My Struggles, and Then I Fly Away
David Richardson
Higher Education I had a difficult time selecting a college. I wanted to attend Atlantic Union College, but their acceptance letter carried some caveats that were not clearly understood. My high school adequately prepared me for college. I took four years of English, seven mathematics courses ranging from algebra I to Calculus. The only major academic mistake I made was not taking physics. My choice to take two years of Latin prevented me from taking physics. A dark cloud would hover above me for many years because I neglected to take high school physics. The axiom that hindsight is inevitably more valuable than foresight is repeatedly applied to my life and the choices that I made. We had approximately 625 students in my high school graduating class, and I placed 125 in the class. A far cry from being valedictorian or salutatorian; nevertheless, I was in the upper 20% of the class. Not great, but respectable. So, I couldn’t understand the conditional acceptance letter I received from Atlantic Union College. Perhaps God gave me limited prescience of what to expect if I decided to attend a predominantly white college in the early sixties. I needed to concentrate on receiving an education from an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). 2
I received an acceptance letter from Oakwood College, an HBCU. This Institution was about 900 miles from my home. I enthusiastically selected Oakwood College! I felt that the number of mathematics, languages, and science courses would be great assets in preparing me to matriculate in a college environment. I had never been away from home, and now I was contemplating moving 900 miles from my birth site to attend a college located in an environment immersed in mega prejudice traditional to the deep south in the early sixties. Huntsville, Alabama was not too far from Birmingham, where Theophilus Eugene (Bull) Connor, a devout racist, and segregationist lived. The deep south was not the best place to be in the 1960s, but I truly wanted an education, and Lawrence and Gertrude Hudnall, a white couple, decided to drive me the 900 miles to Oakwood College. They were an incredible couple. Amid great racial tension, they drove a black 17-year-old kid into the heart of Dixie. I am deeply appreciative of their courage, inspiration, and fortitude. They didn’t know that they were taking me into an environment that would significantly alter my life. The trip to Huntsville was uneventful, but Lawrence and Gertrude could see a penetrating sadness that permeated my facial 3
expression and altered the intonations of my voice as we traveled farther from Atlantic City, New Jersey, and farther into the deep south. We didn’t need to verbalize anything, because they knew how much I missed Janet. These extraordinary people had great compassion. They knew how I felt, and they didn’t what to exacerbate my hurt and lonely feelings by having a conversation that would create a more intense sadness especially when we had to be concerned about driving into the deep south - a drive that included a black boy and a white couple. I become quite emotional when I think about the way many white southerners treated black people. I was deeply concerned about the outcome of the 2016 presidential campaign. I didn’t want the veil of darkness from the past to satiate this nation as it did in the south in the early sixties. I prayed that God’s protective tentacles would stretch over the United States. I prayed that His everlasting mercy would shelter us from what I viewed as the coming storm. I prayed that His love would quench our fears, and like Israel of old, we would be able to claim His promise, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). 4
Close to Huntsville, circa 1961 Saddness permeated my face since I left Atlantic City
Just one day at Oakwood College Still Missing Janet
I was fortunate to have the Hudnalls in my life. Not only did they commit their time, energy, and money in driving me to Huntsville, Alabama, they loved me, and they were genuinely interested in my safety, welfare, spirituality, intellectual growth, social growth, and career aspirations. They attended my high school graduation when my biological parents didn’t. They drove me to Huntsville, 5
Alabama in their car; therefore, eliminating the worry that I would have to take public transportation into the heart of the south during the Jim Crow era. The Hudnalls truly had a significant impact on my life. The Hudnalls were there for me when no one in my immediate family was there. They supported me in every conceivable manner. We made one overnight stay during our drive south. We stopped at a makeshift bed-in-breakfast in Virginia. The Hudnalls politely asked the pseudo-bed-in-breakfast owner if she had a place for me to stay. She found a room somewhere in the back of the house where I could rest for the evening. I felt strange because I was staying in a place where I would not have had the opportunity if I hadn’t been with Lawrence and Gertrude. After an excellent night’s rest, we drove to Southern Missionary College (SMC) in Collegedale, Tennessee. I was impressed with the physical outlay of the campus, the facilities, and the infrastructure of the campus. I couldn’t wait to get to Oakwood College. After spending a brief time at SMC, we drove the remaining distance to Huntsville. I recall that we arrived sometime in the 6
early evening, and Rawdon Brown, one of the Dean’s monitors, enthusiastically welcomed us. He escorted us to a room in Peterson Hall. The room he showed us gave me some concern; because the mattress had urine stains. At the time, I didn’t realize that Oakwood College was the site for an annual camp meeting for the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist. The dormitories housed visitors, and many of the visitors had small children who frequently experienced nocturnal enuresis. My brother, Archie, had a bedwetting problem for years. We shared the same bed, and I would frequently wakeup showered in urine. The sight of the urine-stain mattresses reminded me of my bedroom back in Atlantic City, and my ashen and sorrowful face was a signal to Gertrude Hudnall to ask Rawdon if they had another room that he could give me. Brown, who later became a pastor in Texas, was very accommodating. He showed us a room in another part of Peterson Hall; however, if I selected that room, then I would be required to have two roommates. I didn’t mind, and I settled for that room. Oakwood was not as pristine looking as SMC, but I could feel a genuine 7
comradery and sincere spiritual vibration from the people who walked the Campus. The Hudnalls had to return to their jobs in Atlantic City. Lawrence rewired motors, now a discontinued profession, and Gertrude worked at a clothing-manufacturing factory in Atlantic City. Today, both jobs wouldn’t be accessible to American blue-collar workers, because it’s cheaper to purchase a new motor than to repair an old one, and most of our clothes are manufactured in other countries. The label “Made in America” is nearly an obsolete descriptor. For some inexplicable reason, this nation migrated from a manufacturing society to an information and technology society. I think it’s time to re-evaluate that model. As dynamic as the Hudnalls were, they would be unemployable into today’s economy. They would have to retool. I was sad to see them leave, and I was very happy that they were an inextricable part of my physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual development. They had done a great job in nurturing me. It didn’t take me long to acclimate to my new digs, because everyone I encountered, without exception, on the Campus was helpful, kind, and sociable. This environment was different from any other I had experienced. I know Oakwood College is not a 8
heaven, but, in my naivetĂŠ, I thought I was close to heaven. I had never experienced the spirituality in Atlantic City that universally satiated me at Oakwood College. There were morning and evening worship services, chapel services, and amazing Sabbath church services. Sabbath church services in Atlantic City were small and, generally, boring. Sabbath church services at Oakwood College were
dynamic,
highly
charged,
motivational,
and
very
inspirational. How could I have survived so long in Atlantic City with such boring services? The services at Oakwood College were hyped. I frequently wished that James Fundenberg and Joseph Jacobs could have visited Oakwood and experienced the highly charged church services on the College Campus. I was surprised to see Joe pass through Huntsville, Alabama one evening. He and two of his friends were hitchhiking on their way to South America.
