid, scientific work
in my line. It seems to me that the
themselves to study, in just the line in
which I am interested – that only by
careful, long, and earnest scientific
investigation will the way toward a
solution of our “problem” be pointed out.. In
entering upon this work, however, you
will, I think, realize how I am handi-
capped: My color would shut me out
of white institutions as a teacher, and no Negro school
has such a department such I as I would
like to take charge of, and upbuild; I
have thought that the city of Washington
offered perhaps the best first field for
work of this kind, and consequently
I wish to apply for a position either
at Howard University or in the Wash-
ington public schools: believing that
once established there, amid library facil-
ities, and an educated constituency, I might
do work worth doing.
I know, Sir, that you have much
influence in regard to such appointments:
May I ask you carefully to consider my
testimonials, or to demand any farther in-
formation from myself, the authorities at
Harvard, as at my hal home – and
if you are convinced that I am a proper
and fit person, will you not use
your influence to procure me a po-
sition either in Howard University
or in the Washington Colored High
School? I can teach preparatory studies,
or latin, Greek and German, or the Sci-
ences; I am willing to teach any of
these branches, and only ask to be
allowed gradually to build up a
department of history and social sci-
ence.
I know, of course, that I have
no claim upon an entire stranger
to ask so great a favor: I was led
position in my native state, and by
my acquainceship with a beneficiary
of yours, Mr. W. F. Jackson of the Washing-
ton schools. I trust you will pardon
my boldness, and, at your leisure,
write me your opinion.
Respectfully Yours,
7 November, 1895