The Muskogee/Okmulgee Oklahoma Eagle (Muskogee and Okmulgee, Okla.), Vol. 6, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 20, 1980 Page: 1 of 6
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Wage, price controls called better alternatives
Congressional Black Caucus
opposes latest budget cuts
I
TU event will be honor
to late Dr. Palmer
action
By AMANDA
and
Inaugural response
Bold and adventurous leap
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By DR. ERNEST L HOLLOWAY
PRESIDENT,
March 12, IMO
knowing that despite the stiff, uphill climb, that Langston was safe in the
hands of this man! That is a good feeling, indeed!
Out of the night that covers me.
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
The quality and quantity of participation suports the educational notion
that through unity there is strength. This beautiful ssembly of men and
women of 'goodwill" is Indicative of the strong support the people of this
state have for this, the fourth oldest state supported institution -
Langston University. An institution that has launched a "bold and ad-
venturous leap toward the twenty-first century."
I wish to open my response by expressing appreciatin to the Honorable
Governor George Nigh, legislators, members of the A4M Regents,
chancellor and members of the State Regents, educators, faculty,
students, alumni and friends of Langston University for your participation
in this historical occasion.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade.
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
1 have not winced nor cned aloud
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed
It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of the soul.
from
schools.
Assuming the opportunity to serve Langston University, as its 14th
president, causes me to cite the words of the poet, William Ernest
Hensley, more than a century ago when he penned:
Thursday, March 12, 1980, 6 am. The begining day was atmospherically
gloomy, but there was no gloom in the atmosphere of the homes of the
thitry-three passengers who would, between 6:30 It 7 o’clock, board the
waiting bus for our 1-stop, otherwise express trip to Langston University,
for we were going to see the President become inaugurated as the 14th
head of a much beloved and revered institution.
The day wa fine for us.. .everyone was carefree and smiling in an-
ticipation of what was to come....and no one was disappointed. Mr. Ralph
Bruce, our favorite bus driver, was at the wheel, and we were ready to
leave at about one minute to 7. We were on our way, the only lingering
regret was that four of the passengers who had booked passage had to
withdraw for health and business reasons
The early morning risings, we reasoned, would leave many of the
passengers breakfastless, and hungry before the one o’clock luncheon. So,
after we had gotten underway (and after my brother had leaned over to
ask When do we eat?"), "Stewardess" Antoinett Harrison and I served
hot coffee, chilled orange juice and home-made banana nut loaf It wasn’t
much but we hoped it would hold body & soul together until lunchtime
Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the mini-breakfast, which made the
effort and time spent in the preparation all worthwhile
A great day occurred 83 years ago, thu date - when the Oklahoma
Territorial Legislature established Langston University as Oklahoma’s
land-Grant Institution through the Morrell Act of 1M8. From that day to
they combined their meager resources to purchase 41 acres of land «.
which this institution now stands. Let me on thu day say "thank you" to
those Black pioneers who had a vision that made It possible for some
The Congressional Black Caucus
has issued a statement opposing the
latest round of budget cuts in
domestic social programs as a cure
for inflation. Instead the Caucus is
calling upon the Administration to
unpose stringent mandatory controls
on prices, wages, and dividends
The Caucus asserts that spending
reductions for health. housing,
education, economic development,
and employment and training
programs will have a tremendous
negative effect on economic
prosperity The unemployment rate
will increase far beyond the
Administration’s earlier estimate of
7.5 percent by the end of thu year.
Let me tell you about our trip....
THREE VERY SPECIAL LANSTONITES, from the longevity and unique
contributions point of view, were aboard: A. H. Fuhr, a 1913 graduate;
Mrs. Margaret Cooper Graham, 1914, and laura C. Brown, 1925. It was a
delight to be among them.
Just before our arrival on campus, Mrs. Ethel McPhaul, Ulla Ragsdale,
with an assist from Corrine Lucas, sought to put us all in good voice by
rehearsing enroute to Alma Mater "Dear Langston." (Words are by
Samuel Sadler, and the music was written by J.W. Works). We sang with
fervor and all the appropriate gestures, as we would do later at the
inaugural ceremony We sounded really good both times.
