The Citizen of Philadelphia tender Testimonial Banquet to Major R.R. Wright
Philadelphia: O. V. Catto Lodge, 1940. Soft cover. 8p, Lettered stiff wrapper. The program for a Banquet celebrating the great Afro-American civic leader, banker, scholar and business man Major R. R. Wright. (1855-1947). Richard Robert Wright was born into slavery and according to Blackpast.org, "After the Civil War ended Wright¿s mother moved with her son to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended the Storrs School, an institution founded by the American Missionary Association (AMA) to educate the children of the freedpeople. He would study at a number of other institutions over his lifetime including Harvard, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Oxford University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Also in 1876 Wright married Lydia Elizabeth Howard of Columbus, Georgia. In 1891 Wright founded the Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth in Savannah, Georgia. It is now known as Savannah State University. He served as its first president from 1891 to 1921. In 1921 Wright at the age of 67 retired from the Presidency of Georgia State Industrial College and moved to Philadelphia to open a bank. In 1957 it had assets of $5.5 million when it was sold to a group of African American investors. Wright, in his eighties, also led the effort to create National Freedom Day, to commemorate President Abraham Lincoln signing the 13th Amendment on February 1, 1865. As he argued, it was this measure rather than the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all American slaves. One year after his death, both houses of the U.S. Congress passed a bill to make February 1 National Freedom Day. The measure was signed into law by President Truman on 1948 and helped give impetus to national recognition for Black History Week and Black History Month". Edges a little rubbed and marginal dusting, otherwise a fine copy of this scarce Testimonial Banquet program. Very Good. Item #7261
12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall.
Price: $100.00