LOTTIE H. WATKINS by K. Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 1 GEORGIA GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTATION PROJECT ATLANTA WOMEN IN PUBLIC LIFE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND SOUTHERN ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL NARRATOR: LOTTIE HEYWOOD WATKINS INTERVIEWER: KATHRYN L. NASSTROM DATE: JUNE 25, 1992 NASSTROM: This is Kathy Nasstrom interviewing Lottie Watkins for the Southern Oral History Program and the Georgia Government Documentation Project on June 25, 1992. I would like to start with some biographical'information. You are an Atlanta native; is that right? WATKINS: Yes. NASSTROM: You were born and raised here? WATKINS: Yes. NASSTROM: And what year were you born? WATKINS: 1919. NASSTROM: And what part of the city were you born in? WATKINS: I was born in the city of Atlanta. NASSTROM: In what part of the city? WATKINS: You call it the "West Side" of Atlanta. NASSTROM: And were your parents both natives of Atlanta, or did they move to this area? Interview number G-0088 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. WATKINS/Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 2 WATKINS: My mother was a native Atlantan, my father was born in Sumter, South Carolina. NASSTROM: And when did that relocation to Atlanta take place for him? WATKINS: Well, I can't answer that. I really don't know. NASSTROM: You don't recall that? WATKINS: No, I never heard him say. NASSTROM: Okay, when you were growing up, do you remember learning very much about your parents' background? WATKINS: There were five of us. My mother was a housewife. My father was a musician; and his father was a Baptist minister. So when my mother met my father, he was a pianist. My father was a musician at a theater on Decatur Street in Atlanta called the "81 Theater". Those were the vaudeville days when people would come and be on stage. Well, not exactly like the Rockettes but — on the stage... NASSTROM: And did he work as a musician during your entire growing-up years? WATKINS: Yes, my father was a musician my entire life of growing up, and he taught my brother how to play. NASSTROM: And "what kind of — you mentioned your mother was a housewife, so she did not work outside the home at all, as you recall? WATKINS: No, because there were five of us. And she had to take care of us. Sometimes my father had to travel and go to Interview number G-0088 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. WATKINS/Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 3 other cities, so Mama was always there to take care of her children. NASSTROM: Right. WATKINS: She didn't do too much traveling, and when she did go, she would leave us with her aunt. The aunt would come into the home and keep us. NASSTROM: And did your father play locally, and did you ever go hear him when you were growing up? WATKINS: Yes, my father was a pianist. NASSTROM: What were some of the locations he would play in around town? WATKINS: There was a club in the Odd Fellows Building during those days — I don't remember the name. But I know my father played at the 81 Theater on Decatur Street. This was where the Negroes always went. NASSTROM: Did you start going to those shows at any time growing up? WATKINS: I would go sometimes. NASSTROM: What did you think about seeing him doing that? WATKINS: Oh, I thought he was great. He was just wonderful! NASSTROM: So your brother, whose name was Eddie Heywood— WATKINS: Eddie. NASSTROM: Did he follow in your father's steps as a musician? WATKINS: Followed in my father's footsteps. Interview number G-0088 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. WATKINS/Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 4 NASSTROM: Did he become more nationally known than your father was? WATKINS: Well, yes. Now, my daddy went to Boston Conservatory; but during this time, he could only play in black vaudeville shows. But when my brother came along, my father taught him, and things were better for blacks. When my father was on the road, my brother would play at the 81 Theater. NASSTROM: So when your father was gone, your brother filled in for your dad? WATKINS: Yes. NASSTROM: — His regular job. What was your father's name? WATKINS: Eddie Heywood. NASSTROM: Eddie Heywood, as well; and then your mother's name was? WATKINS: Susie. NASSTROM: Susie. What did your other brothers and sisters go on to do? WATKINS: My younger brother has a beauty supply company in New York. My older sister moved to New York and raised her family there. My other sister and her husband had a beauty supply company in Detroit. So nobody was really home but me when everybody got grown — and my mother. NASSTROM: Were you the youngest? WATKINS: No, I had a brother under me, Archie; he's the one who has the beauty supply company in New York. Interview number G-0088 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. WATKINS/Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 5 NASSTROM: I am interested, too, in your educational background. You attended Booker T. Washington— WATKINS: Booker T. Washington High School. NASSTROM: And what elementary school did you attend? WATKINS: E. A. Ware. NASSTROM: E. A. Ware? WATKINS: —Elementary School. It is right across the street from Morris Brown College. In fact, it's a part of Morris Brown College now because they purchased the school from the Board of Education. NASSTROM: Was C. L. Harper the principal at Booker T. Washington when you attended there? WATKINS: No, the principal then was C. L. Cornell. Mr. Harper was the first principal. NASSTROM: Okay, so you came after— WATKINS: —after Mr. Harper. NASSTROM: What are your recollections about attending Booker T. Washington High School? WATKINS: At Booker T. Washington High School, I was recommended to be in an accelerated class because I had a high average when I left elementary school. So instead of finishing Booker T. Washington High School in six years, my class finished in five years — because we were the accelerated class. NASSTROM: So you were with a whole group of people who were going through at an accelerated pace? WATKINS: Yes, yes. There were a lot of us and we Interview number G-0088 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. WATKINS/Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 6 finished a year ahead of ourselves; we finished in five years. We took more courses. NASSTROM: And what year did you finish Booker T. Washington? WATKINS: 1935. NASSTROM: Okay. And then at that point, is that when you went on to Reid's Business School? WATKINS: Yes. NASSTROM: And when did you choose that as your next step? WATKINS: Well, I told my mother that I wanted to go to a business school. I had applied to Spelman College but changed my mind. My mother asked me, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" And I told her yes. I went on to complete the courses at Reid's Business School and got a degree; then I worked over in the Bursar's Office at Morehouse College. During that time, I got married but continued to work there awhile. After that, I went to work for Alexander-Calloway over on Auburn Avenue. That was my next job. I lef there and went across the street and started working at Mutual Federal Savings and Loan Association. I was a bank teller. Eventually, I decided I wanted to go into business for myself. So I took that bold step out into the water and opened my own office, which was about half the size of this room. The address was 774 Hunter Street — just one room and a toilet. I put in a partition there to give me a little privacy, to make a small office area where I could talk with my tenants. I decided that I wanted Interview number G-0088 in the Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) at The Southern Historical Collection, The Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library, UNC-Chapel Hill. WATKINS/Nasstrom Interview 6/25/92 Page 7 to specialize in property management — rent collection — because I didn't want to be out at night. My civic work helped me to become known to everybody, so if they bought any property or built any units, they would call on me. NASSTROM: You started your business in August of 1960; is that right? WATKINS: September. NASSTROM: September of 1960. WATKINS: Was it August? I started in August, but I didn't go into business until September. You know you have to get it together. So I opened the doors of my office in September. I was hitting and missing, trying to do a little something there and still holding onto the job. It just didn't work. NASSTROM: Trying to hold onto your job as a bank teller— WATKINS: Yes— NASSTROM: —At the same time. WATKINS: It didn't work. Leaving the bank and going over to my office and trying to do things — especially having a one-woman business.