Letter 27

DIRECTOR'S REPORT

WAR INFORMATION CENTER

DILLARD UNIVERSITY

April 2, 1943 

Dr. Benjamin Quarles, Chairman

Library Board

Dillard University 

Dear Doctor Quarles: 

A period of a month and a half has elapsed since I made my last report to you concerning the activities of the War Information Center.

In my last report the fact was mentioned that I had organized and opened the center. After opening the center I was able to accomplish a few things in calling it to the attention of the public. Towards this end editors of the local Negro press have given me all of the cooperation that was promised, some things which I mentioned in my report at that time. A few news items have also appeared in the local white press.

As much of this was in the nature of calling the attention of the public to the center, I shall enumerate a few of the things accomplished. Several days after the opening of the center I was able to have Mr. Samuel Hoskins, city editor of the New Orleans SENTINEL, come out and look over our office. He later wrote a lengthy article on the activities of the center and the material it had to offer to the general public.

Since that time I wrote five or six poems, news releases, and articles for the local Negro press which covered several columns, and received front-page or editorial-page positions. I also appealed to OPPORTUNITY Magazine of New York, asking its editors that whenever mention is made of me in regard to five separate items of mine that they are going to publish . . . . The demand of one of the newspapers that I write exclusively for its own publication and my deeper immersion into the writing and editing of the first draft of the last remaining chapters of THE NEGRO IN LOUISIANA have caused me to suspend for a time my activities in regard to newspaper copy.

One of the news releases written for the local Negro and white press was a short article on a display of early Negro newspapers and magazines, etc., which I had arranged in the the display case in the name of the Dillard University Library. My  other activities were directed to devoting some time to inquiries coming into the center for facts and material, and then receiving and arranging between 100 and 200 pamphlets, booklets and mimeographed releases.

The center has also written to several agencies for booklets, etc., and in connection with this hundreds of pieces of material have been received and place upon our free distribution table where the supply has steadily diminished. Doctor Daley of the Romance Language Department also kindly donated to the center nearly a hundred copies of booklets on Inter-American relations. These were also distributed to students and persons visiting the center.

As much of my time during the last month has been devoted to the history manuscript, it is well that I tell you something of what has been attempted and accomplished. I understand that it has been suggested that I might better employ my time in writing the remaining part of the manuscript by removing myself to the room adjoining the Art Department.

I had several reasons for preferring to finish the study where I am now located. The fact that I would either have to close the War Information Center during the time I should be upstairs, or else leave it open for hours at a time with no one to supervise it, was an added factor in my decision to remain where I am now. I understand that I was to receive some student aid, but I have learned that it may be difficult to do so.

My wife, who is yet to be assigned to me on that basis, has already been doing voluntary work in the typing of the last draft of the chapter which I am now bringing to a close. I have about completed the first draft of this chapter upon which she is working, and the second chapter--with a few small editions--is expected to be completed within the present month. This will then leave me free for the cataloging of the material on cards, which will bring to a completion my duties under the contract.

In this manner I shall devote approximately one month to organizing and opening the center; two months to the actual writing of the manuscript; and one month to indexing or cataloging the material on cards. I am mailing you an extra copy of this report, asking that you will please pass it to Dean Moses so that he will know of the progress made thus far in writing the manuscript which I am to present to you both on May 31, 1943. I should be glad to receive any suggestions that you or he may have on any phases of the work mentioned here.

Sincerely, 

Marcus B. Christian, Director

War Information Center 

Dillard

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