Try and Be Somebody: The Story of Dr. Henry Lake Dickason (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781888215366)

Inspiring biography of Dr. Henry Lake Dickason

• first president of Bluefield State College
• early 20^th century leader in black education

Awards:

• 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Award, Finalist African American

Early Life

Henry Dickason, the grandson of slaves, was born two decades after the Civil War ended. He grew up in a log cabin in West Virginia. He learned early on about the oppression of segregation, especially the limited opportunity for black children to get an education.

Education

Dickason's thirst for knowledge led him on a transformative journey, first at Bluefield Colored Institute, a boarding high school, then Ohio State University. He was awarded two doctorates later, one in a ceremony in which Eleanor Roosevelt gave the commencement address.

Career

Dickason's career in education began at Bluefield Colored Institute in 1914 and was part of the evolution of the school through several roles as it became an accredited college in 1949. His fight to maintain the college and its facilities and to expand the campus to include new areas of study spanned nearly forty years. After retirement there, he accepted the presidency of Morristown College in Tennessee and worked to lead the school until his death in 1957.

Through his hard work and commitment to education, he became a driving force in racial pride and in ensuring that education was available for all who desired to learn.

What readers are saying:

• A remarkable book about a remarkable man. - James Leedy, Archivist, Bluefield State College
• A finely researched and organized work...The life of Dr. Dickason will surely inspire any young mind to work for their dreams. - Heidi Houck, Teacher and Library Media Specialist