He had joined a religious group that
proselytized in foreign countries. I was teaching at Oakwood College when I received a call from him. I don’t know how he got my phone number, but he told me that he and two friends were hitchhiking on Jordan Parkway. They were about twenty miles from my home. I picked them up, housed them up for the night, fed them a good breakfast the next morning, and returned them to the place where I had found them. Joe’s unexpected visit was very 9
brief – just- an overnight stay; therefore, he and his friends didn’t get the opportunity to experience the dynamic spiritual services that usually took place on the Campus.
Sometime during the
seventies was the last time I saw Joe, and I haven’t seen him since he passed through Huntsville, Alabama. Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) didn’t have a lot of students. In fact, my high school graduation class was twice the size of the entire 1961 Oakwood College student body. The school had two types of students in the early sixties - college students and high school students.
These students shared the College’s
classroom facilities and living facilities. The high school was a boarding school; therefore, the students and their Dean, Ashby, shared a portion of the male dormitory, Peterson Hall. The female academy students resided in the old Wade Hall building. A few years ago, the old Wade Hall was dismantled, and a new Wade Hall has taken its place. It wasn’t long before my first roommate, Alfred, arrived, and we got along fabulously. Later, my second roommate arrived. He was a music major and an excellent pianist. However, he didn’t stay at the College very long. I believe he stayed for one year. 10
The beginning of my freshman year at the College was exciting. A week before the commencement of the 1961-62 academic term, I went to visit the Chair of the Chemistry Department. In those days, Oakwood College was on the quarter system, and the Chemistry Department had only one faculty member, Dr. Emerson A. Cooper, who served as the department chairperson. Dr. Cooper lived a life that was dedicated and committed to the Adventist Higher Education (AHE) system. Also, he was very committed to his students. He had a deep-rooted commitment to students and Christian higher education. He helped hundreds of young people realize their dreams in medicine, para-medical careers, and careers in the sciences. It was my privilege to have known an educator and scientist of his ilk. Many people have influenced my life. If I tried to identify those who had a major influence on my life, the list would fill the pages of this book. However, my life would not have taken the major directions it had if it were not for my parents, Ethel and James; James Fundenberg; Lawrence and Gertrude Hudnall; my freshman History of World Civilization teacher; Dr. Emerson Cooper; Dr. Terry Alger, Dr. Frank Budd, and Dr. Ann Erickson. These names stand out from the myriad of people who have had major impacts on my life. Though the list of people who influenced my life are 11
numerous, the few names mentioned here significantly changed the direction of my life. Their presence in my life dramatically affected me, and their interactions with me resulted in crossroad modifications that set me on courses that have taken me down many successful roads. In this chapter, I want to focus on Dr. Emerson A. Cooper as a father figure, a friend, a mentor, a spiritual guide, and a scholar. He was an amazing person.
An example of his strong
determination and fortitude occurred when he began to lose his eyesight. He memorized as many scripture passages as possible before going blind. He was able to quote Bible verses (King James Version) verbatim. The passages he memorized gave him spiritual strength and guidance for making critical decisions. He used that talent to encourage others. Someone directed me to Dr. Cooper’s home, and I visited him unannounced. That would be difficult to do in today’s society for someone of his ilk. I knocked on the door, and, after I identified myself, he introduced me to his lovely wife, the former Marjorie Stephens, and, at that time, their two children, Roslyn (now Roslyn Fields, a nurse) and Stephen (who later became a medical practitioner). At that time, Marjorie was pregnant with Margo, 12
now Margo Bagley (an internationally known patent lawyer and law professor at the University of Virginia and Emory University). I told him that I wanted to major in Chemistry and minor in religion. He smiled, and told me that I would be taking, at least, one or two religion courses each year. He advised me to reevaluate my options and think about minoring in mathematics. He was very nurturing. He wanted the best for his student, and he encouraged them to reach their highest potentials. Dr. Cooper was an insightful professor who was filled with the Holy Spirit and touched by God with incredible wisdom and knowledge. God selects extraordinary individuals to accomplish extraordinary tasks during extraordinary times.
This was very true of Dr.
Cooper. His work at Oakwood College was extraordinary. He single-handedly built the Chemistry Department at the College. For many years, he taught all the chemistry courses offered at the College. He was brilliant. He structured a baccalaureate degree that included general chemistry, qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, organic chemistry, biochemistry, nuclear Chemistry, and physical chemistry. Even though the curriculum was not adequate for a Bachelor of Science degree, it satisfied the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. You have no idea how difficult that must have been! Very few people, if any, can, single-handedly and with 13
confidence, teach every undergraduate chemistry course in a baccalaureate program.
But Dr. Cooper did!
