"Attuned to the Art of the Possible:" The GEB'S Jackson Davis

Matthew Davis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

John D. Rockefeller and a group of friends and advisors established the General Education Board a century ago. They established the Board, among other endeavors, with the intention that it improve the education of African Americans in the American South. Over its sixty-two year history, the Board far outdistanced the other "Northern" philanthropies in monetary support of Southern black education. Jackson Davis played a central role in the GEB's involvement in the establishment, maintenance, and advancement of Southern black education. No individual, in or out of the GEB hierarchy, toiled longer or enjoyed as much influence in the field as did Davis. His zeal to improve the education of Southern blacks officially began in 1905 during his tenure as County Superintendent of Henrico County, Virginia, and ended in 1947 (the year of his death) as the GEB's Vice-President. This article aims to illuminate Davis' singular role in the improvement of Southern black education. The author examines Davis' life and work and discusses how Davis' work highlights the actions of the State Agents of Negro Education, a largely unrecognized group of Southern white men who directed the "general convergence" of the racial gap in education during the first half of the 20th century. In turn, this examination of Davis permits renewed analysis of the General Education Board and its distinctive institutional character in the improvement of black education in the American South.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalAmerican Educational History Journal
Volume31
StatePublished - 2004

Disciplines

  • Education

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