Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1978 The eC remonial Speaking of Benjamin Elijah Mays: Spokesman for Social Change, 1954-1975. Doris Levy Gavins Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Gavins, Doris Levy, "The eC remonial Speaking of Benjamin Elijah Mays: Spokesman for Social Change, 1954-1975." (1978). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3281. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3281 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. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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ANN ARBOR, Ml 48106 18 BEDFORD ROW. LONDON WC1 R 4EJ, ENGLAND Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 7911569 GAVINS, DORIS LEVY THE CEREMONIAL SPEAKING OF BENJAMIN ELIJAH MAYS: SPOKESMAN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, 1954-1975. THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COL., PH .D ., 1978 University M icrofilm s International 3o o n z t t B h o a u , a n n a r b o r , m i 4bio6 © 1979 DORIS LEVY GAVINS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE CEREMONIAL SPEAKING OF BENJAMIN ELIJAH MAYS: SPOKESMAN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE, 1954-1975 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 Doris Levy Gavins B.A., Dillard University, 1950 M.A., Louisiana State University, 1959 December, 1978 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. Waldo W. Braden for his generous guidance and steadfast confidence throughout this study. In addition, gratitude is extended to committee members Dr. Clinton Bradford, Dr. Fabian Gudas, Dr. Harold Mixon, and Dr. Steven Renshaw for their valuable advice. Appreciation is also expressed to Dr. Owen Peterson for being available. Further acknowledgments are made to Dr. Benjamin E. Mays for his cooperation, and to Mr. Nathaniel Veale, Director of Alumni Affairs at Morehouse College, for his valuable assistance. The author wishes to acknowledge typists, Mrs. Elma Crossley and Mrs. Vivian Bergamo, and proofreader Dr. Willene P. Taylor. Finally, the writer is extremely grateful to her mother, Mrs. Hazel L. Preston, for her support and unwavering confidence, and to her son, Gregory Andrew Gavins, for his continued reassurance. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................. v INTRODUCTION ......................................... vii Chapter I. THE SPEAKER .................................. 1 Influences ................................. 2 Social Conditions in Education ............. 4 Education .................................. 7 Speech Training ............ 17 Sources of Ideas and Preparation ........... 24 Rhetorical Theory .......................... 26 Delivery and Style ......................... 28 II. PROFESSIONAL CAREER AND SOCIAL SETTING ...................................... 37 Morehouse College: As Teacher.......... 37 Shiloh Baptist Church ...................... 38 South Carolina State College ............... 39 Tampa Urban League ......................... 40 Y.M.C.A..................................... 42 Howard University .......................... 44 Morehouse College As President ............. 45 Atlanta Board of Education ................. 49 III. COMMENCEMENT ADDRESSES ....................... 57 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. IV. EULOGY ..................................... 123 Martin Luther King, Jr..................... 132 Whitney M. Young,. Jr...................... 151 Emory 0. Jackson ......................... 160 Summary .................................. 172 V. CONCLUSION ................................. 174 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................... 186 APPENDICES A. BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY ...................... 192 B. SPEECHES ................................... 201 VITA ............................................... 288 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Benjamin Elijah Mays (1894- ), President of More­ house College from 1940 to 1967, active civil rights advocate, and member of the Atlanta School Board since 1969, helped in focusing attention on the need for im­ plementing social change in the structure of American society. Initially Mays spoke from the church pulpit but as his popularity as a public speaker increased in the Fifties and Sixties, he spoke at many colleges and uni­ versities to advance his plea for social change. Hence, this study reports, describes and evaluates the ceremonial speaking of Mays from 1954 to 1975. It focuses specif­ ically upon six commencement addresses and three eulogies. Serving as a background for the analysis of Mays speaking, chapters include information about his early family life, his education, his speech training, and his professional career. The rhetorical analysis of the nine selected speeches takes into account the speaker, his speech, his audience, and the occasion. Finally, an appraisal is made of the man and his effectiveness as a ceremonial speaker. Mays was always eager to give an address so that he v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. could dramatize the plight of the needy and subsequently set into motion his pleas for social change. In his speeches he attempted to discuss the major social problems in the United States. Mays pled for peace among nations, aid for the impoverished, harmony between races, and justice for the oppressed. In the same way Mays was responsive in accepting speaking engagements, his early speech training disciplined him to be equally as earnest in the preparation and delivery of his speeches. His ministerial training pre­ pared him to speak to diverse listeners. Mays preferred a formal speech structure to assure clarity of ideas; and he appealed mainly to self-esteem, ethnocentrism, and fair play to achieve his goals. These appeals to the conscience resulted in a speaking popularity desired by many black speakers. Mays was effective in speaking to audiences on sensi­ tive social issues at a time when discussion created bitter opposition. In short, Mays was popular because of his ability to identify with his cause and because of his experience and authority in dealing truthfully and unselfishly with the prevailing social issues of the day. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INTRODUCTION \ Benjamin E. Mays, retired president of Morehouse College of Atlanta, Georgia, has becomed recognized as a significant spokesman for the black community. He has spoken often and has written much about the problems of integration and equal rights. His long and distinguished speaking career deserves study and analysis.^