His teaching
methodologies were contagious. He taught me to love chemistry and to help others love chemistry. Following my visit to Dr. Cooper’s house, I selected chemistry as a major and mathematics as a minor. He became my lifelong mentor, father figure, and friend. Dr. Cooper had a great impact on my life and the lives of many others. He had a beautifully organized and extraordinary mind. In addition to teaching all the chemistry courses at Oakwood, he held various administrative positions during his tenure at Oakwood College. At one point, he was the Acting President of College. He was instrumental in helping me access a graduate program in chemistry. After my academic training, I felt confident to teach most undergraduate chemistry courses with the same enthusiasm as he taught chemistry; however, I could never do it as effectively as my mentor and friend. He had the superior mind and the superior intellect! I took every course he taught, and I cannot think of any other teacher who has had more impact on me than Dr. Cooper. 14
I remember the last chemistry course I took from him. It was biochemistry. There were seven students in the class, and I can see their faces. Other than myself, the students were Gene Crawford (now deceased); Henry Felder (now deceased); Victor Duncan (now deceased); Kathleen (Hall) Dobbins; Andre Thompson; and James Winston. Dr. Cooper walked into the classroom and handed us the traditional blue examination booklets. He went to the blackboard, and he wrote… “tell me everything you know about what occurs (biochemically) when food enters the mouth, undergoes digestion, and produces the desired end-products.” Essentially, Dr. Cooper asked us to tell him everything we knew about carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, protein metabolism, and their interconnectivity. What a great question! We wrote and wrote and wrote and filled the blue booklets from front to back, and then we started a second blue booklet. He had given us a lot of information about biochemistry and we used the metabolic pathways and chemical formulas to answer the question. I truly enjoyed his teaching and his mentoring more than any other subject during my undergraduate years at Oakwood College. 15
I worked for Dr. Cooper for the entire four years of my undergraduate studies. He was influential in my life and I wanted to walk in his footsteps. I wanted to be just like him! He became my father away from home. He was a leader in the science community, a leader among Adventist scientists, and an outstanding administrator. He received several offers to teach in other Adventist Higher Education institutions, but he chose to stay at Oakwood College. He spent summers and sabbaticals at Oakridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, the University of Wisconsin, and Kentucky State University. He frequently talked about how God ordered his steps, and he focused on God being first in his life. He loved God because God first loved him. His influence on my life was so positive that he essentially ordered my career steps. His knowledge, counsel, and advice triggered a career for me that resulted in a deep appreciation and love for chemistry education. Dr. Cooper was one of those unique individuals God selects for a very special purpose. God’s purpose was to encourage Dr. Cooper to build an academic infrastructure at Oakwood College that would be the envy of the HBCU institutions. He created an enviable teaching and learning 16
environment at the College. His academic program helped train future scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, ministers, and medical practitioners. His trainees left the College prepared to represent God in a godless world, to contribute to the body of knowledge in their chosen disciples, to extend helping hands to those in need, to share their expertise with others, and to spread the message of a crucified, resurrected, and soon to return Savior. Dr. Cooper was an intellectual giant. He contributed to the body of knowledge in mainstream chemistry as well as philosophical issues associated with Intelligent Design. His books helped Christians understand God as the creator of an ever-evolving universe. As a chemist, he had an in-depth understanding of cosmology. The concept of the big bang theory was no mystery to him. David explained it in Psalm 18:15 when he said, “…the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.” The phrase “blast of His breath” only gave credence to Dr. Cooper’s belief that God spoke the universe into existence using a singularity event. God’s voice created the singularity within nanoseconds. And God was the architect of converting the infinitesimally small into the infinitely large. What a magnificent mind Dr. Cooper had, and I am proud to have been one of his students and to have been a part of his family. 17
Dr. Cooper was a “repairer of the breach”. He was a man of all seasons. He was the Dean of Adventist Black scientists. He joined the ranks of the presidents of the college. He was the architect and builder of my career. But most of all, he was a man of God. He never took the credit for himself…he attributed all of his accomplishments to the glory of God. I can imagine this deeply spiritual man saying: “To God be the glory, great things he hath done! So, loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life gate that all may go in.” “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice! O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done!” After reading this chapter, you can understand why Dr. Cooper influenced my entire academic and personal life. Others influenced me at Oakwood College as well, but not with the same magnitude as this extraordinary man. Here was a man who left many positive footprints in the sands of time before he flew away. His spirit flew away on August 14, 2012, after nearly nine decades of leaving positive footprints for others to see and follow.
18
I had many opportunities to form new friendships and associations during my freshman year. In 1961, I met an individual who would be my roommate during my sophomore, junior, and senior years. His name was Gene Crawford, a double major in chemistry and mathematics. Gene was from the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. I preferred to call my good friend Crawford because I associated the sound of his name “Gene” with the feminine version. It was difficult for me to pin down the exact place he called home, but I remember his mother owning an apartment complex in Chicago. I first met Crawford in some of the same classes I took during my freshman year. We were student-colleagues in general chemistry and college algebra. Both classes were easy because of all the mathematics and science courses I took in high school. I had familiarity with every concept and principle in college algebra and general chemistry. Our mathematics instructor, Irene Meredith, agreed that I should have gone directly into differential calculus; however, we were too far into the term to make a change. Furthermore, the review was helpful. My second encounter with Crawford was sometime after midnight when I met him surreptitiously slipping into the dormitory one night after a night of “fishing” in the girls’ dormitory. We had a brief discussion of his adventure, and after that, our attention 19
turned to solving homework problems in chemistry and mathematics and conducting chemistry laboratory experiments. We decided to be roommates commencing our sophomore year. That was the beginning of a terrific relationship that involved many hours of burning of the midnight oil, tears, and sweat. Crawford was a bright guy and an excellent study partner. We complemented one another, and, for the most part, our grades reflected our collaborative learning initiatives. If we encountered a challenging problem, we worked assiduously to solve the problem. We considered all aspects of the problem until we found a solution. We adopted this method of problem-solving for the duration of our college career. When I think about our tenacious approach to problem-solving, I wonder if it may have contributed to Crawford’s health issues years later. After a brief IBM career and a stint in the military, Crawford decided to go to medical school. After receiving an MD degree and completing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology, he worked assiduously to provide for his family and to be the very best in his profession. I remember visiting him in Washington DC where I spent an entire day shadowing him. His day was extremely busy, and he worked through the night at the Washington General Hospital. The 20
intensity and stress of his work schedule ultimately led to a stroke from which he didn't completely recover. A few years following his stroke, his doctor mistakenly diagnosed a pattern of rectal bleeding. The doctor thought that the bleeding was a consequence of a blood-thinning medication Crawford took; however, he had colon cancer. His physicians discovered cancer too late and he lost his battle against this insidious disease. I had a heavy heart at his Celebration of Life when I spoke about my conscientious and dedicated friend who prematurely went to his rest in Christ. Though Crawford’s death was sad, his life was in harmony with God's. His faith strengthened over the years, and his spirit flew away with the assurance of Christ’s promise when he said “… I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor 15:52-55) Crawford went to 21
his grave with a belief that “…though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” (Job 19:26) Our freshman year flew by with rapidity. Learning was fun in the tiny Adventist school we called home for four years. Our class sizes were small, and a few of us became close friends. There were some extraordinarily bright people in our classes including a math whiz named Kathleen Hall. She really knew mathematics, and, years later, she became the Chair of the Mathematics Department and Dean of the Science Division. She had a brief career at Redstone Arsenal, but the majority of her career was dedicated and committed to teaching and working as an administrator at Oakwood University.
