From Henry McNeal Turner to Hallie Q. Brown May 5, 1899, CSU in Folder, Correspondence, Personal, Bishops, Correspondence from Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, dated May 5, 1899 in Correspondence to Hallie Q. Brown from Personals with last names beginning with O through Z, box 37, Central State University, Hallie Q. Brown Memorial Library.
*Special thanks to Dr. Daleah Goodwin for sending this letter to us.
This is a letter sent by Turner in response to a letter from Hallie Quinn Brown. In it, he offers his support for her candidacy to run for Secretary of Education for the AME Church. In 1900, at the General Conference, Brown was successful in becoming Secretary of Education.
Miss Hallie Q. Brown:
My Dear Lady and Friend:-
Yours of the 22nd was upon my table then I reached home last evening and I have read it with inexpressible delight. I glory in your triumphs, victories, fame and immortality. Your worth to the race will never be known in this life. I am glad now while I was mad then that you snubbed me a couple of years after the death of my first wife when I felt that a sufficient time had elapsed to turn my attention toward another; for you are too great to marry, too gifted too intellectual and indeed too mighty to be tied to a man and restricted to any home circle.
Yes I will publish the longest clipping you have sent me in the “Voice of Missions,” as it take in all the others and do so gladly and cheerfully…..
I have no knowledge of the Bishops agreeing to try to abolish the office of Secretary of Education for that is all they could do for the Bishops could not abolish it without the action of the General Conference. While they may have had some verbal agreement to use their influence to that effect in my absence; I say run, and you will get a big support. You shall have the Voice of the Missions at your back. I will support you with all my might. A powerful argument can be made on your behalf. You can tell the church that the women pay in more money than the men, that but for the class dues of the women half of our ministers would starve to death. You will be able to show that you have done more in person, to give character to our church and to build up our educational interest, than any secretary of education in the history of the church.
You can say there is no law that lines out the duties of the educational secretary that amounts to a bagatelle, that he scarcely knows what his own duties are beyond traveling around to the conferences at odd times and delivering an eloquent speech; but if you get in or are elected you will make the office a vital fact that you will sire the women and as well as men, etc. etc.
I hope that you will announce your candidacy in the Southern Christian Recorder, the Christian Recorder, Voice of the Missions and all of our papers and should you do so I hope you will send me a copy before publication so I may assist you in what you not understand.
Fraternally,
Henry McNeal Turner
