The Tyler Leader (Tyler, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 11, Ed. 1 Saturday, April 6, 1974 Page: 1 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Rescuing Texas History, 2017 and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Smith County Historical Society.
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KNOW YOUR BLACK HISTORY
A RESEARCH BY S. F. WILKINSON
The Freedman's Bank And
Negro Business
Following Emancipation the growth of business enterprise
among the freedmen was based partly upon the achieve-
ments of the Negroes who had been free and partly upon
the experiences of the emancipated Negroes during slavery.
DuBois undertook to show how the evolution of the Negro
businessman after Emancipation grew out of the experiences
of Negroes under slavery. "It is easy to see," he wrote,
"how the Barber, the Caterer and the Restaurant keeper
were the direct progeny of the House-servant, just as the
Market-gardener, the Sawmill Proprietor, and the Florist
were descended from the Fieldhand." This evolution is con-
firmed only in part in the development of Negro businesses.
The barber, the caterer, and the restaurant keeper often
used the experience which they had acquired during slavery
as a basis for their business undertakings after Emancipat-
ion. There is also evidence that some of the slave mechanics
became businessmen following their emancipation. On the
other hand, there is no evidence that the Negro grocery and
general meschandise store is a form of the "store house"
from which "rations" were distributed on the plantation.
One is on surer ground when one relates th,e develop-
ment of the spirit of business enterprise to the Freedman's
Bank. The Freedman’s Bank grew out of the necessity to
safeguard the unclaimed savings of Negro soldiers and lab-
orers and the desire to serve the financial interests of the
emancipated Negroes^ At first, a plan had been worked out
for the Negro soldiers to make allotments to relatives and
to deposit their pay with the government instead of squand-
ering it. Then military and free labor banks were establish-
ed, the first of these being organized in New Orleans in
1866. In the same year similar banks were set up in Nor-
folk, Virginia, and in Beaufort, South Carolina. At the close
of ftie Civil War, the deposits in the Beaufort bank, the
only bank for which information is available amounted to
$200,000. In order to protect the unclaimed deposits and
the wage and bounty payments due Negro soldiers, Cong-
ress was induced to incorporate the Freedman's Saving and
Trust Company. At the end of the first year, there were
14 branch banks, and by 1871 a total of 34 banks had been
established. In 1871 the total deposits amounted to nearly
20 million dollars and the total drafts about 17.5 million
dollars, thus leaving 2.5 million dollars due depositors.
Since the federal government had incorporated the Freed-
man's Bank and it was controlled by white friends of the
Negro, Negro depositors assumed that their savings were
protected by the government. Therefore, they rushed to
place their small savings in the bank. In 1872 there were
at least 70,000 depositors in th,e banks scattered over the
country. Although few Negroes were employed in the bank
at first, the employment of Negroes as clerks gave the Ne-
gro hope in the field of business enterprise. Unfortunately,
through mismanagement, owing partly to pious but incom-
petent missionaries and partly to irresponsible plunderers
who were typical of financial speculators following the
Civil War, the bank become shaky in 1873. In order to re-
store the confidence of Negroes in the bank, Frederick
Douglas was elected president in 1874. In spite of the efforts
of Douglas, who lent th,e bank $10,000 out of his personal
funds, the bank was forced to close its doors in 1874. When
the Freedman's Bank closed, it owed its 61,131 depositors
nearly $3,000,000, 62 per cent of which was paid in divi-
dends between 1875 and 1883.
There has been a tendency for some Negro leaders to re-
gard the failure of the Freedman's Bank as a major catastro-
phe in the economic development of the Negro. According
to DuBois. —
Not even ten additional years of slavery could have done
so much to throttle the thrift of the Freedmen as the mis-
management and bankruptcy of the series of savings banks
chartered by the nation for their special aid.
Undoubtedly, the failure of the Freedmen's Bank caused
hardship for thousands of impoverished Negroes who had
only recently been released from slavery. Moreover, the
failure of the bank tended to discourage to some extent the
habits of thrift which it had fostered. But as Harris has
stated:
it seems to us that the effect of the failure of the bank was
not as psychologically disastrous as it was pictured by
(Negro leaders). If the setback to the Negro's economic
progress had been as profound as described by these lead-
ers, it is hardly likely that the Negro would have been found
organizing banks of his own in less than fifteen years after
the failure of the Freedmen's Bank.
