The advocate., February 28, 1931, Image 5

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Clean Fiction
Human Interest |
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The Advocate
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THK 11.LUSTRATKD FEATURE SKCTION— February 28. 1931
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Dissatisfied with His Achievements as a
Scholar, the Gifted, Talented Paul
Robeson, Becomes an All-American
Football Star, a Brilliant Debater
and a Member of Rutgers’ Most Ex­
clusive Undergraduate Societies.
By
E D W A R D H. l.A W S O N J R .
London
first-nighters willfully insist­
ed on twenty curtain culls
when he first appeared in
that city in the role of
Othello.
Hut there U another Paul itob-son
which the world «lor* not know. He
1* n t Paul Robe-on. the (treat Nrgio.
at Rutgers. h a alma mater, but Paul
Hobnr'n. the great athlete, the
gtrater scholar The im.tltn' kid from
H > nervllle was the grandest son of
RtttTTS
Ju st as Robeson carved a niche for
himself In the world of art. m > he
win a name for himself while ie
w *. I d college
Ills record stands
unexcelled In the annals of RuUiers
history,
a
FE of tie Great Rob«son
Now Rutgers’ “Grandest Son” Has Dis­
tinguished Himself and His Race, as
One of the World’s Foremost Inter­
preters of Shakespearean Plays, and
as a Genius in Song Whose Rendition
of Negro Spirituals is Unequalled.
pair of legs. and. v a t of all, a well-
developed mind, all combined to pro­
duce in him a magnificent specimen
of the trained athlete.
Beside all this, Paul Rtbcson pos­
sessed a rarer quality, a magnetic.
Inspiring personality. He impressed
those who knew him. and made
friends rapidly. Everyone on the
campus
knew
Robey.
Everyone
rather Idolized him.
He was the third Negro to enter
Rutgers. His fathet was a minister
in Somerville. N.J.. not far 'rum New
Brunswick, at which piace the uni­
versity is located. He himself was a
tall, ’anky boy of seventeen with a
perpetual smile and a cheery way of
saying “Yes, sir!" when he answered
you.
Even before he entered Rutgers he
acquired for himself some little repu­
tation as a student and as a debater.
Throughout the state h< was fast be­
coming known for his fiery speeches
in high school contests. He liked to
speak to people. It came down to
him naturally, from his father
One day he spoke it a debate at
which two Rutgers professors acted
as Judges. They were Impressed by
his sincerity, and his powerful, mov­
ing v ice. They listened keenly. One
of them asked him after the debate
If he weren t going to college.
“Well, sir.” Paul replied. “I really
hadn't thought much about it.”
“Had you ever thought of going
to Rutgers?” the professor asked.
Paul had thought about ft. but
never very seriously. Many people
had tried to Induce him to go to a
Negro university. Always he had re­
fused. He had told them that he
wanted to fight against odds, to prove
The world of art today
hails Paul l a * Roy Robeson ns
perhaps .he greatest Negro
actor and singer in history.
Someone has styled him "The
Black Chaliapin.”
True Stories
Achievement I
Stories
mraiber of WO Bata
Kappa. Cap aim Skull, and the
Phlloclcan Literary Society, a win­
ner of letters In fo tball, baseball,
basketball
and track, chosen by
Wulter Cam
as all-American end
fi»t two years In i ■■ >n. tlie win­
ner of freshman, sophomore. junior
ond senior oratory prlr.es and i. mem­
ber of ths debating team, lie came as
near to being the perfect type of col­
lege student as any young American
graduate from any college In this
country.
Six fret, three Inches tall, with a
W e i g h t of 235 pounds, a mighty fast
Continwed
on
Page Four
v *v
Top cen ter, Paul Robeson ns he a p p e a rs today.
B e lo w left, F r o n t i s p i c e of “ P A U L R O B E S O N I
N E G R O ," by E -'n n d a Goo ’e R c b e ; o - w b !ch is pub­
lished bv ' !« v r*-r n»1 I
A*—w "
Below, c e n t - r , Paul Robeson r s he a p p e ared w hen he was
named on W a lt e r C a m p ’s A ll-A m e rican fo o tb a ll team .
Right, Paul Robeson, J r . , at 6 months old. W ill he follow
in the footsteps of his illustrious d a d ?