PREFACE
In 1914, a Philadelphia department store tycoon and well known
philanthropist selected three Indian boys from boarding schools across
the United States to attend a prestigious Pennsylvania prep school.
This is a story that has been lying dormant for decades, but must
now be passed down to future generations as an example to young
people of all races that determination and strong character will bring you
through the toughest of times. This story serves as a reminder that all
can achieve and overcome the prejudices and discrimination many of ou
ancestors endured and that many people still face today. Most of all, this
story serves as living proof that people of minority races can find their
place in a troubled world and be vital contributors to a society that has no
always embraced them.
In the following pages you will discover how a young Choctaw Indian
boy from Oklahoma was thrown into a setting of highly intelligent Ivy
League prepsters from wealthy families. You will relive both the physical
and emotional struggles this young man endured and how the challenges
he encountered were especially difficult in a world so foreign to a young
Indian. This story will lead you through the insecurities, discrimination,
the winning of acceptance, the stripping of honor, infliction of shame and
the perseverance eventually leading to triumph.
Most resources for the project came from family records and
recollections of stories told by parents and grandparents. In letters and
other assorted documents hidden away in an aging school file folder,
much of this story was also found. From the pages of a deteriorating and
water-stained 1917 yearbook many of the gaps were filled in. Turning
through pages that almost fell apart in hand, the thoughts, ideals and
dreams of a young World War I era generation was captured. Gazing into
the faces and eyes of the students pictured throughout the book, we saw,
not individuals who had lived their lives and who now belong to the ages,
but young men with interests, talents and dreams for a life that lie ahead.
From tattered and worn pages, we felt the laughter and joy as well as
tears and frustrations come to life.
This is a story that must not be lost again with the passing of
generations. It is not just another Indian story, but one of a courageous
and bright young man who just happened to be an Indian.