Despite its failure, the Freedmen’s Bank apparently ssr-
ceeded in instilling into many Negroes the ideal of business
enterprise. The Bank gave training to Negroes as clerks and
bookkeepers and Negro businessmen and property holders
were associated with the branches of the Bank in Washing-
ton, D.C., Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia. It was such men
who formed the nucleus of the businessmen who became
the leaders in Negro banks and fraternal insurance
societies.
Prairie View AM Grad Promoted
Bennie R. Austin was recently :T
promoted to Controller for both!'1
tire Genetics and Carnation
Farms Divisions, according to j §
Clarke A. Nelson, vice presi-
dent, Carnation Company. He
maintains accounting records at
Carnation’s World Headquarters
in Los Angeles, California.
Austin joined Carnation Com-
pany in Los Angeles as a trainee
in September, 1965. He was pro-
moted to accountant in Febru-
ary, 1966 and named supervisor
in 1972 In December, 1972, he
b«r>nme Genetics Division Con-
troller.
A graduate of Prairie View
A&M, Prairie View, Texas, he
received his B.A. in business aV
ministration in August 1965. He
has also studied courses from
the Alexander Hamilton Insti-
tute.
Austin was raised in Atlanta.
Texas, where he matriculated
at Booker T. Washington High
School. His wife, Bobbie, is em-
The Tyler Leader
VOL. TWELVE NO. ELEVEN TYLER, TEXAS 75701 SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1974 -- SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1974
PRICE 15c
President Nixon Speaks
At Lincoln Memorial Event lLrice ApP?,ntec*
New Deputy Director
(The following are the remarks
of President Nixon at the wreath-
laying ceremony on the 165th
anniversary of Abraham Lin-
coln’s birth at the Lincoln Me-
morial in Washington, D.C.)
(Spl. to The Tyler Leader)
All of the distinguished guests
on the platform and ladies and
gentlemen and our guests who
are listening on radio and tel-
evision :
As I was reading about the
Lincoln Memorial before coming
down here this morning, I found
that of all the great historical
sites in the Washington area,
the Lincoln Memorial is visited
more often than any other by
far.
As a matter of fact, I have
learned, I will say to Mr. Walk-
er of the Park Service, that the
Memorial has been visited so
often and has received so much
wear and tear that it perhaps
is going to have some substant-
ial work done to build it back up
so that it can take all the traf-
fic.
The question that I would like
to address briefly this morning
on Lincoln’s birthday is why,
why is Lincoln, of all the Amer-
ican Presidents, more revered
not only in America but in the
world?
There are several reasons that
come to mind. He freed the
slaves. He saved the Union. He
died of an assassin’s bullet just
at the height of his career at
the end of the War Between the
States.
Then there are other factors
which come to mind: The Lin-
coln character which has been
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described in so many, many
hundreds of books, much better
than I can describe it, in a few
words, the humility, the humor,
the feeling and kindness for peo-
ple, but perhaps more than any-
thing else the strength, the poise
under pressure.
When we examine the Amer-
ican Presidents, it is quite clear
that no President in history has
been more vilified or was more
vilified during the time he was
President than Lincoln.
Those who knew him, his sec-
ertaries, have written that he
was very deeply hurt by what
was said about him and drawn
about him, but on the other
By Governor
Rev. Tompkins Feted
On 13th Anniversary
BENNIE & BOBBIE AUSTIN
ployed in Carnation’s Engineer-
ing Division, also at the food
concern’s Los Angeles headquar-
ters.
The Austins reside at 15301
Lemarsh Street, Sepulveda with
their two children, Ronetta, 12,
and Anthony, 13. Bennie’s hob-
bies are active and spectator
sports, bridge and reading.
The Thirteenth Anniversary
for Reverend L. C. Thompkins
will be held at the Greater Shi-
loh Baptist Church, April 14,
1974 at 2:30 p.m., 2515 West
Shaw Street, Tyler, Texas.