She truly loved her students and the
College. You can imagine who convinced her to dedicate her talents and career to Oakwood College. It was Dr. Emerson A. Cooper. She married an Oakwood employee, Mr. Harry Dobbins, and they raised a family while serving students, the College, and their Church. The teaching, learning, and spiritual environments surrounding Oakwood College significantly impacted us. You will understand later that our lives rotated and revolved around the College. We voluntarily, happily, and delightfully allowed the College’s 22
gravitational forces to capture us and hold us for a significant portion of our lives. At some point in time, and in diverse capacities, we worked at the College. It was delightful being in an environment with people of like faith and beliefs, but that didn’t make any of us immune to sin. “I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5). So, we made mistakes as well, and we needed to pray for forgiveness like everyone else. I could write about the multitude of sins I committed, and that would make for raucous and, in some cases, delightful reading. That is not my intent of Fly Away. I want to leave you with a legacy that says, “I contributed to the improvement of society, not to the degradation of society.” “I have made multiple mistakes that impacted multiple people, but in the final analysis, I have left more positive footprints than negative footprints.” So, I ask those individuals I have wronged to forgive me for my transgressions against them, and I asked God to forgive me for my sins of omission and commission. Jesus never promised any of us that life would be without obstacles, difficulties, or challenges. However, he did promise that He would be with us (Matt. 28:20) despite our transgressions. It is tough weathering the storm with 23
Jesus; however, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, “one like the Son of God” will walk with us in the fiery furnace. We have His assurance that under no circumstances would he abandon us. He wants us to be a part of that great congregation who will either be resurrected at his coming or taken alive to join Him in the air. “ …The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17) Also, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (John 11:25).” I ask for your forgiveness, not for a selfish reason, but so that I may be connected to God, and will be able to stand in the Judgment washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. None of us are accidents of nature. We follow a carefully orchestrated and organized plan, and that plan assures us that we should not fear, because we have been redeemed (Isa. 43:1–3). 24
Redemption comes through repentance, that is why I ask for forgiveness. The one thing that I learned at Oakwood College from a spiritual perspective is that “Jesus is coming again! Echo it, hilltops; proclaim it, ye plains: Jesus is coming again! Coming in glory, the Lamb that was slain; Jesus is coming again! Nations are angry—by this we do know Jesus is coming again! Knowledge increases; men run to and fro; Jesus is coming again!” John W. Peterson (1957)
My first job with Dr. Cooper was with the Ford Hall (the old Science Building) Custodial Department. My work as a custodian lasted about three months, and then I became a member of the elite “Laboratory Assistants” brigade. Fitzgerald Jenkins was the lead Laboratory Assistant. I was a laboratory assistant for Nursing Chemistry and General Chemistry. Laboratory assistants had the responsibility of preparing solutions for the experiments and distributing chemicals and equipment to students for their 25
experiments. I held those responsibilities until I graduated from Oakwood College. Oakwood College was an important conduit for the education of black students in the early sixties. You didn’t have to pay an exorbitantly high fee for a college education. Also, students could work off a significant portion of their tuition and fees through the College’s work-study programs which included several viable industries. Students received a monthly statement they earned through the work-study program. A monthly statement reflected the amount earned. I made about $54.00 a month working as a Laboratory Assistant, a lot less than I made working on C. D. Bailey‘s flower farm as a blue-collar employee. Nevertheless, the $54.00 per month significantly reduced the amount my parents had to pay for my education.
I was happy that I got through my
baccalaureate education debt-free. This is a far cry from the enormous fees that today’s students pay for their education. A college education is essential and no qualified student in the United States should be denied the opportunity to receive a college education. 26
During the four years I spent at Oakwood College, I was still somewhat naïve and inexperienced because I rarely traveled outside the confines of the College. I didn't have a car, and I rarely visited the Huntsville downtown area.
