Another article written about the “white-only” scholarship, it describes that Vassar is conflicted on what decision to make. It also elaborates that the recipient of this scholarship was to be from a certain geographical area. The Board of Trustees at Vassar ultimately decided they would not honor this racist stipulation, but it is concerning that they needed to discuss the matter at all. The college not making a statement against this racist action speaks volumes on how much more work the college had to do in 1962 to improve equity between all students.
Full Article
Lily-White Will Gives Vassar Headache
Chicago Daily Defender (Daily Edition) (1960-1973);
Sep 10, 1962;
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender
pg. 9
Poughkeepsie N.Y.—For white only is the label an 87-year old spinster put on $200,000 she willed to Vassar College.
And trustees of the exclusive girls” college have been left with the problem of whether they should accept a gift of scholarship restricted to white girls only.
The spinster, Miss Sally Baker Staten of Tarboro, N.C., left her entire estate, unofficially valued at $200, 000, to Vassar.
An executive committee will meet next month to decide what to do with the gift. All gifts are considered by the board of trustees.
A former teacher in Tarboro, Miss Staten said in her handwritten will, “Since I have never married and have no children to perpetuate the names of my parents, I have only one desire…to show appreciation for the generous sacrifices they have made to finance my college expenses.
“Therefore, I leave all properties…to be spent for the scholarship at Vassar to be known as the L. L. Staten scholarship and to be awarded to any white girl qualified.”
It also stipulated that the white girls must come from Tarboro, Edgecombe county, Eastern North Carolina or Western North Carolina, in that order.
Lily-White Will Gives Vassar Headache original article (PDF, 26KB)
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