The program will be as fol:
lows:
Congregational Hymn - “What
A Fellowship”; Devotion - Bro-
thers J. Marshall and C Will-
iams; Welcome Address - Sister
V. Denmark; A_& B Selection -
Senior Choir; Reverend Thomp-
kins as A Pastor - Brother C.
W. Jackson; A & B Selection -
Senior Choir; Reverend Thomp-
kins As A Leader - Brother J.
Marshall. (Guest Churches will
be Mt. Calvary Baptist Church
ROCHESTER, N.Y., — Juanita
Williams, a graduate of Florida
A&M University and a chemist
in Eastman Kodak Company’s
Apparatus Division, uses analyt-
ical techniques to analyze ma-
terials in manufacturing.
Voters League
Holds Jefferson
Candidate Forum
JEFFERSON, Texas — The
Progressive Voters League of
Maron County sponsored a Can-
didate Forum Friday night,
March 29, 1974.
Among those present were
Judge (Looney Lindsey of Gilmer
who encouraged all persons to
vote.
Dr. R. D Douglas and Mr.
George Gamon encouraged all
people to vote. The music was
furnished by the Mt. Pleasant
Baptist Choir which was enjoy-
ed by all. Rev. A. L. Smith pres
ident of the League presided.
REV. L. C. THOMPKINS
Reverend M. Walker, Pastor;
New Hope Baptist Church, Rev-
erend Fleming, Pastor; True
Light Baptist Church, Reverend
T. H. Barefield, Pastor).
Presentation of Speaker - Rev-
erend M. Walker, Pastor, Mt.
Calvary Baptist Church; Sermon
- Reverend T. H. Barefield; Of-
fering - Brothers J. Marshall,
A. Lacy and C. W. Jackson;
Presentaton of Gifts - Sister M
L. Marshall; Remarks; Benedic-
tion.
Members of the Program Com-
mittee are Sister Maggie M.
Harvey, Sister Mamie Criss, and
Delores J. Armstrong.
Class Of 1943
Gives $1380 To
Band Drive Fund
The class of 1943 recently pre-
sented checks and pledges to the
College Band Fund Drive in the
amount of $1,380.
According to Jacob Boyer and
R. E. Oarreathers, co-chairmen
of the Local Committee, the
class of ’43 voted last October to
solicit $1,000 from members
who had not previously contrib-
uted to the uniform drive. A to-
tal of $430 was presented to LTC
Vernon Black, Chairman of the
Band Uniform Drive, and $950.00
in pledges.
Mr Leonard Wallace, Mrs.
Evelyn Jordon Hardiman, Mr.
Henry Warren and Mrs. Veda
Medlock are serving as collect-
ors for the West Coast. Mr. Boy-
er and Mr. Carreathers served
as local host and will collect for
the State of Texas. Mrs. Deb-
orah Bedford Frida served as
financial secretary.
hand, Lincoln had that great
strength of character never to
display it, always to stand tall
and strong and firm no matter
how harsh or unfair the criti-
cism might be.
These elements of greatness,
of course, inspire us all today.
The particular factor that I
would like to address, however,
is one that Mr. Whitaker has
alluded to in his gracious intro-
duction. It has to do with Lin-
coln’s vision about America’s
role in the world.
What we sometimes forget is
that Abraham Lincoln was a
world statesman at the time that
America was not a world power.
Here on these walls are inscrib-
ed many of his very familiar
usages. One from the second In-
augural comes to mind when
Lincoln said, “To do all that we
may to achieve and to cherish a
just and lasting peace among
ourselves and between all Na-
tions.” This is Lincoln 110 years
ago.
AUSTIN — Governor Dolph
Briscoe and Ben F. McDonald,
executive director of the Texas
Department of Community Af-
fairs, have jointly announced
the appointment of Sam Price
of Houston as the new Deputy
Director of Human Resources of
the Department of Community
Affairs.
Price is currently executive di-
rector of the Harris County Com-
munity Action Association.
The 52-year-old Price assumed
his new duties the middle of
March. He will coordinate the
work of the following TDCA di-
visions: the Texas Office of Ec-
onomic Opportunity, Office of
Early Childhood Development,
Drug Abuse, Public Employ-
ment Program, Public Service
j Careers, and Office of Youth
Opportunities.
