A History Of Minstrelsy At Pomona College Presentation Draft

Research done by Cyrus Winston

Flyers were posted around campus in February of 2008 that displayed a page on the history of music at Pomona College.

A circled paragraph on the flyer pointed out that the Alma Mater Hail, Pomona, Hail was written for a blackface minstrel show in the 1909-1910 performance season.

Subsequently, Pomona College's administration sought to research the matter in order to reach a conclusion about which direction the college would take in relation to this new revelation.

Question:

What is a minstrel show?

Answer:

"Blackface minstrelsy was an established nineteenth-century theatrical practice, principally of the urban North, in which white men caricatured blacks for sport and profit."

-from Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the American Working Class by Eric Lott

A variety of topics have been touched on, these include:• The history of the writer of Hail, Pomona, Hail,

Richard Loucks.• The history of minstrelsy at Pomona College.• The context for which the song was written in.

In 1906, Richard Loucks attended the then operating prep school of Pomona College from the period of 1906-1907.

He returned in the 1909-1910 period but "flunked out," his own words, and never actually graduated.

Thus his name is noted as "Richard Loucks ex '13" in records.

The notation "ex" signifying a student that attended but did not graduate.

Although he flunked out of Pomona College, he would later be honored with the Trustee Medal of Honor, and a music scholarship created in his name to mark his place as the writer of the alma mater.

As discussed in the aforementioned flyer, the alma mater was originally the finale of a blackface minstrel show performed in 1910, and likely on January 15th, 1910.

This date is cited from an article in The Student Life where Loucks is described as writing the song "Blue and White" for the minstrel show's conclusion.

Several sources indicate that this show, or another of the many minstrel shows performed, is where Loucks wrote the song specifically for the occasion.

This sources are: • Loucks' personal notes typed onto note cards

archived by the school.• President Lyon's history book.• An oral interview with Loucks.• And finally in the still active scholarship created

in 1955 to honor Loucks for writing the song.

Above: The personally typed notes of Richard Loucks about the blackface show he wrote for.

Notes Slide 1 of 2

Above: The personally typed notes of Richard Loucks about the blackface show he wrote for.

Notes Slide 2 of 2

Left: Excerpt from an interview with Loucks where he discusses the blackface performance he wrote for.

Interview Slide 1 of 4







Well, in so many words, yes.

There are a significant number of pictures depicting blackface performances.

Above: The cast of a blackface performance, circa 1911

Above: The cast of a blackface performance at Holmes Hall, dated 1910.

Above: Female student blackface performers , circa 1900-10.

Above: Student blackface performers , circa 1908.

Above: Student blackface performers , circa 1900-10.

Additionally, there were performances of students with students pretending to be Native Americans where they darken their skin, wear feathers, and depict what they call "Primitive Indian Life.”

Above: Student performers in a scene from “Primitive Indian Life,” dated 1913.

Around the same time, the students performed a play called "Black Dragon Mine," where they pretended to be Chinese workers.

Above: Student performers in a scene from “Black Dragon,” dated 1914.

Along those lines, they portrayed their view of Mexican culture in a performance called "San Juan Day."

Above: Student performers in a scene from “Primitive Indian Life,” dated 1913.

You may access the references pictures and documents at the following website:

http://pages.pomona.edu/~cjw12006/MINSTRELSY/home.htm

You may send comments and question to:

[email protected]

Education

A History Of Minstrelsy At Pomona College Presentation Draft