This article talks about how Beatrice McCleary is the first known Black student to attend Vassar. This is particularly interesting as Vassar, in notably President MacCracken, had pledged to drop the racial barrier in 1935. Despite this pledge, it took the institution another five years to admit a Black woman as a full-time student.
Full Article
400 Members In Two Years Record Of New York Church
The Pittsburgh Courier (1911-1950);
Oct 5, 1940; ProQuest
pg. 2
New York, Oct. 3—The Presbytery of New York is expanding its work and is giving every assistance to the pastors, according to the Rev. John H. Robinson, pastor of the Church of the Master, located at 122nd street and Morningside avenue here.
“The feeling of many that the Presbyterian church is not the church for the Negro seems to be a thing of the past when you consider the large increase of the Negro membership in this area in the last few years,” the Rev. Mr. Robinson further pointed out.
“Our church is a splendid example in support of my statement,” the pastor continued, “when we consider the fact that the church of the masters was organized a little more than tow years ago and now has a membership of well over four hundred, and an average attendance of more than six hundred people.”
Adopts five-year plan
“In order to be self-supporting, we have adopted a five-year plan. At the end of the first year we were able to carry one-third of the budget, and at the end of the second year we are carrying more than 60 percent of the budget, and within three years, we are confident that we will be financially independent of outside aid.”
The Community Center, run by a committee financed by the church and the students of Barnard College, forms an important part of the church program. There are more than twenty girls from Barnard College employed to do volunteer work in the kindergarten, recreation, craft activities for children. There are also discussion groups for young people, adult self-help and co-operative groups…450 children and 150 adults are enrolled.
Raising Scholarships
In addition to carrying on the many activities of the church, the pastor and members sponsor scholarships for deserving students in the community. There are now students at Lincoln University and St. Phillips Hospital of the University of Virginia being sponsored by the church. The Rev. Mr. Robinson also works with the Reconciliation Tours, and interprets the sociological background of Harlem racial groups, intended to promote fellowship and understanding between the racial and cultural groups in New York City. He frequently lectures to groups from fifty to four hundred people, under the auspices of this organization.
Race Student at Vassar
The Rev. Mr. Robinson works with a committee of faculty people on admission of Negro students to Vassar College. As a result of this activity, Miss Beatrice McCleary is now a freshman at Vassar, and is the first Negro student to enter in twenty-five years.
The Rev. Mr. Robinson is a native of Knoxville, Tenn., and holds degrees from Lincoln University and Union Theological Seminar. He has preached at Columbia, Vassar and Smith Colleges.
Second Anniversary
Among the speakers at the celebration of the second anniversary, beginning October 13, and ending October 19, will be A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Dr. Theodora Savage, secretary of New York Presbytery.
Officers of the church are:
Trustees: B. Franklin Vaughn, Dr. H.L. Tolbert, Madison S. Jones, James Wells, Herbert Graves, Sirus D. Ward; Elders, S. Phillips, M.S. Jones, John Hammond, Lyman Carter, Charles A. Williams;
Deacons, Mrs. Mary France Ward, Dorothy Tally, Leon A. Peterson, Mrs. Christine Hays, Mrs. Lottie Jones, George Harris; Hugo Brown, chorister: Mrs. Sarah Walker, Financial secretary; Wesley Nelson and Charles Houston, Sunday school superintendents.
400 Members In Two Years Record Of New York Church original article (PDF, 57KB)
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.