Price is president of the Tex-
as Association of Community Ac-
tion Agencies, one of the most
active state OAA groups in the
nation, and the Action Commit-
tee of Community Workers, a
newly formed national organiza-
tion dedicated to the continuation
of the “community action con-
cept” at the national level.
Price is a graduate of Wheat-
ley High School in Houston and
Texas Southern University where
he received a B.S. degree in in-
dustrial education.
For nine years he was direct-
or of the Julia C. Hester House,
a United Fund settlement house
in Houston. When he first went
to work at Hester House, it was
the only settlement house for
blacks in Harris County and on-
ly one of two in the Southwest
In 1963, Price joined the Uni-
versity of Houston’s juvenile de-
linquency project that became
Houston for Action for Youth.
When that project merged with
the Houston-Harris County Eco-
nomic Opportunity organization
Minicomputer In Tyler
Students and teachers in Tyler
ISP will be among, the first of
their counterparts in East Tex-
as to have actual “hands-on”
experience for operation and in-
teraction with the computer as
an instructional tool.
This opportunity will be made
available through a project fund-
ed under Title III of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Educat-
ion Act through the Region VII
Education Service Center in Kil-
gore. From this initial site in
Tyler the computer will be mov-
ed to Longview High School,
Longview Independent School
District. It will be used to solve
physics problems and problems
in mathematics and science
courses Also students and tea-
chers will have an opportunity
to become familiar with the
computer and to gain insight in-
to its potential as an instruct-
ional tool.
In Tyler the equipment is lo-
cated at Robert E. Lee High
School. Prior to acquisition of
the computer, night classes
were conducted in Fortran and
Basic, both of which are com-
puter languages. Attendance in
these classes was voluntary.
However, it was compulsory for
those students who plan to use
the computer. Attendance has
been indicative of the enthus-
iasm of both teachers and stu-
dents in the project. Classes for
teachers are continuing during
the day in Fortran. These class-
es are conducted by Mrs Pat
Brannon of Region VII.
A minicomputer for the pro-
ject was obtained from Data
General Corporation. This com-
puter has 16K of memory as a
central processing unit in a
cabinet the size of a ham radio.
In addition a card input device,
a keyboard control device, two
cassette tape drives and a 50
line per minute printer is avail-
able. All of this equipment is
easily transported from school
to school.
Assisting with planning for the
projects beginning were Tyler
superintendent of schools Jim
Plyler; Dr. Dorothy Scott, di-
rector of secondary instruction
for the Tyler ISD and Callie
Smith,"superintendent of schools
of the Longview Independent
School of the Longview Inde-
pendent School District.
Hopefully through this project
the awareness of teachers and
students in Region VII will be
improved regarding the comput-
er as an instructional tool. Also,
students and teachers will have
an opportunity for first hand op-
eration of and interaction with
this powerful instrument for im-
proving learning.
John Tankersly
Is Back At PV
in 1967 to form Harris County
Community Action Association,
he was its assistant director. In
the new organization he also
served as deputy director, direc-
tor of operations, director of ad-
ministration, director of com-
munity relations and audit man-
ager becoming executive director
in 1970.
He has been active in the
Grand Jury Association, Hous-
ton Crime Commission, Gover-
nor’s Council on Human Relat-
ions, Texas Municipal League,
Region VI Office of Edonomic
Opportunity Task Force on the
Energy Crisis, Day Care Asso-
ciation and other statewide and
national organizations.
Price is married and has one
son.
Summer Driver
Education Course
Set For Tyler ISD
Enrollment application forms
are available for those students
who would like to take Driver
Education instructions during
the coming summer months. The
forms may be obtained at all
Tyler Independent School Dist-
rict junior and senior high
schools. Enrollment information
and assistance is also available
from the office of Driver Educa-
tion Coordinator, L. E Champ-
ion, at the Tyler I.S.D. Adminis-
tration Building, or by telephon-
ing 597-5511 Ext. 44.