In fact, as a college
student, I didn’t have a driver’s license. My parents didn’t own a car, and the Hudnalls didn’t teach me to drive because of insurance constraints (male drivers under 25 years of age drove their guardian or parents’ cars with significant financial penalties to their insurance policies). I had a brief driving experience when I worked on C. D. Bailey’s flower farm during the summers of 1960 (after my high school junior year) and 1961 (after my high school senior year). I drove the company’s truck without a driver’s license on the company’s property and ruined a few hydrangeas. One of the older workers covered for me and secretly made the necessary repairs before my dastardly act was discovered. I thank my Guardian Angel for not getting me fired. I didn’t have a driver's license in college; therefore, I didn't drive during my stay as a student in Huntsville. The administration and faculty protected the student body. They treated students like elementary and junior high school students. 27
We were not allowed to leave the Campus unless we got permission from the administration. All students had to have parental consent before leaving the Campus. The College's policy of separating young women from young men during chapel and church services was archaic. It was a strange sight to see! The only way the sexes could mix would be if a male friend was on the Dean's List. If a male student had a sufficiently high GPA that put him on the Dean’s List, then he could sit with his girlfriend during church services. You can read about this practice and students’ interest in seeking equity in an Internet article (http://blacksdahistory.org/files/47846038.pdf) published by Holly Fisher: I wanted to move forward with other potential relationships even though I continued to have pleasant thoughts about Janet. The young ladies at Oakwood were beautiful, talented, and spiritual. This was my first experience living in an environment immersed in a sea of beautiful black people. At this point, I estimate that my social skills, Ssa , was about 33% with a coefficient, csa, close to 0.25. After several social blunders, I found the companionship of a nice young lady. Her name was Hazel Mayes, and she was an 28
off-campus student. Her parents lived on a hill close to the Campus. Even on dark nights, it didn’t take long to walk from the campus to her home. In doing so, I had to walk by an orphanage, College faculty houses, and the houses of community people from the Church community. Generally, it was an uneventful walk; however, one occasion, I had an altercation with some of the kids from the orphanage. Black families occupied most of the houses along the dark road to Hazel’s house. I frequently walked that lonely road on Saturday nights. Also, Crawford had a special friend, Belvia, who lived across the street from Hazel. Hazel and Belvia were friends, and they and their siblings spent a large portion of their adolescent years playing, studying, and working together. Crawford really liked Belvia, but her parents believed that his background, language, and personality didn't measure up to the standards they wanted for their daughter. Therefore, Belvia’s parents persuaded her to reconsider her relationship with Crawford. On the other hand, Hazel’s parents were okay with me courting their daughter. In the early sixties, many female students with boyfriends got married soon after graduating. This was generally true for ministerial majors. The College discouraged marriages during the school year when classes were in session. Many students married during the summers or soon after they 29
graduated. My "G" score was too low to think about marriage during my sophomore year, and the thought of a long-term responsibility made me nervous because I wanted to go to graduate school after receiving my baccalaureate degree. I indicated earlier that we had to receive parental permission to leave campus. This was true for Christmas and Thanksgiving breaks. When I first arrived, the College had a separate break for Thanksgiving and a break for Christmas; however, when a tragic accident led to the deaths of several students during one of the breaks, the College re-evaluated its vacation policy and made the decision to have one long vacation period that included Thanksgiving and Christmas. The new vacation policy provided a better safety net for students and ample time for students to drive home or take public transportation to their homes. This was helpful because many students came from great distances including some foreign countries. Students from outside the United States generally spent their holidays on the Campus. I remember on one occasion that I depended on a ride from students to Atlantic City. I was asked if I could drive a car. I prevaricated and said, "yes"; however, I had absolutely no driving experience except the destructive one on C. D. Bailey’s Flower 30
Farm. Finally, it was my turn to drive, and my inability and inexperience were quite evident from the erratic manner I maneuvered the car. I thought that I could drive a car, but it wasn't that easy. The diver exacerbated the problem by asking me to drive at night. I could have killed everyone in the car. I sat behind the unfamiliar stirring wheel with a canopy of blackness staring me in the face. Two beams of light penetrated the dark veil, but the car went zigzag. My action was inexcusable, and I was perfectly aware of driving inexperience. My parents didn't own a car, and no one in my home owned a car. I grew up in a carless environment. The owner of the vehicle asked me to pull over to the side of the road. Immediately, he took asserted his privilege to drive his car in spite of being exhausted because of insufficient rest. For obvious reasons, we didn’t have the option to stay in a motel or a hotel in the deep south. Our options were to sleep on the side of the road or keep driving. The driver opted to keep driving because we remembered the students who died the previous year while sleeping on the side of the road. They stopped, pulled over to the side of the road, turn off the headlights and the interior lights, and waited for a truck to strike them from the rear because the veil of darkness cloaked their vehicle. We arrived safely in the north despite my deception and 31
lie about my driving abilities. I could use my lack of maturity as an excuse for my stupidity but it was my arrogance. I could have been responsible for the loss of five precious lives. God, who sees all possible futures, protected us despite my attempt to deceive. I had a delightful time with my family since I hadn’t seen them for some time. I didn’t go home during the summer because I was a student scientist at Redstone Arsenal. I spent an interesting and informative summer after my freshman year as a student scientist at Redstone Arsenal.
I got the
opportunity to listen to lectures by outstanding scientists and engineers like Dr. Wernher von Braun. The government wanted to encourage students to pursue careers in science and engineering. So, they initiated a summer student scientist program at Redstone Arsenal. The program created an opportunity for students to meet and interact with aerospace scientists and engineers. The purpose of the program was to encourage students to consider aerospace science and engineering as future careers and to learn aerospace concepts and ideas rather than extracting contributory work from them.
32
They selected me to participate in the program, and I spent the summer of 1962 at Redstone Arsenal attending science and engineering lectures, reading, studying, and contemplating my future. It was a great learning experience, a productive way to spend my summer, and a way to earn the entry fees required by the College for the start of the new academic term. I experienced many anxieties and frustrations during my sophomore year, but, for some inexplicable reason, I had the best academic performance of my entire four years at the College. During the second term, I had a heavier academic load than I wanted or what I would advise any student to take. I enrolled in six courses-five of which were science courses including general physics, quantitative analysis, physical chemistry, and integral calculus. I am not sure why my adviser enrolled me in physics and physical chemistry simultaneously. I was particularly vulnerable because I made a major academic faux pas by omitting physics from my high school curriculum. This mistake negatively impacted my ability to understand physics. The omission weakened my knowledge of physics and physical chemistry and exacerbated an increasingly wider gap in my science knowledge. I needed to address this weakness! 33
Incidentally, my physical chemistry course was for one semester rather than two semesters, taken during my sophomore year, and taught by a mathematician who, at that time, had a baccalaureate degree. Physical chemistry is generally a two-semester course that includes concepts of dynamics and kinetics. It took years to decrease the gap created by my initial academic faux pas and limited exposure to baccalaureate level physics and physical chemistry. Carl Gauss said, "mathematics is the queen of the sciences". I think physics is the king of the sciences. I believe that physics is the foundation of all the sciences. It uses the queen of sciences to effectively communicate mathematical models that serve as the foundations for all the sciences. Also, physics gives us insight into and theoretical understanding of the multiverse. The universe and the multiverse have so much to offer; therefore, we remain in learning modes for eternity. If we examine the myriad of knowledge amassed and documented by humanity during 5,000 years of recorded history, the Bible will be the only historical record that trumps physics. I believe physics, masked as cosmology, will emerge as a major subject of study for the saints throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. I say this 34
because physics is fundamental to our understanding of the existence of the universe. Physics helps us understand why the universe exhibits such dynamic cataclysmic, creative, and extinguishing forces ubiquitous to the universe and the multiverse. Physics explains the birth and death of stars and is foundational to the other sciences, e.g., physics explains chemistry and chemistry explains biology. Stars are born and die within the vast fabric of space, and their births and deaths reflect the omnipotence and omniscient powers of an Intelligent Designer. Dr. Cooper understood this concept, and before his spirit flew away his interest and curiosity about cosmology and physics increased. The universe within is as complicated as the Universe without. There is an uncanny resemblance between the microcosm and the macrocosm. An electron microscopy picture of brain cells looks amazingly similar to the cosmic picture of a portion of the universe. The interconnectivity of the universe within and the universe without is phenomenal. Both show vast dark spaces and inexplicable similarities as indicated in the following pictures.
