Finding Our Way
The Lost and Sordid History of Black Life on William & Mary's Campus from 1925 to 1940
Grappling with the College’s relationship with anti-Blackness has become a momentous task; to embark on the journey through the College’s history of marginalization is to commit to understanding and acknowledging the ways in which we currently benefit from the stolen labor and lives of Black people across Williamsburg and Jamestown County. Choosing to continue through this story map and embarking on this guided tour is to make that commitment.
A brief exploration into life before, during, and after the Depression for the College itself will allow room for comparison and a deeper understanding of the resources the College had access to and how much of that reservoir served the surrounding Black communities.
The Roaring Twenties: 1925-29
The 20’s for the College, up until the stock market crash, proved to be fruitful. A few years prior to 1925, in around 1919-20, the College’s new president Dr. Julian A.C. Chandler alongside Reverend W.A.R Goodwin successfully lobbied in Richmond for a major development campaign with a budget of 1.44 million dollars ($1,440,000). Because of this extremely generous contribution, most of Old Campus as we know it today was constructed; including, but not limited to, Blow Memorial Gymnasium (1925), Old Dominion Hall (1927), and Sorority Court (1929).
The Stock Market Crash & The Start of the Great Depression: 1929-1932
It’s said that all good things must come to an end, and for the US economy, the end of the Roaring Twenties was ushered in with the devastating 1929 Stock Market Crash. For most of the country, the crash caused immeasurable calamity and sent many American families into immediate destitution. For the College, however, the start of the Depression proved to be just as fruitful as the Roaring Twenties had been. The bulk of the College’s restoration took place during this chunk of time and the College of William & Mary even had the opportunity to expand its territorial reach by chartering a branch in Norfolk, Virginia; an institution that later became independent, state-funded, and renamed Old Dominion University.
The Midst of the Great Depression: 1932-1939
In the midst of one of America’s most devastating economic eras, the College received approximately $177,000 from the US Government. When examining William & Mary’s financial records from the Depression, I came across two contracts, respectively dated 1934 & 1935, explicitly stating the allocation of funds to William & Mary’s “building improvement bonds” and the erection of a “recreational building” at the center of campus. During this time, the College also began the digging and construction of the Sunken Gardens, a central part of campus today. Furthermore, the College expanded even more by hiring a surplus of faculty and enrolling a record number of students; hiring well over 100 new faculty and jumping from 300 to a little over 1200 students.
The End of the Great Depression: 1939-1940
In the words of many older, Black Americans, "trouble don't last always." After the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the institution of the New Deal, America was slow-moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel, and by 1939, the Great Depression was officially over. While the country had finally begun to pull itself out of its economic hole, the College had become this quasi-vacuum; isolated from the consequences of the economic downturn. The College continued to erect new buildings and structures and made further investments in the seemingly perpetual Restoration.
Now that we have discussed the ways in which the Depression affected the country in comparison to the College itself, we can now spend time discussing the ways in which the microcosm that was the College excluded Black Americans pre, mid, and post the Depression.
Map of the College of William & Mary circa 1962
For many Black Americans in Williamsburg (and in general), the Great Depression had just overburdened an existence that was already exceptionally difficult. On top of barring young, Black adults from enrolling and taking classes, the employees of the College were egregiously underpaid. Presented above was a timeline of the College itself and its movement through the Great Depression. Presented below will be a guided map through William & Mary's campus; each significant point being a structure or building constructed by underpaid Black Americans pre, mid, and post Great Depression.
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camps
Finding work during the Depression was a momentous task for everyone, but even more so for Black families. CCC Camps allowed Black men to find temporary work and housing. There were several small camps that made up a larger community in Williamsburg and Newport News. Below are several Oral Histories gathered from the Local Black Histories Project of men who can recount their own experiences or experiences of the men in their lives and these camps.
The Depression Years: George Preston Crump describes jobs in the CCC Camps
The Depression Years: George Preston Crump easier in Williamsburg
The Depression Years: Phillip Cooke days with CCC boys
The Depression Years: Rev. Junius Moody recounts CCC camps developing
These videos provide a priceless insight into what life was like for Black men and their families during the Depression. These men and their experiences on these camps vary often, but still carry the common threads weaving Black life in Williamsburg during this time.
I hope this Storymap didn't teach you anything because I'm hoping none of this information is new, but if it is, and if I did, I'm hoping you'll feel encourage to share with someone else.
Thank you.
