Palmer Memorial Institute
This insf it ill ion of «‘«lucation for 14'eg'roes
is located ten miles east of Greensboro and.
for many years, has done an outstanding
piece off work.
THE progressive Palmer Me¬
morial Institute, which is
spreading culture and reducing
illiteracy in North Carolina, has
its roots deep in the soil of North
Carolina, and has been an integral
part of the community of Sedalia
for almost a half century.
The institute has become a
school of national scope and, like
most of the other educational in¬
stitutions of the state, draws its
student body from all over the
country. At an earlier period in
its history, before the public school
system in North Carolina had
reached the present high standard
of existence, more than three-
fourths of the total enrollment
were children from Guilford and
a few adjoining counties in the
grammar grades and in the high
school department.
Л
Great Contribution
It was only after that service
to the community and state was
no longer acutely needed that
Palmer began to concentrate on
its present program of higher edu¬
cation. As a consequence, the con¬
tribution made by this institution
in the community and South can¬
not be estimated in terms of
money. The school is still of grow¬
ing and vital importance for the
service it renders.
The aim of the school is to aid
Negro students mentally, morally,
socially, physically, and so its pro¬
gram is very broad. The objec¬
tives of the institution are to give
standard academic work of high
school level, combined with college
preparatory training, that will en¬
able graduates to enter college in
the North or South. The school
also offers cultural training in
drama, art, and music. In the lat¬
ter department the Sedalia Sing¬
ers have made known their school
throughout a large section of the
United States, and have been re¬
ceived by large and enthusiastic
audiences from year to year.
Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown,
founder and president of Palmer
Memorial Institute, near Greens¬
boro. is one of the outstanding
women of the South. Encouraged
e
By HA It ICY Z. TUCKER
and supported by prominent busi¬
ness. professional and educational
leaders in this and other areas,
among them the late Dr. Charles
D. Mclver. first president of Wo¬
man’s College, the president of the
Greater University of North Caro¬
lina. and a long list of successive
governors of the state. Dr. Brown
created the Sedalia school out of a
dilapidated church and log cabin.
The plant now contains some fine,
substantial school buildings.
The Life of Dr. Brown
Dr. Brown's life is an interesting
one. and recalls the story that ul¬
timately brought about the found¬
ing of Palmer Institute.
On June 1. 1883, she was born
in Henderson, North Carolina, the
home of her mother, and before
that of her grandmother, a former
slave of the prominent Hawkins
family. Later on the family moved
North, where Charlotte received
her education in the best white
schools.
One spring day on the streets
of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Charlotte was wheeling a baby
JIM BUILT A TABERNACLE
We have had many com¬
ments concerning the article
which appeared in last week’s
issue of “The State." telling of
the splendid work which Mr.
Jim Bullard had done in com¬
pleting the construction of a
tabernacle a I
ш о
s t single-
handed at Roseboro.
However, we made one mis¬
take in the article. In the
subhead, we said that “he's a
colored man." Of course the
completion of such a fine piece
of work would be a credit to
the member of any race, but
Mr. Bullard is a white man.
not colored, as we stated in
error.
carriage and reading a Latin book.
She was a senior in the English
High School of that city and was
working during spare time to earn
money to purchase things for her
graduation.
Along came Mrs. Alice Freeman
Palmer, who was attracted to the
girl and her perusal of Virgil's
Aeneid. She stopped Charlotte and
questioned her in regard to her
school activities. Impressed with
the answers she received. Mrs.
Palmer called on the principal of
her school and learned that the
girl was anxious to be of service to
her race and aspired to a college
education.
Mrs. Palmer at once arranged
for Charlotte to attend the State
Normal College at Salem. Massa¬
chusetts. After her graduation
from college, she became interest¬
ed in the work the American Mis¬
sionary Society was doing in
North Carolina, and of the great
need for trained teachers here.
Imbued with courage and high
hopes, she arrived at McLcansville
in 1902, five miles from her desti¬
nation. Walking part of the dis¬
tance. and riding the rest in a lum¬
bering wagon. Charlotte reached
her post of duty tired and weary,
but with an unquenchable light
burning in her eyes. The school to
which she had come. Sedalia. was
a sad affair at best. The ramshackle
building, with half of the window
panes gone, housed not only the
two resident teachers but the few
students who slept in the loft over¬
head and in a cabin in the yard.
The Missionary Society soon lost
interest and gave up in despair;
but not this woman who visioned
the future from afar. Even today
she tells of the sleepless nights,
when she knelt in long hours of
supplication by her bedside and
moistened it with her tears, pray¬
ing not for funds and commodious
buildings, but that she might pos¬
sess enough of the Kingdom of
God in her heart to be willing to
trust Him wholly.
A Record to be Proud Of
Today the community is proud
of its model institute, its high rat-
THE STATE. August 2. 1947
