The following biographical sketch contains excerpts from a letter written by Helen A. Whiting, a prominent Black educator in the South fom the early part of this century to the late 1950's, to Miss Judith Nicali, Center Church, Hartford, connecticut, April 21, 1953. This letter can be found in the Helen A. Whiting Collection, which also contains many newspaper clippings, correspondence, invitations, and a copy of her book, Booker T. Washingtons' Contribution To Education, 1929. Mrs. Whiting was born in 1885 and died in 1959.



"In those days there were no free kindergartens so my parents paid for me to attend a private kindergarten. They also paid for me to attend a children's dancing school and to take music at a music school. I had to play during our music recitals"

"As a child I loved to write verse at home as we were never encouraged to do creative writing at school. My mother always encouraged me to write........"

"My home consisted of a large library where students and scholars met frequently for use of our books...." We as children were blessed with a fine collection of childrens books.

"I completed the elementary school, high school, and Howard University of Washington, D. C. Later attended Columbia University, Iowa University, Chicago University, and New York University preparing to train teachers and supervisors, Later on I returned to Art, my first love, and studied sculpting and painting in New York, Chicago, and one summer joined an art colony abroad a schooner in Gloucester, Massachusetts."