The Muse Newsletter of the Slater Memorial Museum Winter 2009 John Fox Slater: An American Legacy appointed to create school districts, had increased By Vivian F. Zoë the number of teachers and schools. The town’s leadership was dedicated to the goal of American Industrialist establishing a classical program. In 1770 they formed an association, which improved their In 2009, the National Association for the resources, making it possible to erect a large brick Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will schoolhouse and to recruit more qualified teachers. mark 100 years since its founding: to recognize the centennial, the Norwich Chapter will honor the life Through a 1776 bequest from Isaac Coit, the and work of John Fox Slater. John F. Slater (1815- proponents of education in Plainfield organized 1884) was the son of John Slater, Samuel Slater’s a classical department in 1778. Because coastal brother and partner. Samuel is broadly recognized towns were subject to British invasion, colleges as the man who brought the Industrial Revolution to and academies had been generally suspended the U.S. by creating the first American textile mill during the Revolutionary War. However, the more th in the 18 century. He developed several mills and remote and inland, Plainfield offered a safe refuge. “Mill Villages” in Rhode Island and his nephew, Many promising boys from affluent families in the John Fox Slater, helped to bring that industry west immediate region, as well as students from distant to Norwich and Jewett City. states, were sent to Plainfield Academy where they boarded with local families. John F. Slater, born in Slatersville, Rhode Island, was educated in Plainfield, Connecticut and later, In 1825 a new handsome stone building replaced at Wilbraham Academy in Massachusetts. The the first academy building. Attendance for many first recorded public provision for the Plainfield, years held at about a hundred students of whom Connecticut, nearly one-half pursued classical studies. In schools was later years, attendance diminished as a direct made in result of the institution of new high schools 1707, and in in adjoining towns, including Norwich Free 1722, the first Academy. Plainfield’s attendance in 1845 was schoolhouse about 75: by 1860, after NFA’s founding in 1854, was built. Plainfield’s attendance had dropped to about 50. By 1766 a committee, Wilbraham & Monson Academy was established John F. Slater by the merger of two early nineteenth-century (1815-1884), academies: Monson Academy, founded in 1804, in Alexander Monson, Massachusetts, and Wesleyan Academy, Emmons, n.d. (Continued on page 3) A Message from the Director With Winter truly upon us and the holidays breathing their rushed winds, the Slater is as busy as ever. Our McCloy Exhibition and Sale has been immensely successful, but because he was so prolific and generous, there is still a chance to find just the right piece for your wall or that special gift. As we hurtle toward 2009, the Slater has been asked to help the NAACP celebrate its centennial with an exhibition of artwork inspired by the life and work of John Fox Slater. We consider this both a great honor and an opportunity to learn more about the man ourselves. This lead to my ruminations on what might have driven the elder Slater to make a gift of $1 million in 1882, just two years before his death to ensure the education of Black students for generations to come. It’s been a pleasure to investigate this fascinating topic. I hope you enjoy the result. I wish you the best in the coming year. Upcoming Exhibitions, Programs and Events January 16 - January 30, 2009 John Fox Slater and Historical Black Colleges: Giving for Reception: January 16 Equity - an exhibition of artwork and research by area high 2:00 - 4:00 pm school students. Dr. Lenwood G. Davis, Winston-Salem State University (ret.) will speak and sign his books, including I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Martin Luther King, Jr. Presented in conjunction with the Norwich Chapter of the NAACP. Sunday, February 22, 2009 65th Annual Connecticut Artist Juried Exhibition Opening Reception: 1:00 - 3:00 pm Reception and Award Ceremony Awards: 2:00 pm The Muse is published up to four times yearly for the members of The Friends of the Slater Memorial Museum. The museum is located at 108 Crescent Street, Norwich, CT 06360. It is part of The Norwich Free Academy, 305 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360. Museum main telephone number: (860) 887-2506. Visit us on the web at www.slatermuseum.org. Museum Director – Vivian F. Zoë Newsletter editor – Geoff Serra Contributing authors: Vivian Zoë, Leigh Smead and Patricia Flahive Photographers: Leigh Smead, Vivian Zoë The president of the Friends of the Slater Memorial Museum: Patricia Flahive The Norwich Free Academy Board of Trustees: Steven L. Bokoff ’72, Chair Jeremy D. Booty ‘74 Richard DesRoches * Abby I. Dolliver ‘71 Lee-Ann Gomes ‘82, Treasurer Thomas M. Griffin ‘70, Secretary Thomas Hammond ‘75 Theodore N. Phillips ’74 Robert A. Staley ’68 Dr. Mark E. Tramontozzi ’76 David A. Whitehead ’78, Vice Chair *Museum collections committee The Norwich Free Academy does not discriminate in its educational programs, services or employment on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, color, handicapping condition, age, marital status or sexual orientation. This is in accordance with Title VI, Title VII, Title IX and other civil rights or discrimination issues; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. 