The Booker T. Washington Papers, Vol.9, page 411, Dec. 1907, U. of Illinois Press

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DECEMBER · 1907 Carnegie promised to give for the erection of the library, but have an idea that it was $2s,000. Am I right in this. In case Mr. Carnegie were to remove the condition, that is that you raise $25,000 in addition to his gift, would you be able to keep the library going from year to year in good shape? Would the American Missionary Association or any other responsible body guarantee to see that the library is kept going and not permitted to degenerate? The plan which I have in mind is this: Mr. Carnegie is very fond of Mrs. Washington, and I am quite sure if she were to make a personal appeal to him on the grounds that she is a Fisk graduate, to leave off the condition and to give you $~,ooo straight for the erection of the library that he would accede to her request. I might say to you privately that he has done several such things for me when I have made a personal request of him. Mrs. Washington ~ think has never asked anything personally of him. It is probable that Mrs. Washington will be going to New York sometime in the near future, and if this suggestion meets with your approval ~ think it will be well for you to write her directly. You need not tell her I have made this suggestion because I have not mentioned it to her, but, of course, if she goes to New York we will talk the whole thing over so as to have everything well understood before she sees Mr. Carnegie. I was with him for a while a few days ago, and in discussing the subject of higher education ~ had the privilege of telling both him and his secretary that in my opinion Fisk was doing the very best work of any of our Southern institutions. He is having his Edinburg speech recast for the purpose of wide circulation, and he has inserted a paragraph concerning the work of Fisk. Yours truly, Booker T. Washington] In case Mr. Carnegie makes an exception in your case, it is important that the matter not get into the newspapers, I mean the fact that he has made an exception. TLc Con. 344 BTW Papers DLC. 4