Member Updates and Spotlight

Neely Strayhorn: Evansville College employee from 1926–1953

In my early research into the history of African American students at Evansville College, I came across photographs in the Linc featuring a Mr. Neely Strayhorn. Mr. Strayhorn was an African American male employed by Evansville College in 1926 where he worked as a janitor in the only building on campus then, the administration building.

As I browsed through the Evansville college year books of the 1930s and 1940s it was apparent that Mr. Strayhorn was a witness to Evansville College integrating the student body. During my research I often wondered what Mr. Strayhorn’s thoughts were when he saw Zerah (Priestly) Carter, Vera (Shane) Thompson, Fred Duncan, William Bell, and other African American students achieve advancements and accomplishments at Evansville College.

The social conditions of Mr. Strayhorn’s era are reflected in a December 7, 1942 Crescent article, “Silhouette Man Well Liked on Evansville College Campus,” that described Neely in somewhat stereotypical terms. The article did not show a photograph of Neely. Instead a silhouette of a person’s face was displayed above the article. What was apparent in my review of the campus publications was that for several years Mr. Strayhorn received more notoriety than any of the early African American students who attended Evansville College.

When the maintenance staff expanded, Neely moved from the administration building to the music building, where he worked until his retirement. The May 8, 1953 Crescent features a photograph of Ralph Olmstead and James Morlock giving Mr. Strayhorn a watch on the celebration of Neely’s retirement after 27 years of employment at Evansville College. The article mentions that Mr. Strayhorn was a mother of wit and keen analytical mind. By the time of his retirement he had become part of the Evansville College folklore. The article describes how Neely could tell within two weeks if a new professor was “worth the salt.” Mr. Strayhorn is said to have retired to his Tennessee farm where there were prospects that oil might be on his land.

The time frame of Mr. Strayhorn’s employment, 1926–1953, was an era when African American people did not have the opportunities and freedoms that exist today. UEAAA takes this opportunity to recognize Mr. Strayhorn’s “witness to history” role and his positive contributions to Evansville College.

Cherry V. Gillis ’70

Coming from a family of ten, Cherry Gillis was the first of her four sisters and five brothers to attend college. Born in Henderson, Kentucky Cherry’s family relocated to Evansville when she was a young child. A graduate of Evansville’s Central High School, she was active musically in various high school activities, church choirs, and a gospel singing group with her sisters. This activity would later influence the path her college career would take. During her high school years Cherry was a member of the Student Council, inducted into the National Honor Society, and was selected to deliver the invocation at graduation ceremonies.

The University of Evansville experience began for Cherry in the fall of 1965 when she initiated her quest for a degree in sociology. As with most students, for Cherry college was a period of self-discovery and growth. Due to a continued high interest in gospel singing and finding college class work not as interesting as she imagined, Cherry left UE after her freshman year. Venturing to Washington D.C., she embarked on a year of a livelihood as a gospel singer. A promise to her mother brought Cherry back to UE in the fall of 1967 to resume her college studies. The scholarship monies she received as a freshman were no longer available. Cherry therefore self financed herself through the remaining college years with a variety of jobs including that as a cook, governess, housekeeper and household manager. To make up for the one year being away from UE, Cherry took classes during summer and inter-sessions. She completed her course work during the intersession of 1969 and was awarded her BA degree in June 1970.

During her college years Cherry was the Kappa Alpha Psi Scroller Sweetheart in 1966 and the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Sweetheart in 1969. During the 1967-68 school year Cherry was a participant in an event that lead to the creation of the Black Student Union at UE. She recalled that black students then did not feel Homecoming activities reflected the interests of African American students. Cherry along with several others went to the University President’s residence to express those viewpoints. Along with another student, Michael Woodward, Cherry was selected to inform the President, who was at another campus event, that the black students were waiting to meet with him at the President’s residence. Unfortunately it was a rainy day and although the students wiped their feet upon entering the residence, the newly installed carpet in the residence did not look new after the students departed! But, despite that unfortunate result, this meeting marked a key event in the development of the Black Student Union as an organization on campus that expressed the views and interests of African American students.

During those turbulent years of the 1960’s Cherry recalls how after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the mood on campus was subdued. There was a unity circle held in a nearby city park involving UE students. In the city of Evansville there were some instances of rioting. Cherry recalls while in the city having to move her car from one side of the street to the other based on orders of the National Guard which had been mobilized in Evansville. The sight of a rifle being pointed at her face by a National Guardsman is a poignant memory.

Cherry recalls that the social life for black students involved playing cards, putting on parties, sports activities and for some an interest in hitting golf balls in-between classes emerged. Cherry was an active participant in the establishment and activities of the Nifty Nine. The Nifty-Nine was an alternative to black female Greek organizations. It consisted of UE African American females who filled a void on campus by providing a support system, social activity outlet, and personal development avenue.

