When Rutherford B. Hayes died in 1893, tributes to the 19th president poured in from across the political and social spectrum. Among them was a letter from a youthful black scholar doing graduate work in Berlin, studies that were subsidized by the Slater Fund, an endowment created to promote the education of African Americans. Hayes, one of the fundâs original trustees, had been impressed by the student and persuaded the other trustees to provide financial support.
That young scholar was W.E.B. Du Bois, then unknown but soon to become one of the most renowned intellectuals of the early 20th century. Hearing of the former presidentâs death, he contacted the Slater board to express condolences. âI am especially grateful to the memory of him, your late head, through whose initiative my case was brought before you,â Du Bois wrote, âand whose tireless energy and single-heartedness for the interests of my race, God has at last crowned.â
The racial decency â and irony â of Rutherford Hayes
He was a steadfast champion of Black voting rights, yet he presided over the end of Reconstruction.
By Jeff Jacoby Globe Columnist,Updated February 15, 2021, 2:59 a.m.
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An undated drawing shows Rutherford B. Hayes taking the presidential oath of office in 1877.Library of Congress via The New York Times
When Rutherford B. Hayes died in 1893, tributes to the 19th president poured in from across the political and social spectrum. Among them was a letter from a youthful Black scholar doing graduate work in Berlin, studies that were subsidized by the Slater Fund, an endowment created to promote the education of African Americans. Hayes, one of the fundâs original trustees, had been impressed by the student and persuaded the other trustees to provide financial support.