ABSTRACT
On October 7, 1930, satis¿ ed that he was making the world safe for African Americans, President Thomas Elsa Jones welcomed his faculty to the fall meeting. The white president of historically black Fisk University felt con¿ dence seep into him from the beautiful new library walls around him-walls erected through his fund-raising efforts. Partially ¿ nished Aaron Douglas murals carved black history into the walls and complemented the shelves of leather bound books. Jones also emanated con¿ dence because of a recent achievement in racial harmony. As a forward-thinking liberal, committed to racial justice, he refused to acquiesce when a New Jersey hotel insulted the Fisk Dean of Women, Juliette Derricotte. After his pressure, the hotel agreed that the black woman could enter the hotel for the conference as long as she stayed out of the public areas. This compromise pleased Jones. It represented the epitome of racial justice, which he sought throughout his presidency-polite conversation that led to a gradual change and emphasized interracial cooperation.
