Soon after I began work at Tuskegee I formed a resolution, in the
secret of my heart, that I would try to build up a school that would
be of so much service to the country that the President of the United
States would one day come to see it. This was, I confess, rather a
bold resolution, and for a number of years I kept it hidden in my own
thoughts, not daring to share it with any one.
In November, 1897, I made the first move in this direction, and
that was in securing a visit from a member of President McKinley's
Cabinet, the Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. He came to
deliver an address at the formal opening of the Slater-Armstrong
Agricultural Building, our first large building to be used for the
purpose of giving training to our students in agriculture and kindred
branches.
In the fall of 1898 I heard that President McKinley was likely to
visit Atlanta, Georgia, for the purpose of taking part in the Peace
Jubilee exercises to be held there to commemorate the successful close
of the Spanish-American war. At this time I had been hard at work,
together with our teachers, for eighteen years, trying to build up a
school that we thought would be of service to the Nation, and I
determined to make a direct effort to secure a visit from the
President and his Cabinet. I went to Washington, and I was not long
in the city before I found my way to the White House. When I got
there I found the waiting rooms full of people, and my heart began to
sink, for I feared there would not be much chance of my seeing the
President that day, if at all. But, at any rate, I got an opportunity
to see Mr. J. Addison Porter, the secretary to the President, and
explained to him my mission. Mr. Porter kindly sent my card directly
to the President, and in a few minutes word came from Mr. McKinley
that he would see me.
How any man can see so many people of all kinds, with all kinds of
errands, and do so much hard work, and still keep himself calm,
patient, and fresh for each visitor in the way that President McKinley
does, I cannot understand. When I saw the President he kindly thanked
me for the work which we were doing at Tuskegee for the interests of
the country. I then told him, briefly, the object of my visit. I
impressed upon him the fact that a visit from the Chief Executive of
the Nation would not only encourage our students and teachers, but
would help the entire race. He seemed interested, but did not make a
promise to go to Tuskegee, for the reason that his plans about going
to Atlanta were not then fully made; but he asked me to call the
matter to his attention a few weeks later.
By the middle of the following month the President had definitely
decided to attend the Peace Jubilee at Atlanta. I went to Washington
again and saw him, with a view of getting him to extend his trip to
Tuskegee. On this second visit Mr. Charles W. Hare, a prominent white
citizen of Tuskegee, kindly volunteered to accompany me, to reenforce
[sic] my invitation with one from the white people of Tuskegee and the
vicinity.
Just previous to my going to Washington the second time, the
country had been excited, and the coloured people greatly depressed,
because of several severe race riots which had occurred at different
points in the South. As soon as I saw the President, I perceived that
his heart was greatly burdened by reason of these race disturbances.
Although there were many people waiting to see him, he detained me for
some time, discussing the condition and prospects of the race. He
remarked several times that he was determined to show his interest and
faith in the race, not merely in words, but by acts. When I told him
that I thought that at that time scarcely anything would go father in
giving hope and encouragement to the race than the fact that the
President of the Nation would be willing to travel one hundred and
forty miles out of his way to spend a day at a Negro institution, he
seemed deeply impressed.
While I was with the President, a white citizen of Atlanta, a
Democrat and an ex-slaveholder, came into the room, and the President
asked his opinion as to the wisdom of his going to Tuskegee. Without
hesitation the Atlanta man replied that it was the proper thing for
him to do. This opinion was reenforced [sic] by that friend of the
race, Dr. J.L.M. Curry. The President promised that he would visit
our school on the 16th of December.
When it became known that the President was going to visit our
school, the white citizens of the town of Tuskegee — a mile distant
from the school — were as much pleased as were our students and
teachers. The white people of this town, including both men and
women, began arranging to decorate the town, and to form themselves
into committees for the purpose of cooperating with the officers of
our school in order that the distinguished visitor might have a
fitting reception. I think I never realized before this how much the
white people of Tuskegee and vicinity thought of our institution.
During the days when we were preparing for the President's reception,
dozens of these people came to me and said that, while they did not
want to push themselves into prominence, if there was anything they
could do to help, or to relieve me personally, I had but to intimate
it and they would be only too glad to assist. In fact, the thing that
touched me almost as deeply as the visit of the President itself was
the deep pride which all classes of citizens in Alabama seemed to take
in our work.
The morning of December 16th brought to the little city of
Tuskegee such a crowd as it had never seen before. With the President
came Mrs. McKinley and all of the Cabinet officers but one; and most
of them brought their wives or some members of their families.
Several prominent generals came, including General Shafter and General
Joseph Wheeler, who were recently returned from the Spanish-American
war. There was also a host of newspaper correspondents. The Alabama
Legislature was in session in Montgomery at this time. This body
passed a resolution to adjourn for the purpose of visited Tuskegee.
Just before the arrival of the President's party the Legislature
arrived, headed by the governor and other state officials.
The citizens of Tuskegee had decorated the town from the station
to the school in a generous manner. In order to economize in the
matter of time, we arranged to have the whole school pass in review
before the President. Each student carried a stalk of sugar-cane with
some open bolls [sic] of cotton fastened to the end of it. Following
the students the work of all departments of the school passed in
review, displayed on "floats" drawn by horses, mules, and oxen. On
these floats we tried to exhibit not only the present work of the
school, but to show the contrasts between the old methods of doing
things and the new. As an example, we showed the old method of
dairying in contrast with the improved methods, the old methods of
tilling the soil in contrast with the new, the old methods of cooking
and housekeeping in contrast with the new. These floats consumed an
hour and a half of time in passing.
In his address in our large, new chapel, which the students had
recently completed, the President said, among other things: —
