Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1974 The egN ro and His Education: Persuasive Strategies of Selected Speeches at the Conference for Education in the South, 1898-1914. Barbara Hulbert Walsh Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Walsh, Barbara Hulbert, "The eN gro and His Education: Persuasive Strategies of Selected Speeches at the Conference for Education in the South, 1898-1914." (1974). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2769. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2769 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. 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THE NEGRO AND HIS EDUCATION: PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES OF SELECTED SPEECHES AT THE CONFERENCE FOR EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH, 1898-1914 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech by Barbara Hulbert Walsh B.A., Stetson University, 1962 M.A., Louisiana State University, 1965 December, 1974 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express her warm appreciation to Dr. Waldo W. Braden who seems always to have time for his students and faith in their ability. She also wants to acknowledge the other members of the committee, Drs. Beryl Noggle, Clinton Bradford, Francine Merritt, and Harold Mixon. Finally, her husband, Jim, provided valuable assistance and her children, Louis Drake and James Andrew, and mother-in-law, Bernice, sacrificed beyond measure. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................. ii ABSTRACT ....................... v Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .............................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ................. 7 The Limitations of this Study....................... 8 Importance of the Conference to Southern Education . 9 Authenticity of Speech Texts .......................... 11 Contributory Studies ................................... 13 Organization of the Study. ....................... IS II. THE SOUTH AND THE NEGRO IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY . 17 The South in the Late Nineteenth C e n t u r y .......... 18 Education in the Late Nineteenth Century South .... 23 The Negro in the Late Nineteenth— Early Twentieth Century.......... 36 C o n c l u s i o n ............................ 45 III. THE CONFERENCES........................................ 46 The First Conference, Capon Springs, West Virginia, 1898 .................................................. 47 The Second Conference, Capon Springs, West Virginia, 1899 .................................................. 52 The Third Conference, Capon Springs, West Virginia, 1900 .................................................. 57 The Fourth Conference, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 190 1 ............................................. 59 The Fifth Conference, Athens, Georgia, 1902 ........... 68 The Sixth Conference, Richmond, Virginia, 1903 .... 74 The Seventh Conference, Birmingham, Alabama, 1904. 78 The Eighth Conference, Columbia, South Caroline, 1905. 82 The Ninth Conference, Lexington, Kentucky, 1906. 86 The Tenth Conference, Pinehurst, North Carolina, 1907. 89 The Eleventh Conference, Memphis, Tennessee, 1908. 90 The Twelfth Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, 1909 .... 92 r iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter Page The Last Conferences--Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, and Seventeen .............................. 95 Conclusions................... 97 IV. THE S P E A K E R S ............................................. 99 Robert C. Ogden (1836-1913)....................... 100 Edwin A. Alderman (1861-1931).......................... 106 William H. Baldwin, Jr. (1863-1905).................... 113 J. L. M. Curry (1825-1903)....................... 119 Walter Bernard Hill (1851-1905)........................ 124 Walter Hines Page (1855-1918).......................... 127 Conclusions................................................ 132 V. SELECTED CONFERENCE THEMES OF PREVAILING ATTITUDES: THE WEAKNESSES AND THE EDUCATION OF BLACKS ..............134 Differences between the Races.............................135 The Inferiority of the N e g r o ............. 141 Morally...................................................142 Spiritually..................... 146 S o c i a l l y .............................. 148 Politically.............................................. 151 Economically............................................ 154 Intellectually ....................................... 158 The Best Solution— Negro Education ...................... 161 Conclusions................................................ 172 VI. THE RHETORIC OF THE M O V E M E N T ............................... 174 Extrinsic Factors of Persuasion...........................176 Intrinsic Factors of Persuasion...........................187 Conclusions................................................ 195 VII. CONCLUSIONS.................................................. 197 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................. 205 VITA ................................................................. 210 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT The Conference for Education in the South (1898-1914) was begun by southern religious leaders and educators committed to improving education in the economically depressed southern region. Its annual meetings, held in various southern cities, became forums for educators, politicians, publishers, and philanthropists, from the North and the South. It grew from quiet gatherings of thirty-five to more than two thousand participants. Convention speeches were devoted to various educational topics including compulsory school attendance, agricultural and vocational training, finances for instruction, and education for women and blacks. This study reports, analyzes, and evaluates selected speeches on Negro education delivered to the Conference for Education in the South on the basis of what they contributed to harmony and to fostering reconciliation between the North and the South. Robert Curtis Ogden, elected president at the third meeting, chaired the conventions for nearly fifteen years. He encouraged support for the organization by his natural charm and enthusiasm