As one of her last acts as a college student in 1969, Cherry recalls arranging to take a final exam at 6 a.m. so she could travel and arrive in Philadelphia to sing in a gospel concert later that day.

After UE, Cherry settled in Washington D.C. where she began her career in social services. She continued with her gospel singing but retired after it became more of a job rather than a “ministry”. Her social service career involved years working for community economic development. Her efforts involved working for the Salvation Army to establish family/youth service programs based in public schools and for the District of Columbia Delegates to the U.S. House of Representatives. Although retired, she continues to provide services as a volunteer to groups that serve children, seniors, and community development.

Cherry’s advice for current students is to work hard at developing critical thinking and analytical skills, do something for someone else, and be passionate about something.

Vera (Shane) Thompson ’39

In early August 2007 I had the honor of speaking via telephone to Mrs. Vera Thompson (Shane) who was the second four year African-American female to graduate from Evansville College. Vera graduated in 1939 along with Gertie Gracey, another early African-American graduate of Evansville College. Vera earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Social Science and a minor in Education.

An Evansville native, Vera’s parents could not afford to send her away to college, so she was admitted to Evansville College as part of the college’s early integration efforts. In some ways Evansville was ahead of other regions of the country in initiating integration efforts. Vera’s college years involved living at home (there were no dormitories then), working, and attending classes. She was on scholarship at Evansville College for several years. When the terms of her scholarship ended. her family helped support her through college, along with the money she earned from working.

Mrs. Thompson recalled that Sara Wooten also attended Evansville College in 1935-36 but dropped out after her freshman year to go to Chicago with her husband who owned several businesses there. Vera and Sara were “counseled” before attending Evansville College regarding what to expect and what to do/what not to do. Zerah Priestly, the first known African-American to attend Evansville College, advised them both what to expect from certain teachers at Evansville College. Vera recalled that during that period African-Americans in Evansville could sit anywhere on the public transportation bus, but whites would not sit next to them.

Vera was never invited to join college social clubs. Nor did she attend campus sporting events. In that respect, she did not have the full social experience that most college students experience now in college. But Mrs. Thompson explained that she was more concerned about her studies and felt she did not have time for the social events anyway. When white students saw her outside of campus, they would not talk to her. But she was used to the environment, and she explained that before their teenage years, it was common for African American youth in Evansville to have white friends. The social separation of blacks and whites began in the teenage years.

During Vera’s college years, the administration building was the main building on campus. She recalled that the college choir sang in assemblies and that they took attendance at the assemblies. Mrs. Thompson explained how on one occasion she went to the Dean of Evansville College to complain about a song that had negative lyrics in reference to African-Americans. The Dean agreed and that song was not performed in future campus assemblies. Mrs. Thompson was very serious about her studies. Absent a social life on campus, she came to school then, afterwards, went home or went to work.

Vera stated she was rather shy during her college years. She didn’t speak much in class, unless no one else knew the answer. She recalls going to a place called the “Hut” for snacks/lunch. She also recalls ignoring racism and recounted that African Americans during that period in the United States basically understood what “proper behavior” was and what behavior was expected of them.

After graduating from Evansville College, Vera went to Chicago to stay with Sara Wooten and her spouse. Virginia Higgins ’40 was a good friend of Mrs. Thompson and Vera recalls also residing with Virginia for awhile in Chicago. Vera received a grant from the Urban League and attended graduate school at University of Chicago. Her assignment was to work on opening new job opportunities for African American women.She recalls having to speak to personnel managers in the Chicago area regarding this issue.

She married William Thompson in 1942 and dropped her graduate work to get a job. Mr. Thompson was one of the Tuskegee Airmen and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He passed away in the year 2006.In Chicago, Vera took courses to learn teaching at a Teachers College. During that period most teachers in Chicago were white. She ventured into special education as a field in the Chicago public school system. Vera served as a counselor and head of a department. Ms. Thompson felt she could have been a principal but didn’t want to do that kind of administrative work. She enjoyed the contact with her students. After working in the Chicago, Illinois school system for 30 years, she retired in 1986.

In closing, Vera stated that she does not have many memories of her days at Evansville College. She did recall that it was a religious environment on campus so there were few incidents that were negative.The relationship Evansville College had with the black community in Evansville may have benefited the social conditions that supported the integration of the college. Of the first African American graduate, Zerah Priestly, Vera recalled that Zerah’s nickname was “Dimples.”As one of the first black students to integrate Evansville College, Vera’s legacy will continue on.

UEAAA thanks Vera Shane Thompson for her contributions in laying the path for the current and past generations of African American students to successfully graduate from the University.

Arnell J. Hill

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