Driver Education is one phase
of the Secondary Summer School
program of which Mr. Sam Bell
is principal. Any student who is
fifteen years old and has com-
pleted the ninth grade is eligible
to receive the instruction. There
is a laboratory fee payable at
the time of enrollment. Driver
Education is also provided dur-
ing the regular school year.
IN APPRECIATION
We are deeply grateful for the loving expressions
of sympathy during the loss of our loved one.
Signed:
The Landers and Rainey Family
HAWKINS — The name Janice
Carr rings a ip$ of bells at Jar-
vis Christian College, probably
because of her versatility. Dur-
ing her first, semester she earn-
ed honors with her studies, and
and also because the primary
-T->i~e of Jarvis College Audio
News. She has also had a suc-
cessful television news audition,
and she wears the title of “Miss
Freshman.” She is the daughter
ti a:' ’.e C r, H -4Cih Ave •
West, Birmingham, Mnbnma.
—JCC PI Photo
JOHN TANKERSLEY
John Tankersley returned to
his old position as baseball coach
here at PV this semester.
Tankerslev resigned his posit-
ion as athletic- director at Wiley
College where he joined the staff
in 1971. He is a graduate of Wi-
ley and a former football star
for the Wildcats. He holds the
master’s degree in administra-
tion from Prairie View.
He also has several years high
school coaching experience in
Dallas and Houston.
Last Rites For
Rev. C. Spigner
Funeral services for Reverend
Calvin Spigner were held Wed-
nesday, April 3, 1974 at Greater
St. Mary’s Baptist Church, Ty-
ler, Texas, with Reverend C. Wil’
liams, pastor, officiating.
Reverend Calvin Spigner was
the ninth child born to Mack and
Lou Annie Spigner of Pickton,
Hopkins County, Texas, June 15,
1907.
He joined St. Mark Baptist
Church at an early age. He at-
tended elementary school at
Pickton, Texas and received his
high schol degree at Butler Col-
lege of Tyler, Texas. He receiv-
ed his Bachelor of Arts degree
from Texas College, Tyler, Texas
and taught school for several
years. Later, he moved to Tyler
and joined St. Mary Baptist
Church and was ordained a dea-
con. Later he entered the Min-
istry and pa stored New Zion
Baptist Church, St. John Bapt-
ist Church of Kilgore, Texas;
Powell Chapel Baptist Church,
where he served until his health
failed him.
He was a member of North
Tyler Lodge No. 306 and the
American Woodmen
He was united in Holy Wedlock
to Lucille Williams.
He leaves to mourn his pass-
ing, a devoted wife, Mrs. Lucille
Spigner of Tyler; one son, Joyce
Lee Spigner; a mother, Lou Ann-
ie Spigner of Pickton, Texas;
five grandohildrne, Joyce Lee
Jr., John Calvin, Kenneth Way-
ne, Thela Michael and Mical
Spigner; five brothers, Buren
Spigner of Longview; Kermie
Spigner of Los Angeles, Californ-
ia; Genora Spigner and Sulton
Spigner of Pickton; and Nathan-
iel Spigner of Dallas; five sisters,
Mrs. Winnie Henry of Terrell;
Mrs. Mary Ella Berry of Pick-
ton; Mrs. Bobbie Moss and Mrs.
Mozell Wiliams of Dallas, and
Mrs. Willie Nichols of Ft Worth;
a host of nieces, nephews, oth-
er relatives and friends.
Pallbearers were, Joris Spig-
ner, Michael S. Spigner, Thomas
Spigner, Kenneth D. Snigner,
John Calvin Spigner and Thomas
Spigner, and Ellis Davis Jr.
Honorary pallbearers were,
Master Masons.
f>a^pcirte ri+es were by North
T’der Lodge No. 306.
Slower bearers were: Eastern
q+ars Heroines of Jericho, and
Frierds
Trt+ai-rnen+ was in St. Mark
f’pmptpr.v, PrtVton, Texas.
Brooks - Sterling Funeral Di-
rectors of Tyler, Texas were in
charge of arrangements.
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Wilkinson, S. F. The Tyler Leader (Tyler, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 11, Ed. 1 Saturday, April 6, 1974, newspaper, April 6, 1974; Tyler, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth885150/m1/1/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Smith County Historical Society.