Our arrival on campus was right on time: tune to browse around and
chat with old, sometimes forgotten friends. Too often one had to listen to
the deplorable "Oh, I hardly recognized you. So much tune has passed."
(Don’t you wish that kind of remark would never be made? What does it
gain? For me, I just mentally erase that person from my list of
"friends." There are times when the truth should be kept to oneself).
in 1948 which resulted in
blacks being admitted to attend and
graduate from Oklahoma
professional schools. She is a
member of the Advisory Committee
of Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education on civil rights
and was presented the Outstanding
Alumnus Award from Ijingston
University in 1979.
FOLLOWING THE IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY, WE WENT into the
beautifully arranged lunchecn-by-the-pool, in the C. Felton Gayles Gym-
nasium, where the inauguration had also been held. The luncheon tables
were done very tastefully, with longstop's orange and blue colors. The
luncheon hostesses were gowned in pale orange dressed with pale buue
corsages. These attractive young students were radiant with the purpose
of their duties, and were attentive to the needs of their guests. Their feet
and legs in extremely high heeled-sandals looked like a Haynes hosiery
ad When I conunented on one of the girls, she leaned over and
whispered, "Well, thank you, but my feet are killing me."
The luncheon menu: A very spicy Tomato Junce Cocktail; Baked
Almond Chicken (the very best chicken I've ever tasted, anywhere; Wild
Rice Dressing; Whole Green Bans; a delicious Spring Salad; Hot Rolls
and Butter, and Fruit Dessert (at out table, there was lemon chiffon pie).
Tea and coffee completed this wonderfully prepared menu.
As we sat companionably over our meal, and gazed about, at the
bouquets of flowers floating upon the surface of the Olympic-size pool; at
the young men and women carrying out their tasks with zest and ef-
ficiency; at Dr. Holloway with his guests at the head table, and the
many people who had come to attend this sparkling event, there just
seemed that many blue skies were ahead for us. So much love and care
had very obviously gone into the planning of this affair, and that kind of
love and care must go further than just this one day; it must be en-
demic...it must be there in the everyday hearts of the people there
that kind of love and care multiplied many tunes and added to toe
talents and skills of those who care has to equal success. Please Dear
God, let it be so.
Our return home was marked by the happy, sated atmosphere created
by people who had carried out a noble purpose. Not one thing had gone
wrong. We were warmed by the citation to one of our special passengers:
Mrs. Margaret Cooper Graham was introduced at the inaugural ceremony
as the oldest I^ngstonite attending
So many good things happened.....it ws the end of a perfect day.
MUSKOGEE PASSENGERS DISEMBARK at C. Felton Gayles Gym-
nasium for the Inauguration of President Ernest L. Holloway.
THE TALENT AND TECHNIQUE
Performance Group from Oklahoma
City will be featured at Drama
Night at 8 pm Thursday at the
Northridge Theater The group will
present an evening of music, drama
and dance.
“A Piece of the Action.” slurring
Bill Cosby and Sidney Pettier will
be shown at I pm and again at
10 30 pm Fnday at Westby Center's
Great Hall
The Great Hall will also be the
scene for a dance to cap off the
week. It will be from 9 pm to 1
am.
Black Heritage Week is sponsored
by the Association of
Collegians and the TU
Association.
Association of Black
and the TU Student
The tradition of ob-
serving the week on the TU campus
was begun in 1971.
Eileen LeFlore, Ketchum business
and communications major and
president of the Association of
Black Collegians, said the purpose
of the week is “to raise community
and campus awareness of black
heritage."
For more information on the
week’s activities, call the University
of Tulsa Student Association at 592-
8000, extension 366.
to 35 percent increase in corporate
profits, and the decline in public
outlays for domestic purposes By
controlling inflation for the basic
necessities of energy, food, housing
and health care, (which rose by
10.8 percent in 1978 and 17.6 percent
in 1979), the Caucus believes that
inflation will decrease, taking the
pressure off of wage earners,
taxpayers and consumers."
