THE PEN
CLASS PROPHECY
Written by Bette Virginia Banner
10 Oakwod Drive
Marb]ehead, Massachusetts
May 20, 1950
Dear Margaret,
1 simply had to take time out
and write you. I’ve been so busy
since 1 returned from my inspec
tion of the leading- libraries of the
country—compiling, clieckiiiy and
all that sort of thing — lhat I
haven’t a moment 1 could call my
own.
The trip was grand, and although
1 could ouly snatch at pleasure
here and there, i really enjoyed
myself. 1 met quite a fe^v of my
classmates. You know 1 haven’t
thought very much about St, Aug.
since 1 graduated in 1910 and
haven’t kept nearly as good a check
on my classm'ates as 1 might have.
Some I thought 1 ’d never see again
but this trip gave me a fine chance
to meet some of the distinguished
pei’sonages of our race—and of my
class. Our class wa« not so very
large—some twenty-nine of us in
cluding Audrey Gibson and Ellen
Williams who graduated at mid
term, you remember. John Speight
Simpkins is a radio technician for
W E E 1 up here. I see him quite
often. I isee Fiian.ces Henderson
most every day, too. She’s been
married and divorced twice, you
know. I don’t know who her first
husband was, but her second one
was William Jackson—“Smiling
Jack.” He’s an undertaker. Fram-
ces probably was disturbed by the
dead. She was always the nervous
type. Mary Boley is still around,
to. No, she isn’t married. She sud
denly became interested in club
work. I know you’ve seen her pic
ture dozens of times in the Afro
and the Journal and Guide. “Miss
Mary Boley, prominent Boston, So
cialite ...”
1 heard from Spencer the other
day. She "writes once in a bl'uei
moon but lovely letters when she
does write. She’s married and has
the sweestest little boy. She sent
me his ])icture. She’s very busy
these days—still very prominent
in church work. Wasn’t she presi
dent of the Junior Women’s Aux
iliary? That’s what I say about
early training. Who do you think
h e r family doctor is? J. A.
Heartley, M. D. Jeremiah! Imag
ine. 1 wonder is he as full of fun
as ever. 1 bet he makes a good doc
tor. You ne\^er know a person’s
pos,sibiliti(^. Maycie Copeland is
Ills secretary.
When I AV'as in New Y'ork, I tried
to look uj) Bobby Tillman. He has
a lon,g lino of degrees tacked on liis
name. He’s down around the (^Ca
ribbean trying to breed a new
type of snail. Charles Howell lua.s
taken Dr. Miller’s place at St. Aug
nstine’s Church in New Y'ork. I
always kneAV Charles w'ould be a
minister. Speaking ol' ministers,
Ellis Johnson is one, too. His
church is small but progressive.
It’s in Alaibania. He always Avas a
homey boy.
I found* Melvin McDowell in De
troit. Doesn’t that suggest some
thing to you? He^’s among the rank
of dentists. He always wanted to
be one, despite his athletic ego.
It’s always encouraging to see
someone follow his aims and hopes.
I forgot to tell you al30ut Gilbert
Wilson. He bumped into me in the
135th St. Library, I guess the fault