Lincoln High School - Lincolnian Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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THE LINCOLNIAN 7 some of these homes, that of George and Kitty Love, of Cora White-Lester, of Arthur Pullarn, of Wm. Griffin, of Daisy Day McKnight, of Ophelia Watts-Jackson, of Zella Garbon-Arnold. besides many others that space forbids us to mention. Many of the girls that have gone out from the walls of Lincoln High School have become important factors in the community and invaluable aids to their husbands, who in many cases are leading men in their cities. At the risk of being per- sonal, I must name some of these young women: Mrs. Fannie McCampbell Peck, ’98, wife of Rev. Wm. Peck, of Allen Chap- el, a helpmeet in every sense of the word, gentle, forceful, helpful in the many sided work of the pastorate. In Kansas City, Kas., is Leurlean Snadon Wilson, ’97, wife of Rev. Arlington Wilson, of the Metropolitan Baptist church. As his secretary and assistant, Mrs. Wilson accom- panies her husband to all church gatherings and has often been appointed to positions requiring careful literary training and accuracy of statement. Another one of these girls, whose culture and refinement would grace any home, is P.artlv Oliver Lambright, ' 02, wife of one of the leading physicians of our city. Two of our graduates in Independence are leaders in that community: Rev. Chas. Williams, ’92, of the A. M. E. church one of the most progressive of young ministers, reaching o ' in lecture courses and other means of culture for his peop; Another, Mattie Hall James, ’01, unobtrusive and gentle ii manner, but the head of Christian Endeavor work, of literacy society, of women’s club work. A couple of whom we may justly feel proud is Edward Thompson, ’01, and wife, Pdanche Roberts Thompson, Both are and have been for years teaching in Pleasant H Mo., the husband as principal of the school. They are the lea ers in every good work and have the respect and love of citizens and are regarded among the best teachers in the c Down in the unfavorable envi ' -onment of the West toms, Cherry McGill, ’03, is doing “with might what her hai ,s find to do.” Leader in two literary societies and Sunday school, she is a valuable aid in St. John’s church. On several occasions when I have been called upon to address some liter- ary ‘society or act as judge in some debate, T have found Miss McGill the main force in keeping alive the spirit of literary culture and progress. Down in distan ' Los Angeles. Cal., Maud Morrison. ' 01, is preparing for work as a foreign missionary, and in Denver Joshua Rice, ’07, has shown such literary ability, coupled with high character, that a church of that city has undertaken to assist him in preparing for the ministry.

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6 THE LINCOLNIAN Launey Smith, of the Class of ’97, is a successful business man in one of the large cities of Canada, where his racial identity is no bar to success. Thos. McCampbell, of the Class of ' 98, is making his course and work in pharmacy a stepping stone to medicine and is now completing a course in that profession, while a younger brother of the Class of ' 04, Dr. Ernest Mc- Campbel), has completed a medical and post graduate course and became one of the professional men of our city. At least five — four boys and one girl — have completed courses in pharmacy and are “making good” in that profes sion: Houston of ’97, McCampbell of ’98, Green of ' 04,- Wil- lard Hines of ’01, owner and manager of a successful drug store in Oklahoma, and Wilmer Campbell of ' 04, who was re- garded by the faculty of K. U. as one of their most brilliant students in pharmacy. Another girl, Wertie Blackwell, ’09, has entered upon the study of pharmacy in K. U. The Class of ’04 is remarkable for sending out the largest percentagle for college study. Out of a class of twelve, eight pursued further work, two taking pharmacy, two the A. B. course, one taking medicine and the remainder work in Nor- mal schools. Their motto was a fitting one: “Fnished, yet just begun.” The largest numbers for further study have gone out from the classes of 1907 and 1909. The Class of ’09 was the first to send out the number 10 out of 28. Four of these went to K. U., one to Perdue, Ind.; two to Howard University, and three to Manhattan Agricultural School, Kansas. A few months later the Class of ’07 sent 10 out of 23 for further study — two of these to Fisk University, two to Lincoln Institute, four to K. U., one to W ilberforce and one to the University ' Denver. Another of this class, with remarkable thrift, has already a large bank account with which to begin his college course this season. At least fifteen of our graduates have passed the civil ser- vice examination in the city. Several have been appointed and have done acceptable work as carriers and railway postal clerks. I wo of these did good service as census enumerators, 1. M. Horton and Lorana Richardson. Geo. Love, of the Class of ’01, has done good work in the office of the City Treasurer. If we could obtain definite information our list of thos clerical positions would be larger. At least one-third of the graduates have married and have families and homes. Some have bought homes for parents and have placed them in comfortable circumstances. A great ma- jority of these homes give evidence of thrift and culture. I could name several with large cases of books, good pictures on the walls, with comfort and cleanliness in evidence. Visit

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8 THE LINCOLNIAN Even this partial retrospect encourages the workers in Lincoln High School to feel that the work has not been in vain, nor in the wrong direction. A large percentage of the young people have “made good” — to use a forceful phrase of the day, and it is a rare pleasure to keep in touch with many of them, to watch their ambitious upward struggles. What would have been the fate of these progressive young people under a suggested vocational course? Must the one-third, the saving “remnant,’’ the future leaders, be lost to the race that the remainder may make a larger salary upon graduation? Let us have all the vocational schools that the community can afford, but not at the expense of the Eligh School course. The object of education is the. development of power in the indi- vidual. Which education best gives that power? The courses that have for a thousand years been used in training the bright- est intellects of the nations of Europe, or a course in domestic science, nursing, carpentrj” or agriculture? Which course will most quickly lift our youth to the level of modern civilization ? While we know that the moral and social regeneration of a race is the work of centuries rather than a few short years, still it seems that we might learn a valuable lesson from that most progressive little nation of modern times, Japan. For the past sixty years they have been sending their brightest young men to the most civilized nations of Europe, entering their universities and getting the highest and best that each country has to offer. As a people we are a part of American civilization, the wealth of learning, in science, in literature, in art, handed down from the centuries of the past and increased daily by do- nations from the present, is within our reach. Shall we de- liberatelv shut out the vouth of our race from this storehouse on the ground that the majority of them could not use it in making their daily bread; that their ancestors had been taught to work merely for 250 years, and that that regime was a very simple and successful one; that it were best to continue it even though the labor unions and prejudice shut them out from the higher departments of work, they would be better fitted for the lower departments of work and could make ? living in a shorter time? The men and women who half a century ago came down from New England bringing the best that America had to offer, brought both culture and thrift, a larger share of the former — who can say that their work and their judgment was in anv sense a failure? Then let us be true to the dreams of our youth; to the ideals of our young manhood and womanhood, and the judg-