35
Brain Cells
The universe
http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/scientistsclaim-that-the-universe-is-giant-brain/
The Universe looks like a giant brain cell or a giant brain cell looks like the universe. Is this a coincidence? I think not! The look-alike phenomenon supports the concept of an Intelligent Designer. There must be a God somewhere. We don’t know where He is in the multiverse, and we are not privy to His creative genius. But we know He is real, and I feel Him in my soul. He created the universe from His breath, “…the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth (Psalm 33:6),” but we know that He exists, and He exemplifies the epitome of love. I realized years after completing my formal education that physics is indeed the central science. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose physics as my field of study. I thought chemistry was the central science, I taught the subject for years, and one textbook I 36
used was titled “Chemistry: The Central Science�. I now believe that was a misnomer because the true central science is physics. I believe that Dr. Cooper came to that conclusion, as well, before he flew away. In college, I relished the opportunity to help my colleagues in the laboratory and with their homework problems. My dorm room was available during the evenings for tutoring sessions. The flow of students to our dorm room steadily increased, because my roommate and I tutored many students in chemistry and mathematics. This was an opportunity for us to also reinforce our understanding of the principles and concepts we learned in the classroom. Learning comes from teaching others. Every opportunity to help my colleagues understand chemistry was an opportunity to reinforce what I had learned. My
approach
to
studying
physics
in
college
was
counterproductive. I take full responsibility for my actions; however, I reiterate that my college physics professor was a mathematician, not a physicist. Though he knew a lot about physics, his credentials were in mathematics, not physics. 37
I memorized physics equations and the solutions that were in Schaum’s Outline of College Physics, and fortuitously, the instructor took his examination problems from Schaum. So, the more I memorized the solutions to problems in Schaum's manual, the better my grade. I had an affinity for memorizing equations and formulas, and I believe that ability was a deterrent rather than an asset. Years ago, my mentor and friend gave me some good advice. He said that understanding is key to the ability to know how to research information and make appropriate connections and analytical extrapolations, not memorizing a bunch of unrelated facts. Since then, I have attempted to understand concepts and principles rather than memorize numbers, facts, and equations. I try to instill this in my students as well. I want them to understand concepts and principles rather than plugging and chugging into equations. True education comes from understanding rather than memorizing disconnected facts and figures. Understanding comes from God, because “… the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6).” I was extremely busy with my academic program during my sophomore year, but a memorable and historic event occurred on the college campus. The Black Huntsville community invited Dr. 38
Martin Luther King to give a speech at Alabama A and M University (a state college), but, for obvious reasons, the white governing body didn’t approve of his visit on the campus of a state university. So, the black community turned to the administration of Oakwood College for help. The College approved a request for Dr. King to speak in the gymnasium with one caveat. They didn’t want the small student body of Oakwood College and the small student body of Oakwood Academy to attend because of potential reprisal from the area segregationists. The administration was extremely protective of students and felt that parents of students would be outraged if they thought their children would be in harm's way. They gave the College administration the responsibility of taking every precaution to assure their children’s safety in a highly segregated
community
within
the
darkness
(spiritually,
metaphysically, and socially) of the deep south. Before Dr. King’s visit on March 19, 1962, the administration gave Oakwood students a directive not to attend the meeting in case there is an uneventful occurrence. What a missed historic opportunity for the Oakwood College students! A few students violated the directive and surreptitiously maneuvered their way to the meeting hall. Along with the majority of the Oakwood student body, I missed the opportunity to witness 39
a version of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech before it's official delivery in front of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. I remember very little from my junior year except for one significant and historic event – the assignation of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I vaguely remember lying on one of the laboratory benches in the physics laboratory when the news arrived about President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas. That November 22, 1963 date will go down in history also as a true day of infamy. This country lost a vibrant leader when an assassin took Kennedy's life. In 2016 racial tensions increased analogously as to the 1963 racial tensions. So, the nation reverted to a six-decade-old scenario that appeared to be initiated by President-elect Donald Trump. Donald Trump wanted “to make America great again.” What did that mean? Some imagined that it meant “make America white, racist, and misogynistic again.” I thought that it was an unwise decision for the Republican Party to back a candidate who exhibits characteristics contrary to this country’s founding fathers. When immigrants
approached
Ellis
Island,
they
encountered
the Colossus of the Statue of Liberty, and were embraced by 40
Emma Lazarus’ words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” These words were encouraging words for those seeking a new life in a free world. The United States of America is an amalgamation of multiple ethnic and cultural groups, and the only indigenous Americans are Native Americans all others are immigrants. This incredible nation and the world have benefited from the creativity, imagination, and innovation of immigrants like Nikola Tesla, a Croatian immigrant, who contributed to the development of wireless radio transmission and the use of practical electricity using alternating current. Albert Einstein, a German immigrant, who showed us the relationship between energy and matter; unveiled the Special Theory of Relativity; and received the Nobel Prize for his work on the Photoelectric Effect. Madeleine Albright, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia, who continued to secure our freedom in a free land as former Secretary of State of these United States of America. Joseph Pulitzer, an immigrant from Hungary and a world-class news publisher, whose name epitomizes excellence in Journalism. Hakeem Olajuwon (an icon in the sports world), an immigrant from Nigeria, who was one of basketball’s best and most famous centers. Subrahmanyam 41
Chandrasekhar, an immigrant from India, who was the 1983 recipient of the Nobel Prize in physics. He gave us insight into the evolution of stars and an understanding of the music generated by the creative forces of the universe. Rita M. Rodriguez, a Cuban immigrant, was one of the directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. David Ho, an immigrant from Taiwan, who was a renowned AID’s researcher. These examples are just an inkling of individuals who represent the diverse cultural and ethnic mixes that make America truly great! They are a small representation of the many who made significant contributions in science, engineering, technology, entertainment, humanities, fine arts, architecture, and transportation to our amalgamated American culture. In 2016 America, a divided population argued about the subject of electing its next President. Should the country migrate to the red or blue? It’s analogous to an athletic event. Some cheered for the red team and some cheered for the blue team. It appeared that the red team did not care about the content of their leader’s character because they focused on their selfish desires rather than the needs of the collective. These individuals had a 42
predilection for a white-only America and became zombies to Trump’s promises of job security, increase wages, the construction of the infamous wall that will mitigate the migration of illegal aliens into the United States and the hope of ushering in a new economic utopia. Those followers represented 4% of the American population. There were a few red minorities who supported a pseudo leader short on political correctness and long on inappropriate comments about women and minorities. There was a famous physician who was a follower of the Trump menagerie. He was highly regarded as an excellent surgeon, but yet he supported an individual with an impugnable character. Many prominent republicans somehow were influenced by the stampede of Trumpmania or they might have had an agenda that eluded me. These individuals supported Donald Trump because they wanted recognition and positions in the Trump wave that was sweeping the nation. We forgot that we are not red or blue but that we are red (which represents valor and hardiness), white (which represents purity), and blue (which represents vigilance, justice, and perseverance) "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". In 2016, most of us were unfamiliar with the past history of ugly presidential campaigns in American politics.