2 (Continued from page 1) John Fox Slater died in Norwich in May 1884, at a time when NFA had on its “campus” only one building – its original. William presented Slater Memorial Hall to the Academy to memorialize his father. In 1882 John Fox Slater incorporated the John F. Slater Fund with $1,000,000 of his own money, for “the uplifting of the lately emancipated population of the Southern states, and their posterity, by conferring on them the benefits of Christian education.” The original trustees of the Slater Fund included William A. Slater Wilbraham Academy in the 19th century, courtesy of and Rutherford B. Hayes, who had recently completed Wilbraham & Monson Academy his service as U.S. President. Hayes had vetoed bills founded in 1817, in New Market, New Hampshire. repealing civil rights enforcement four times before Wesleyan Academy moved to Wilbraham in 1825, finally signing one that satisfied his requirement for and became Wilbraham Academy in 1912. Wilbraham black civil rights for former slaves and free African Academy and Monson Academy merged in 1971. Americans. Wesleyan Academy was the first coeducational boarding school in the country, and in 1847 Monson Academy Also recruited to serve on the Fund’s board were became the first American school to enroll Chinese Lyme, Connecticut, Native and Chief Justice of the U. students. Soon afterward, students from Thailand began S. Supreme Court, Morrison R. Waite, and Hartford to attend Wilbraham Academy. Alumni Memorial Chapel Native, William E. Dodge, a founder of Phelps, Dodge & on Wilbraham’s campus was part of the Underground Company. Phelps, Dodge initially operated an import- Railroad, and the Academy began to enroll students of export trade business shipping American-grown cotton color before the Civil War. to England in exchange for minerals but later became a powerhouse mining company. Mr. Slater. no doubt, After graduation from Wilbraham, at seventeen John had become acquainted with Dodge as a result of his F. Slater entered the family business in Hopeville, company’s use of shipping and its connection to cotton Connecticut, taking charge in 1836. Like his father and production in the South. Mr. Slater’s company, J & W. th Uncle, he owned textile mills in partnership with his Slater, throughout the 19 century had been brokering brother, William S. Slater. In 1873, his brother took over the shipment of cotton from the South to the North and, the Slatersville Mills, and he assumed sole ownership of presumably, to England. When Dodge died, his son, the mills at Jewett City. William E. Dodge, Jr., took his place and they were both succeeded on the board by Dodge’s grandson Cleveland American Philanthropist H. Dodge. Like Dodge, another abolitionist and member In 1842 John Fox Slater moved to Norwich and helped of the board was Episcopal Priest Phillips Brooks, a to endow and found the Norwich Free Academy (NFA). great-great grandson of Perhaps this philanthropy was spurred by fond memories the founder of Phillips of his days at Wilbraham or by enlightened self-interest. Andover Academy. His son, William Albert Slater (1857-1919), who was Also joining the board barely a toddler when NFA opened its doors, would was Norwich native soon need a fine education. Indeed, William would go Daniel C. Gilman, who from NFA to Harvard in 1873. in 1875 became the first president of Johns It is also interesting to note that like John F. Slater’s Hopkins University. alma mater, Wilbraham Academy, in the 1870’s through Morris K. Jesup, a self- 1881, NFA was host to Chinese Students through the made man who took an Qing Dynasty’s Chinese Educational Mission led by active interest in the Yale-educated Yung Wing. It was during these years that welfare of young men John Fox Slater, having relinquished the management of Rutherford B. Hayes his mills to son William, may have formulated his ideas (1822 - 1893) about a philanthropic legacy. 3 and contributed generously to Williams College and other institutions serving youth, added to the board roster. Through prudent investment, by 1909 the fund had increased to more than $1,500,000, despite issuing disbursements.