Dr. John Hope Franklin Interview

Right way to do things. I knew all of them although I was somewhat junior to all of them. They took me on as friends and colleagues and it was really remarkable. I was inspired all up and encouraged. Of course I recognize the fact even when I went out for the seven that these were giants intellectual giants really scholars in their and their chosen field. I was impressed with the fact that they were at Howard University. They could have been anywhere else. It was no wonder no one else would have them. And that that struck me almost immediately as as a as a kind of early graveyard

for these great scholars. There was no way for them to go. Indeed if they had written the Encyclopedia Brittanica that one of the American intellectual community paid adequate tribute to them or during fight than to become a part of the larger intellectual community in this country they could have done anything. They can move mountains whatever they did they could just sit out the remaining. And that's what happened to almost everyone of them remain in the business. It's a testament to the social backwardness of this country that these men spent the remainder of their lives spent all their lives and are sick and

were excluded from most of the major activities and association organizations in this country. And so there's a there's a tragedy about there being great is a big word tragedy that they couldn't share their great wisdom knowledge training with. America as a whole needed these men. And it's really sad but I knew them. I wanted to be in their presence. Yes just yes I suppose so I suppose they were a race man. I would be ok

I suppose if it were a race. And when I use that term I don't want to I don't want to know of them in any way. Liza Minelli these men are men of Brett's distinction were men of the world travels. There were some in Europe and I was living in exile from my son was born of course was a great country and throughout the world for his work on his

contributions to your field of study and others so that transcended race transcend there are people who live by the kind of fine that that represented represented for so much more so much more of the world. And but just to the extent that they were permitted to participate in activities in the broader sense of dream not not now not taught. And I think in that way that since they were larger than life larger than

race. And represented the transcendence of race so well let's come back to these men just for a moment and I'd like to speak about their colleagues their female colleagues at Howard University. It wasn't that there were not women of distinction. It was that Howard did not move beyond the rest of the country in a significant way in this area so that we would like to take for example.

Very distinguished ph of books in the national field international politics and national gun she was a professor. It was too much like the rest of the country that kept her in their place and I could go on to do a similar fashion. And I would say that the country was dragging its feet in recognition of women as leaders. Women of similar nations

and now when you. Control for you can see that they are equal to men and the country doesn't make that concession either. And then you've got this one sided lopsided toward women in this case. I I what I would say that they're trying to come down to the truth and hobble them with their male colleagues looked at them so

that women have double the sense which like women. Logan was my superior but I liked him and the man who invited me to come. I was 47. First it was a normal accomplishment for so many years certainly did give him perspective which so many of us did not have that exposure to other cultures. Parts of the world and he was kept from Williams College Ph.D..

And men of great imagination and historical sensitivity. So well he can see the writing which which dealt with the period from the beginning of World War 1 the period when African-Americans with their lowest point after the reconstruction period and before that just of the time World War 1 was breaking out. He was also very congenial and cooperative. It was always most of his

time and the relationship with grown up scholars and I appreciate that you promoted me in every way possible and that way. I think my death. Very excellent relationship with friends. Richard was one of Voyager's boys a younger man. Older than I was when younger. Boy 1870 1875 and

1887 almost a generation that separated them. And and. And Logan worked well together. They are the finest. Well I would to Howard University and a fun doctor with death. In 1950 it was people thought the Brayford to succeed him which Rafer did. But of course one of the problems was that Dr Woodson gave his full time all the time around the clock to the association the work promoting Negro history whereas

Logan was a professor at large department to control. He was a scholar and he was married and he lived a full life in the way that Dr. Woodson did. And therefore he didn't have time and energy to give it all the hair the way you would see. And but he did he did yeoman's were more than that. In the years following the death of life he was looking to go. Places.