Race and philanthropy in Georgia in the 1920s: the case of Walter B. Hill, supervisor of Negro rural schools

Walter B. Hill, a privileged white supporter of the southern interracial cooperation movement, became the state supervisor of Negro schools in Georgia after World War I. He pursued an energetic reform programme, especially with regard to the fabric of the state's black schools, until he fell foul of a backlash against interracial cooperation. This saw him suspended in 1924 for being too close to outside bodies such as the General Education Board, the Phelps Stokes Fund and the Rosenwald Fund. He was reinstated after an effective protest, when it became clear that he had been the victim of a certain group within state politics and he went on to become an important official within the GEB. The article sheds light on the objectives of philanthropists regarding southern education, the educational work of the interracial cooperation movement, the curriculum deemed appropriate for black children, and the jealousy with which racial and educational policy was guarded by certain states. It is based on extensive archive research, printed contemporary sources and newspapers, memoirs, and secondary works.