HKB
given to Latin and Greek; one-fifth, to English and modern languages; one-sixth, to history and social science; one-seventh, to natural science; one-eighth to mathematics, and one-eighth to philosophy and pedagogy.
In addition to these students in the South, Negroes have attended Northern colleges for many years. As early as 1826 one was graduated from Bowdoin College, and from that time till to-day nearly every year has seen elsewhere, other such graduates. They have, of course, met much color prejudice. Fifty years ago very few colleges would admit them at all. Even to-day no Negro has ever been admitted to Princeton, and at some other leading institutions they are rather endured than encouraged. Oberlin was the great pioneer in the work of blotting out the color line in colleges, and has more Negro graduates by far than any other Northern college.
The total number of Negro college graduates up to 1899, (several of the graduates of that year not being reported), was as follows:
---------------+---------------+----------------- |Negro Colleges.| White Colleges. ---------------+---------------+----------------- Before '76 | 137 | 75 '75-80 | 143 | 22 '80-85 | 250 | 31 '85-90 | 413 | 43 '90-95 | 465 | 66 '96-99 | 475 | 88 Class Unknown | 57 | 64 ---------------+---------------+----------------- Total | 1,914 | 390 ---------------+---------------+-----------------
Of these graduates 2,079 were men and 252 were women; 50 per cent. of Northern-born college men come South to work among the masses of their people, at a sacrifice which few people realize; nearly 90 per cent. of the Southern-born graduates instead of seeking that personal freedom and broader intellectual atmosphere which their training has led them, in some degree, to conceive, stay and labor and wait in the midst of their black neighbors and relatives.
The most interesting question, and in many respects the crucial question, to be asked concerning college-bred Negroes, is: Do they earn a living? It has been intimated more than once that the higher training of Negroes has resulted in sending into the world of work, men who could find nothing to do suitable to their talents. Now and then there comes a rumor of a colored college man working at menial service, etc. Fortunately, returns as to occupations of college-bred Negroes, gathered by the Atlanta conference, are quite full--nearly sixty per cent. of the total number of graduates.
This enables us to reach fairly certain conclusions as to the occupations of all college-bred Negroes. Of 1,312 persons reported, there were:
---------------------------------+----------+------------ | Per Cent.| ---------------------------------+----------+------------ Teachers, | 53.4 |************ Clergymen, | 16.8 |****** Physicians, etc., | 6.3 |**** Students, | 5.6 |*** Lawyers, | 4.7 |*** In Govt. Service, | 4.0 |** In Business, | 3.6 |** Farmers and Artisans, | 2.7 |* Editors, Secretaries and Clerks, | 2.4 |* Miscellaneous. | .5 |* ---------------------------------+----------+------------
Over half are teachers, a sixth are preachers, another sixth are students and professional men; over 6 per cent. are farmers, artisans and merchants, and 4 per cent. are in government service. In detail the occupations are as follows:
Occupations of College-Bred Men.
Teachers: Presidents and Deans, 19 Teacher of Music, 7 Professors, Principals and Teachers, 675 Total 701
Clergymen: Bishop, 1 Chaplains U.S. Army, 2 Missionaries, 9 Presiding Elders, 12 Preachers, 197 Total 221
Physicians, Doctors of Medicine, 76 Druggists, 4 Dentists, 3 Total 83
Students, 74
Lawyers, 62
Civil Service: U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary, 1 U.S. Consul, 1 U.S. Deputy Collector, 1 U.S. Gauger, 1 U.S. Postmasters, 2 U.S. Clerks, 44 State Civil Service, 2 City Civil Service, 1 Total 53
Business Men: Merchants, etc., 30 Managers, 13 Real Estate Dealers, 4 Total 47
Farmers, 26
Clerks and Secretaries: Secretary of National Societies, 7 Clerks, etc., 15 Total 22
Artisans, 9
Editors, 9
Miscellaneous, 5