The ugliest 43
American presidential campaign was the 1828 Andrew JacksonQuincy Adams Presidential Race.
Andrew Jackson, the
Democratic-Republican Party’s Candidate, came from a humble and modest background.
The Democratic-Republican Party
became the modern Democratic Party. John Quincy Adams (the son of Quincy Adams, the second US President), the Federalists Party’s Candidate, came from an affluent background.
The
Federalists Party became the Republican Party around the middle of the 19th century. In this 1828 campaign the election was so contentious and divisive that the Electoral College didn’t have a majority number of votes for either candidate, and the final decision for the President of the United States fell to the House of Representatives.
During this very divisive campaign, the
legitimacy of Jackson’s marriage came under suspicion and scrutiny. Not unlike the Jackson/Adams campaign, the Clinton/Trump campaign was froth with dirty tricks and allegations that blurred the thinking of numerous American voters. Through it all, voters were able to see the “good and the “bad”, and
the Campaign
evolved into two factions - the “good” and the “bad”. The country was faced with the initial steps in the decline of the American Empire.
The decline of the Roman Empire was, in part, 44
consequences of incompetent leadership, the collapse of a strong societal structure, and the de-evaluation of the monetary system. Only history will determine if the election of Donald Trump will generate the same issues that the Roman Empire experienced. In spite of its multitude of problems, America is great, and for someone to raise questions about its greatness could precipitate an avalanche of creeping declinations in this great nation’s vibrant structure. I was appalled to hear a Trump supporter stand up in Mike Pence’s Townhouse Meeting and say, “Our lives depend on this election. Our kids’ futures depend on this election. I will tell you, just for me ― and I don’t want this to happen ― but I will tell you for me personally, if Hillary Clinton gets in, I myself, I’m ready for a revolution, because we can’t have her in.” This kind of rhetoric was destructive and divisive. It did little to uphold President’s Lincoln’s strong desire to solidify the union at any cost, because “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” History has a tendency to repeat itself. Let’s not forget the words of Martin Niemöller: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. 45
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” The American people will remove the scales from their eyes to clearly differentiate the good from the bad. The country must address the genuine question: What should be the temperament of the most important CEO position in the entire world? So, in 2016, it appeared to me that we took a backward step. We stepped into the 1963 dismal world of dark prejudices that satiated the minds of southern White Americans and many northern whites. By the time of the US 2016 presidential campaign, God had allowed me to live through thirteen presidents. He graciously permitted me to have the opportunity to see the beginning of the tenure of my fourteenth president. Up to that time, I had not seen, heard, or read about the Ku Klux Klan openly celebrating the election victory of any president from Franklin Delano Roosevelt 46
to Barack Hussein Obama. However, for my fourteenth president, I read headlines like, “We [KKK] Won it for Donald Trump;” the “KKK…Supports Donald Trump for President;” “KKK Victory Parade to Celebrate 2016 Presidential Election;” “The KKK to Hold Public Victory March for Donald Trump;” and KKK supporters give Nazi salute at North Carolina rally in support of Donald Trump.” It was disheartening to read articles, more than five decades after the 1964 Civil Rights Act, reporting racial slurs and overt racial actions in the aftermath of a presidential election. As a child, teenager, and young adult, I remember the Jim Crow era in the south and de facto segregation in the north during the presidential tenures of Dwight David Eisenhower, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and Lyndon Baines Johnson. Now, after I read and saw what was happening in my country, I asked the salient question, “What does the future hold for minorities?” Many people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities worked hard (and some violently died) before and after the Kennedy Administration to lawfully and unequivocally establish, in this great nation, the true meaning of the Declaration of the United States that “…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
My thoughts wandered to the
unfortunate incident under the Johnson Administration where 47
three young men, Michael Schwerner (White), Andrew Goodman (White), and James Chaney (Black), sacrificed their lives in Mississippi so that Blacks could vote. In light of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of others, it would be unconscionable to allow the visible resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. I felt that this great nation should treat the KKK as domestic terrorists and take necessary steps to discourage and suppress this vial organization that created so much havoc, death, and repression of a large portion of its citizenry. Again, my mind wandered, what mysterious dark forces have infiltrated our nation? Have the de facto-racial tensions emerged from darkness into the light as a consequence of the continuous and
controversial
2016
presidential
election?
Has
the
Trump/Hillary debacle served as a platform for dormant racial infestations to flourish?
