Zelia Ball Page

Zelia Ball Page (1850-1937) was a freeborn African-American teacher who spent her career teaching black youths in Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Her husband was the first head of Langston University and she was the first matron.

Zelia Ball Page
Born
Zelia R. Ball

(1850-06-21)June 21, 1850
Alexandria, Virginia
DiedJuly 15, 1937(1937-07-15) (aged 87)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
NationalityAmerican
Other namesZelia R. Page
Occupationeducator
Years active1875-1920
Known forfirst matron of Langston University

Early life

Zelia R. Ball was born on June 21, 1850 in Alexandria, Virginia[1][Notes 1] to a free black woman who raised her in Washington, D. C. Her mother worked with the Underground Railroad and fearing for her daughter's safety, she made an arrangement with Dr. Peter Parker to assist her in taking her child to New England. Mother and child pretended to be slaves of Parker until they reached the port of New York and were able to make their way to Providence, Rhode Island. Once in Providence, the school systems were found to be lacking and Ball was sent to be educated in Boston.[6] In 1870, she entered Wilberforce University, graduating with a B.S. degree in 1875.[7][5]

Career

Upon completion of her schooling, Ball returned to Providence[8] and applied to become a teacher in Washington, D. C.[9] On June 27, 1878, she married Inman E. Page.[8] That same year, the couple moved to Jefferson City, Missouri to begin teaching at the Lincoln Institute.[10] Page was hired as a science teacher and her husband was initially the assistant principal, though he was promoted to principal in 1880.[11][10][12] Page taught botany, physiology and zoology and in 1885 was appointed as matron.[13][14] During this time, the couple had three children: Zelia N., Mary and Inman, Jr., who died when he was seven years old.[10] In 1891, Page organized the Union Training School to teach skills to poor black youths and continued teaching at Lincoln for seven more years.[11][10][15]

In 1898, the couple left Lincoln and moved to Langston, Oklahoma Territory, where Inman took up the post as the first head of the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University.[10] Page was hired as the matron and their daughter Zelia Breaux was hired as the music instructor of the new university.[16] She also served as the Oklahoma officer for the Afro-American Council.[17] In 1915, the couple left Oklahoma, moving to Macon, Missouri where Inman became president of the Colored Baptist College. Within three years, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Inman served as president of Roger Williams University and Page continued teaching.[4] They briefly returned to Lincoln Institute before moving again to Oklahoma in 1924.[10][18]

Death and legacy

Page died at her daughter Zelia's home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from heart complications on July 15, 1937.[1] In her lifetime, Page's contributions to educating African-American youth were widely recognized.[19][20][21]

Notes
  1. The date shown on Page's tombstone of June 21, 1850[2] may be incorrect, as the 1865 census shows her to have been born in 1847.[3] The 1920 census records her as having been born in 1865,[4] which seems improbable given her graduation from university in 1875.[5]

References

Citations
  1. Dunjee 1937, p. 9.
  2. Summit View Cemetery 2009.
  3. Massachusetts State Census 1865, p. 159.
  4. U. S. Census 1920, p. 7A.
  5. Catalogue of Wilberforce University 1894, p. 27.
  6. Majors 1893, pp. 50-51.
  7. Majors 1893, p. 51.
  8. Scruggs 1893, p. 154.
  9. The Evening Star 1875, p. 4.
  10. Holland 1999, p. 591.
  11. Scruggs 1893, p. 155.
  12. Reports of the Public Schools 1881, p. 166.
  13. Reports of the Public Schools 1884, p. 157.
  14. Reports of the Public Schools 1886, p. 136.
  15. The St. Joseph Herald 1897, p. 4.
  16. Biennial Report 1908, p. 22.
  17. The Appeal 1899, p. 1.
  18. White & Bacote 1936, p. 238.
  19. Majors 1893, pp. 50-52.
  20. Scruggs 1893, pp. 153-155.
  21. Northrop, Gay & Penn 1896, p. 107.

Bibliography
  • Dunjee, Roscoe (July 17, 1937). "Famous Oklahoma Matron is Dead". The Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 9. Retrieved 13 February 2017 – via Newspapers.com.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Holland, Antonio F. (1999). "Page, Inman Edward (1853-1935". In Christensen, Lawrence O.; Foley, William E.; Kremer, Gary; Winn, Kenneth H. (eds.). Dictionary of Missouri Biography. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press. pp. 590–591). ISBN 978-0-8262-6016-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Majors, Monroe A. (1893). Noted Negro women, their triumphs and activities (Reprint 1971 by Freeport, New York: Books for Libraries Press ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Donohue and Henneberry. ISBN 0-8369-8733-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Northrop, Henry Davenport; Gay, Joseph R.; Penn, I. Garland (1896). The college of life, or, Practical self-educator : a manual of self-improvement for the colored race : forming an educational emancipator and a guide to success : giving examples and achievements of successful men and women of the race as an incentive and inspiration to the rising generation: including Afro-American progress illustrated: the whole embracing business, social, domestic, historical and religious education. Cincinnati, Ohio: W.H. Ferguson Company. OCLC 924604678.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Scruggs, Lawson Andrew (1893). Women of Distinction: Remarkable in Works and Invincible in Character. Raleigh, North Carolina: L. A. Scruggs. OCLC 4255360.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • White, Clarence Cameron; Bacote, Clarence A. (April 1936). "Notes". The Journal of Negro History. Washington, D. C.: Association for the Study of African American Life and History. 21 (2): 228–244. ISSN 0022-2992. JSTOR 2714576.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • "1865 Massachusetts State Census: Boston, Ward 6". FamilySearch. Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts State Archives. May 1, 1865. FHL microfilm #954376, Image=159, Line 5. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  • "1920 United States Census: 12th Civil District, Davidson County, Tennessee, Roger Williams University". FamilySearch. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. January 12, 1920. NARA microfilm seried T625, Roll #1733. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  • "Lincoln Institute: Report for 1881". 32nd and 33rd Reports of the Public Schools of the State of Missouri (Report). Jefferson City, Missouri: State Journal Company. 1883. OCLC 558616014.
  • "Lincoln Institute: Report for 1884". 35th Report of the Public Schools of the State of Missouri (Report). Jefferson City, Missouri: Tribune Printing Company. 1884. OCLC 558616014.
  • "Lincoln Institute: Report for 1886". 37th Report of the Public Schools of the State of Missouri (Report). Jefferson City, Missouri: Tribune Printing Company. 1887. OCLC 558616014.
  • "An Appeal for Friendship". St. Paul, Minnesota: The Appeal. September 9, 1899. p. 1. Retrieved 13 February 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  • Biennial Report: Department of Public Instruction Oklahoma (Report). Ardmore, Oklahoma: Advocate-Review. 1908. OCLC 922942437. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  • Catalogue of Wilberforce University, 1893-1894 (Report). Wilberforce, Ohio: Wilberforce University. 1894. OCLC 898312825. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  • "Grand Court Closed". St. Paul, Minnesota: The St. Joseph Herald. May 28, 1897. p. 4. Retrieved 13 February 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Teacherships". Washington, District of Columbia: The Evening Star. July 14, 1875. p. 4. Retrieved 13 February 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Zelia R. Page". Find A Grave. Summit View Cemetery, Guthrie, Oklahoma. Aug 20, 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2017. Photo of dates is only part of record being evaluated.
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