Casting His Own Shadow - Digital Collections

Casting His OwnShadowBY KATHRYN JENSON WHITEcontinued

Following a famous father was never a problem forMel Tolson Jr., with each man pursuing his own heart's desire.sIno other situation is the idea of "a hard act to follow" any more appropriate than in discussing a manwho serves as "Jr." to a renowned "Sr." "Large shoes to fill" and "in his father's shadow" also are apt decriptive phrases. In the case of Melvin B. Tolson Jr., son of revered poet-professor Melvin B. TolsonSr., however, not act, shoes nor shadow ever posed much of a problem."I have wondered sometimes in thinkingof the impact on my life of having my fatheras my father whether some of it may dependon the degree to which the senior pressuresthe junior to imitate," says the 85-year-oldTolson, who retired in 1990 after threedecades teaching French at the Universityof Oklahoma. "The senior and the juniordidn't regard themselves in my case as copiesof each other or as supposed-to-be copies ofeach other. We were alike in some ways, butthere were great differences."I was always just me; I was not him, andI knew that from early on."Tolson, in fact, has in some ways increased the size of the shoes, the fall of theshadow and the length of the act. He hasproudly burnished Tolson Sr.'s legacy bytalking about his father's political activism, academic career and poetry—including his having served as Poet Laureate ofThe Republic of Liberia—at various typesof events through the years. In a criticalessay in 1990 for World Literature Today,the son celebrates the father as, "This poet,orator, teacher of English and Americanliteratures, grammarian, small-town mayor, theater founder and director, debatecoach . ."In that last role, of course, Tolson Sr.has become the focus of the public eyeand popular culture more than 40 yearsafter his death. This new attention comesthrough the 2007 Denzel Washingtonfilm, "The Great Debaters," a fictionalizedversion of the story of the all-black WileyCollege debate team of 1935. Tolson Sr.10 SOONER MAGAZINEcoached that team to a winning seasonthat culminated in besting the powerhouse all-white team from the Universityof Southern California.Pamela Genova, chair of the OUDepartment of Modern Languages,Literatures and Linguistics, describesTolson Jr. as a modest man, always moreinclined to talk about the accomplishments of others, including his father,than his own."In 1967, he won the Regents Awardfor Superior Teaching," she says. "WhenI came as a new assistant professor, hehad retired, but he stayed involved in thelife of the department. He loved to speakFrench with us, and he was always supportive. He taught as an adjunct for a time,and he has frequently attended our studentawards ceremony. The students fall silentin awe of this man. He's not only a finescholar and a wonderful teacher but also aperson of high caliber."His interests have always been widespread. Important is that in 1975, he organized and directed the first FrancophoneLiterature Symposium, which would focus on Caribbean and African writers.That was early for that to happen. Nowthose voices are central to French studies.He had great foresight. He knew early on,more than 30 years ago, that those worksand writers deserved our attention."Born in 1923, Tolson was raised inMarshall, Texas, home of two collegesin addition to Wiley. The atmosphere oflearning and creativity within the Tolsonhome found support outside it."I grew up in an atmosphere in whichstudents and teachers discussed majorconcerns and argued with each other allover campus," he recalls. "There is a famous stump on the Wiley College campusthat they have encased in cement at whichstudents and teachers used to stand andtalk."Around the table, we talked vigorously. Mom and Dad discussed, and the children learned to defend their argumentsin much the same way his debaters did.I remember a sister-in-law who, the firsttime she came to visit the family after themarriage, had left the dinner table. I wentto her room and asked her was somethingthe matter. She said she had never been ina place where the family argued like that.That's what we did."Tolson discovered early his love of language: Latin in the all-black high schoolacross the street from Wiley, then, at thecollege, German and, finally, French. Thelatter, of course, became his academic focus. He says his father "was interested inlanguages as a source for developing histalent or genius or inventiveness in theEnglish language," while the son "becameattracted to foreign language for itself, forits exoticness." After a few years of teaching French at Prairie View College inTexas, Tolson decided to earn a master'sdegree. His father had by that time movedfrom Wiley to Langston University."I, along with four alumni of LangstonUniversity decided to try to go to Oklahoma