FINALLY WE WERE USHERED TO OUR RESERVED SEATS, and at
the appropriate time we were introduced as a body. Meantime the
wonderful pomp and circumstance of the inauguration was going on. It
was all so very impressive. Important people from around the state and
. the country were there: Okalhoma Governor George High; State
* Representatives and Senators; one-time Langston president G. lamar
Harrison (now in Chicago) presented the new President, (It was so good
to see Dr. and Mrs. Harrison again. They looked well and happy). Dr. E.
T. Dunlap, Chancellor, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Eduation,
presented the Charter and Seal to Dr. Holloway, and Mrs. Aline Johnson,
Executive Assistant to Dr. Holloway unveiled a sensationally executed
portrait of him. There were short expressions from the langston faculty
(Ada Lx>is Fisher), from the Alumni (Alice Fears Davis); From the
Student Body (Marion Reed, whose mother wsa one of our bus
passengers). Then came the music: The Langston University Concert
Choir, directed by Dr. Lemuel Berry, Jr. at separate periods, “Rockin'
Jerusalem" and “Blow, Thou Winter Wind." To hear this group of young
people with such superb talent is an incredibly exciting experience. (I am
so glad to tell you that htis choir will be presented in Muskogee
sometime in April. Don’t miss this one!). The I^insgton Univesity
Ensemble, under the direction of Joseph L. Brown sang “War March of
the Priest from Athalia” excellently.
Finally, it was the time for Ernest Leon Holloway to respond to all of
this, and he did so in such an inspiring and heartwarming manner that I
feel sure that many hearts beside mine were filled with love and high
hopes for thia school and its future. (Please see Dr. Holloway’s complete
speech elsewhere In this issue). His quite of existentialist William Ernest
Henley’s uplifting "Invictas” made me wish that Dr. Holloway had
• chosen to substitute • higher religious power as his Guide But, even ao,
our new president was so exuberant, so happy, so filled with self-
determination and self-confidence that one could not help feeling, reallv
Additionally, the Congressional
Budget Office estimates that a |20
billion dollar decrease in the federal
budget will only reduce inflation by
0.1 percent after two years time.
Congresswoman Cardiss Collins.
Chairwoman of the Congressional
Black Caucus, stated. The source
of the problem of the nation’s
economic woes is the gross im-
balance between the real 5 percent
decrease in wages, the 20 percent
Black Heritage Observance Week
at the University of Tulsa. March
23-29, will be dedicated to Dr.
Cecelia Nails Palmer who died last
month.
Dr. Palmer, associate professor of
education, was the first full-time
black faculty member at TU and
was founder of the Association of
Black Collegians. She had been on
the faculty for 10 years.
"The Black Woman: Our
Hope.....Our Inspiration" is the
theme for Black Heritage Week,
which begins Sunday with Religious
Emphasis Night at Northridge
International Theater, 5053 N.
Peoria. Tulsa area church choirs
will sing at the program, which
begins at 8 pm
Willie Jones, owner of Africa East
Ltd. in the Williams Center Forum,
will sponsor an art display Monday
from 10 am to 4:30 pm. The display
will be in the Jess Chouteau Room
in Westby Center on the TU
campus.
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY
TALENT will be pooled Tuesday
night for a program of fashion,
skits, music and dancing beginning
at 8 p.m. The talent and fashion
night will take place at the Nor-
thridge International Theater
Dr. Ada Lois Fisher will speak
Wednesday at 8 pm in Westby
Center's Great Hall at TU. She is
currently chairperson of the Social
Sciences Department at (Kingston
University and holds a law degree
from the University of Oklahoma.
Her topic is “The Black Woman."
Dr. Fisher was part of a legal
u
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(^felafjoma €agle
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THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1980
MUSKOGEE-OKMULGEE OKLAHOMA EAGLE
PRICE: 20c
SIX PAGES. ONE SECTION
8
Oe iflusfeogee / (^fcmulsee-
VOLUME 6 NUMBERS
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The Muskogee/Okmulgee Oklahoma Eagle (Muskogee and Okmulgee, Okla.), Vol. 6, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 20, 1980, newspaper, March 20, 1980; Tulsa, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1810029/m1/1/: accessed June 22, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.