A Historical And Educational Analysis Of The Administration And Curriculum Of The Hempstead Negro School From 1967 to 1938: Inclusive
Abstract
Purposes For Making Study
Since the time needed to compile this study has been quite inclusive, it becomes necessary to show how the discovery of one fact eventually served as a lead for a second search and how the discovery through the second search still served as a lead to even a third search and so on until numerous discoveries had been made. In the very outset, the writer started with the idea in mind of developing what would be considered a satisfactory system of Permanent Personnel Records for the Hempstead Negro High School, and by so-daoing discovered many interesting facts concerning the early history of the school which led to further search.
Many of these facts will be found in the "Interview Records" in Section "D" of the Appendices of this study. For example, Madam "Z" stated that there were some white soldiers who came to Hempstead in 1866and that these soldiers said that a Negro would be the next teacher of the Negro School. Were there any soldiers in Hempstead in 1866?, and if so, Why? While seeking the answers to these questions it was discovered— as also mentioned by Madam "Z" — that the Freedmen*s Bureau financed the movement, Many of the older persons frequently referred to this school as a Freedman's School, so it was thus concluded that there did actually exist a Negro School:—But, where was this school located? What did it look like? and How many pupils were enrolled? An old deed was discovered which confirmed the answer as to location and with this old deed came the remarkable discovery that Hempstead was not even located in Waller County in 1871 but was located in what was then Austin County With this old deed also came the Citizenship papers of the first principal, William Reynolds, which revealed that he had been a resident for thirteen years and that he had to become a citizen of this state before he could become a delegate to a State Convention was it actually true that Reynolds was a delegate to a State Convention? A picture of Reynolds at this convention bore the dates and purpose of the convention and this confirmed the answer which led to a search for the picture of this first school — and so on until many, many searches were made to the extent that a record of all discoveries would require quite a deal of time and capital outlay.