Booker T. Washington Autograph Letter Signed.

WASHINTON, Booker T.

Item Number: 145309

Tuskegee, Alabama: The Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Oct 11, 1905.

Autograph letter signed by Booker T. Washington to American businessman and philanthropist Rodger S. Boardman, sending the Institute’s annual report and announcing plans for a 25th-anniversary celebration. One page on ‘Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute’ stationary, quarto, the letter reads in part, “. . . I think you will be pleased at the evidence of progress which the institution is making, and the manner in which it is reaching and helping the masses of our people … This marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the existence of this institution, and the Board of Trustees has decided to have some fitting celebration of this occasion sometime during the spring … I want to thank you earnestly and heartily for your continued help and interest. Yours truly, Booker T. Washington Principal.” In near fine condition with mail folds and a small closed tear to the upper edge. Accompanied by a clipped signature of Booker T. Washington measuring 4 inch by 1 inches. In near fine condition with mail folds and some toning to the edges.

On January 23, 1906, at New York's Carnegie Hall, the Tuskegee Institute Silver Anniversary Lecture was held to raise money and celebrate the Institute's 25th year, an important milestone for reflecting on the progress made and the challenges still facing the African American community. Guest speakers included Mark Twain, whose speech was adorned with jabs at the rich even while the organizers sought donations from New York's richest, some of whom were in attendance, including John D. Rockefeller.