Editorial "An Open Letter to the Student Body"

Editorial "An Open Letter to the Student Body"

This letter, published in the Collegian in 1944, was written by Dr. Frederic Boatwright, the president of the University of Richmond, and is addressed to students whom all signed a particular petition. The petition in question was created and signed by students in response to the denial of a black guest speaker's entrance into the university's dining hall, preventing him from eating with students of the university. Though Boatwright claimed he had no knowledge of the incident nor the following emotional reaction of the student body, he went on to admit his belief that the dining hall was not the appropriate place for such instances of integration to take place. Such action, according to Boatwright, was against the historical culture of the school and might force a part of the student body to feel uncomfortable in the public space of the institution. Boatwright concluded that students should only attempt to invite black individuals to eat with them in private spaces, as it is only there that they could be sure everyone involved in the event is involved voluntarily.

Boatwright, Frederic William. "An Open Letter to the Student Body." The Richmond Collegian XXX, no. 12, (April 14, 1957): 2. http://collegian.richmond.edu/cgi-bin/richmond?a=d&d=COL19440414.2.13&srpos=8&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN

1944-04-14

English

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Richmond (Va.)