Mary Papenfuss, US West Coast
correspondent for International Business Times UK writing for Huffington Post, reported that “police in Roxboro, NC will hold a press conference…to address community concerns after a band of KKK members drove through the small town …celebrating President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory…." My thoughts were “What are we becoming?” “Are we destined to repeat history and enslaved immigrants and people of color in a way that will favor 48
and secure liberty for a small population of white supremacist and separatist?” History has a way of repeating itself! So, my perspective was to be vigilant during the final days of earth’s history, and not forget Matthew’s apocalyptic comment that “…there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24).” I didn't want to put my future hopes in an individual who suggested that his future footprints might be negative. I needed to be vigilant and embrace God’s words of warning that “…If the owner of the house had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into (Matthew 24:44).” This passage of Scripture soothed my anxieties. My mantra was to let go, and let God control and guide my life, and, at the same time watch, and boldly oppose any semblance of injustice when the ugly heads of prejudice and repression of freedom visibly manifest themselves. I spent the summer following my junior year as a student researcher at Oak Ridge National Research Laboratory in the X10 Laboratory working under Dr. O. Lewis Keller. Dr. Keller introduced me to an MIT physical chemist who interviewed me for 49
a graduate position at the University. They assisted me with the application process, and soon I received a letter of acceptance from one of the most prestigious chemistry graduate programs in the country. In 1965, I gleefully anticipated the
impending
graduation
ceremonies;
however,
unrest
overshadowed the Commencement. The students focused on social injustice and concerns for negative policies fostered by the College administration. James Winston (who later became a physician) was President of the student body’s United Student Movement, and, along with key student leaders, developed a written set of issues about policies and procedures that violated the rights of students. Students felt jeopardized by the College's policies that negatively impacted their academic freedom and off-campus mobility. Students opposed the widespread separation of male students from female students during certain assembly services at the College. Male and female students could sit together or close together in classes but couldn't sit together during chapel, church services, and general assemblies. Students didn't like the fact that the President of the College only held a baccalaureate degree. Also, students wanted the future of their academic programs to be secured. Students wanted to have a conversation about summary dismissal or suspension without 50
provocation. Also, students wanted a viable mechanism of recourse if suspension or dismissal was under consideration by the administration. Students took a definitive position by organizing a silent protest planned to take place on the campus during a scheduled College Board Meeting. Almost unanimously, at an appointed time, students decided to boycott classes; form a circle around the College’s famous Bell Tower that was then located in the center of the Campus; sing and pray for the Administration and Board’s understanding that they wanted to be delivered from the yoke of unreasonable policy oppressions; and, finally, they wanted the Board of Trustees to be sympathetic and empathetic to their list of reasonable demands. Eventually, our protests formed the foundation for permanent policy changes at the College, but the protest damaged several students including key people like Carol Hardy (Carol Cantu) and James Winston who didn't graduate with their classmates because of the protest movement. The administration's reprisal and punitive actions toward Carol and James irreparably impacted their lives. Even though their suspensions negatively impacted their timelines for graduation and the completion of their career goals, both individuals ultimately obtained their doctorate degrees. Carol completed her doctorate in education and James completed his 51
doctorate in medicine. They married supportive spouses, and they experience very successful careers in their chosen disciplines. Our positive footprints must not trample on or erode the rights of others. God created all of us from a single human genome. “And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 1:26). “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Genesis 2:21-25).” The impact of evil forces on the will of humanity twisted the thoughts of men and perverted their morals. Some White Americans have difficulty believing that all humanity originated from one source in Northern Africa or the Middle East where “a river watered it” and divided the region by four rivers Pison (probably northern Saudi Arabia), Gihon (Ethiopia), Hiddekel (East of Assyria), and the Euphrates (which exists today as part of the Tigris River found in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq). This 52
means that Eden's location was somewhere in the Middle East or Northern Africa. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence indicates that all humanity originated somewhere in Africa. What does this say about the conversations of the segregationists and separatists who advocate for a United States of “White America?� These individuals advocate for white only leadership and white supremacy and dominance. They fail to recognize that all nations, cultures, and peoples originated from dark-skin people? Geneticists agree to this DNA analysis. Humanity will be enlightened when, at the last trump, God authenticates and verifies the origin of all humanity. The father and mother of humanity originated in Africa. There is only one source of life, and that source was designed and formulated by our Intelligent Designer and Divine Advocator. Kathleen Hall was our class valedictorian, and I was the class salutatorian. I was Class President, and we happily accepted our baccalaureate degrees with distinction and regality. We were the first class at Oakwood College to begin the tradition of hooding its graduates.
53
We sadly separated and either accessed the workforce or enrolled in some graduate programs of our choosing.
In addition to receiving an MIT offer, I received offers from other university graduate programs; however, I had some bad news on the horizon. I spent the summer working at Redstone Arsenal in a division where a Black Army Officer with a Ph.D. in chemistry worked. I told him that I was interested in continuing my education in the fall.
MIT sent me their Ph.D. qualifying examination, and I
couldn’t work one problem. This had a frightening effect on me! I couldn’t understand that all my four years of studying chemistry appeared to have inadequately prepared me for an MIT experience. I was devastated! But what I failed to realize is what Dr. Cooper told me about research versus information. For some inexplicable reason, I didn’t have the confidence that I should have had. I had a high GPA, but low self-esteem. I had not taken some important non-science courses from caring and dedicated Oakwood College professors that would have given me the self-esteem I needed to face this cruel and unforgiven world. I was so focused on science 54
courses that I neglected to take valuable business and social science courses that would have broadened my horizon and enhanced my self-confidence. A Black Army Officer with a Ph.D. in chemistry helped me focus on some of my deficiencies. For example, the MIT examination referred to questions about endo-bicyclic molecules and exobicyclic molecules resulting from Diels-Alder syntheses. During my studies at Oakwood, I that we studied the Diels-Alder reaction in two-dimensional space only.
So, I had limited a two-
dimensional limited knowledge of the Diels-Alder synthesis. We live in a three-dimensional world, not a two-dimensional world. Looking at the endo and exo molecules is a relatively simple process, but at that time, my lack of familiarity with certain important topics in organic chemistry made it complex. I needed remediation in organic chemistry! It was clear that the problem was with my textbook, Organic Chemistry by Louis Fieser and Mary Fieser. The book was just too archaic. A more current textbook in the day would have been Organic Chemistry by Robert T. Morrison and Robert N. Boyd (two chemists on staff at New York University).
55
Despite my excellent undergraduate record in chemistry, MIT's examination exposed me to my academic deficiencies in chemistry.
My only recourse was to withdraw my MIT
application. I should also point out that my timidity and low selfesteem helped me decide to withdraw as well. Instead of attending MIT, I accepted a graduate position in biochemistry at Purdue University.
56