Melvin B. Tolson Sr. left Wiley College inMarshall, Texas, the actual venue of "TheGreat Debaters," to become a professor atLangston University.A&M, now OSU," he says. "We were accepted. Two of us stayed the whole year.Three dropped out after the first semestersaying the psychological pressure was toomuch. We were the first two blacks to earnmaster's degrees there."[The other fellow] had a car, and I didnot. On the days we didn't have class together, I would take the bus that passedthrough Langston. I remember one coldmorning walking from the bus station tothe campus and passing a group of threeor four white fellows. I was all bundled up.As I passed, one said to another, 'Is thata Negro?' The other said, 'No, no. Therearen't any Negroes here.' That was 1949."In 1959, having returned to teachingat Prairie View after finishing his master'sin 1950, Tolson entered the doctoral program at OU, the initial step to becomingthe first full-time black faculty memberat the University. George Henderson hadtaught a year earlier but not as a full-timecontinuedfaculty member.Denzel Washington stars as Mel Tolson Sr. in "The Great Debaters."Attending the dinner preceding the College of Arts and Sciences' campus screening of"The Great Debaters" are Jeanette Davidson, left, director of the OU African-AmericanStudies Program, Mel Tolson Jr., and former OU Regent Melvin Hall, who now teaches inthe AFAM program.SPRING 2008

"While Melvin Tolson Sr. deserves all of the recognition which he has received, we should never forgetthe historic role played by Professor Tolson Jr. at theHenderson to take"I was offered asuch an active roleteaching assistantwith students rathship, and I also gotUniversity of Oklahoma. He helped build the founer than focusing ona Woodrow Wilsondation for a true spirit of community at OU whereFellowship," Tolsonfurthering their owncareers showed deepdiversity is a source of strength. He has been an insays. "I was a seriousdedication.student. I came to getspiring role model for an untold number of studentsA 1965 graduate,it. I remember fromworking for academic excellence as the first AfricanWillie Wilson, a rea very early age myfather would severaltired special educationAmerican faculty member to become a full professorteacher who lives intimes a year urge theand as a force for leadership by African American stufour of us to plan onOklahoma City, says ittook courage as well.dents by founding the Black Student Association. OUgetting a Ph.D., notbecause it would make"To give a peris a much stronger university today because of the imthespective:Inus any smarter, neces—OU President David L. Borenpact of Melvin Tolson Jr."union they had a listsarily—he didn't havean earned doctorate,of apartments thatbut he had severalblacks could rent offcampus, and therehonorary degreesbut because our employment would beDuring those often-turbulent times, weren't that many," he recalls. "Dr. Tolsonmore reliable and better compensated. I Tolson worked with Henderson and Lenny brought black students together to let ustook for granted that we would all becomeMarie Townsend, who taught for a time in know about our own background. HePh.D.s. My two brothers also got doctorthe School of Social Work, to support stu- gave us strength to carry on despite theates, one in history and one in biochem- dents in the formation of what was then adversity on campus. He risked his career,istry. My sister took a master's in library called the Afro-American Student Union I think, by helping us. He was strong."science at OU, then one in history."After what became, of course, a highand is now the Black Student Association.In spring 1961, when Tolson had been(For that story, visit ou.edu/student/bsa/his- ly successful career, Tolson is focusingworking on the degree for two years, the toryhtm). In 2002, the University named in retirement on enjoying a number ofhead of the department asked him to con- the Henderson-Tolson Cultural Center, a cherished pursuits. He reads in French,sider filling a faculty opening. Seymourhome for the organizations and activities of Spanish, German, Portuguese—and someFeiler, retired David Ross Boyd Professor black students, in honor of the two profes- times even in English. He studies, at theof French, who taught Tolson in gradu- sors' contributions.moment, the history of Islam and slavery.ate school, then worked with him as a colNorris Williams, director of the He listens to music, perhaps the deepestleague for many years, remembers the hirHenderson Scholars Program, came to love of his life. He taught himself piano asing vividly.OU as the first full-time coordinator a child but gave up playing while working"He was a very good student, so good,on his doctorate.of black student affairs in 1977. For 31in fact, that the faculty voted unanimous- years, he says, he has turned for guidance"There has never been anything that Ily to hire him before he had completed to Tolson and Henderson.could spend as many consecutive hourshis doctorate," Feiler says. "It was a tough"Doc Tolson was instrumental in bedoing as deciphering the correspondencetime racially, but Mel made it look easy. I ginning the Afro-American Student between those notes on the page and theknow it wasn't, but he made it look that Union," Williams says. "He worked with piano," he says. "Hours. Until my shoulway. I expected something that didn't hap- a core of students—some who were mem- ders ached. I couldn't do that with lanpen during the process. I thought surely bers of the fraternity he advised, Omega guage or literature or any other kind ofthat in this part of the country at that Psi Phi—to focus on creating a student learning. My father wouldn't let any oftime, someone would have protested, said organization that would give the black us children take lessons and didn't ensomething against the idea of a black colstudents a collective voice, to create a co- courage us to play because he felt hisleague, but the department vote for him alition to deal with the real issues black younger brother didn't go to college bewas unanimous. I was prepared for some students were facing."cause of music. He was a jazz pianist inargument. We had none."Williams says for Tolson and Kansas City."12 SOONER MAGAZINE