Melvin B. Tolson

Letter Exchange between

Wiley College President Felton G. Clark

and W.E.B. Dubois

January 25, 1927 / February 4, 1927

from the:
W.E.B. Dubois Papers
Special Collections and University Archives
University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries

College President Clark seeks advice from W.E.B. Dubois on how Tolson can retrieve a manuscript from the publisher Charles Boni. He also encloses a poem by Tolson.

DuBois replies:

"Mr. Tolson's poem shows some ability but the subject is trite and suffers from being a paraphrase of a magnificent Jewish poem. I am returning it to you."
With time Tolson redeemed his reputation and became a highly regarded literary figure. These letters are but a small sample of the W.E.B. Dubois papers that are being digitized by the Special Collection and Archives at the University of Massachusetts.

Felton G. Clark to W.E.B. Dubois
January 25th, 1927
(Page One only)

[ref: mums312-b037-i472]

W.E.B. Dubois to Felton G. Clark
February 4, 1927

[ref: mums312-b037-i473]

From the W. E. B. Du Bois Papers (MS 312).
Special Collections and University Archives
University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries