TILLOTSON NORMAL AND COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE.
PRES. WM. E. BROOKS.
Tillotson Normal and Collegiate Institute? (See opposite page.) Where is it? What is it? When opened? How welcomed? What is its present outlook, and what are its needs?
Tillotson Institute is situated just outside the limits of the city of Austin, Texas, upon a fine elevation, commanding on the east and south a beautiful and far-reaching view of the valley and of the shimmering waters of the Colorado. On the west is the city of Austin, with its spires and busy streets, and from the upper part of the building, looking northward, appear the far-extending prairies, so familiar in Texas, while, almost encircling the whole, rise hills and mountains, making this a most beautiful and picturesque spot, and of all others fitted for an institution of learning, where the student, while treasuring up knowledge, may have before him that which shall awaken a sense of the beautiful and the grand, leading him from nature to nature’s God. In these points Tillotson has few rivals.
As to its material, it is a large brick building with stone trimmings, 104 feet in length, 42 feet in depth, and five stories high. It has a dining hall, a beautiful and airy school-room about 37×48; three large recitation rooms, with other smaller ones, which are probably the most complete in their appointment of blackboards, maps and desks of any in the State. No one who has visited the Institution has been heard to question this. It may be added, also, that the building, as it now stands, is the gift of friends living in the East and West for the education of the colored youth of Texas.
Owing to delays in completing the building, the opening of the school was deferred from October, 1880, till January 17th, 1881.
Our numbers at the beginning were small, but have been steadily increasing, till now, in the Institute proper, we have over sixty students, with a good prospect that this number will be increased to at least a hundred before the close of the year. We have a large class in algebra, a still larger class in complete arithmetic, comprehensive geography and United States history, as also some ten or twelve in Latin and an equally large number in English composition. All of these are doing finely in everything but Latin—only fair in this.
The question as to the spirit of the people will excite interest in the minds of many. The “Fool’s Errand” and “Bricks Without Straw” have prepared some for a doleful statement on this point. I am glad to disappoint them, and in contrast to the above, I rejoice to bear witness to the kindly and even cordial manner with which we have been received. Thus far not one rebuff from the Governor down. The people are not only kindly disposed, but are pleased with the work carried on; they do not all have equal faith, but nearly or quite all acknowledge that it is a work that should be done, that the colored people must be educated. The State is doing something in this line now—not for us, we have not asked for anything—and is bound to do more. I venture the statement that in ten years, no other State in the Union will, in proportion to the number of her people and area, do so much for the instruction of the young as Texas. Many are coming to see eye to eye and stand foot to foot on this question of universal education.
The completion of the building and fencing the grounds, which is an absolute necessity, with the cost of furnishing, call for at least $2,000 more. This should be provided at once; then land is needed; thousands of colored youth in Texas greatly desire an education; they are worthy, but poor. Yet their highest good requires that they pay for their education. And, since this is not possible in many cases, some means should be provided by which they can. The most practical way is to have land which they can work.
The result would be advantageous in two ways: First, it would enable them to maintain their self-respect; they would feel that they were not receiving bounty, but were paying their way; this would make them more manly. Second, it would be a practical school where they would be taught the best methods of agriculture; this would be a priceless benefit to them.
But the Institution owns no land save the spot upon which the building stands. There are, however, some 450 acres of the first quality joining the Institution grounds for sale. True, since close to the city it is dear; but when once bought and paid for, these acres become a bank that will never fail, and always pay good dividends. It would be a wise and noble act for some one to buy this land and present it to the Institution; with it the possibilities of Tillotson Institute would be greatly magnified.
Who will purchase the farm, and giving it his own name, present it to the youngest child of the A. M. A.?
Finally, we are all more than pleased with the field and its work. It exceeds even our expectations; the climate is delightful, the location unsurpassed, the present inspiring, and the future radiant with hope.
It gives us pleasure to announce the safe arrival of Rev. Henry M. Ladd and Rev. Kelly M. Kemp, with his wife, at Freetown, Sierra Leone, March 23d, after a favorable and altogether agreeable passage from Liverpool. They were cordially welcomed on their arrival by the missionaries at that point on the coast.
The Memphis Appeal declares that there can be no excuse for allowing the work for the colored people at the LeMoyne Institute of that city to be sustained entirely by the friends of the A. M. A. North. It suggests also that the citizens of Memphis provide the improved facilities needful for the best development of the work of this eminently worthy Institution.
We heartily congratulate Berea College on its successful efforts during the past winter in securing a partial endowment. A few individuals in six different States recently joined in an effort to secure for it a fund of $50,000.
The movement was started by a Western Massachusetts man who subscribed $5,000, to which he afterwards added $1,666. Mrs. Valeria G. Stone, of Malden, Mass., gave $10,000. One friend in New York gave $7,500, and another $2,500. Three friends in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois, gave $5,000 each. The balance was made up in smaller sums.
This college—the first founded by the A. M. A.—is doing a noble work, educating about an equal number of blacks and whites. It richly deserves all that has been done for it.
We are thankful to our friends and patrons for their hearty support of our work as shown in the increase of our current receipts by $20,087 over those of the corresponding seven months of last year. Encouraging as this is, the increase is not sufficient to enable us to accomplish what we had planned to do, and close our year free from debt, September 30th.
At the beginning of our fiscal year we called for an increase of 25 per cent. over the receipts of last year for current work. Our receipts have increased 19 per cent. to April 30th. At this rate we shall fall $10,700 short of the amount required to meet all payments. We make an earnest appeal now, for we wish our friends to know our situation, and to prevent a threatened debt. We already feel the pressure, for our workers are calling for the salaries due them, and they will need their money to bring them North for rest and change after the severe labors of the year.