Henrietta bell wells biography of barack

Henrietta Bell Wells, the only woman, the only freshman and the last surviving member of the Wiley College debate team that participated in the first interracial collegiate debate in the United States, died Feb. She was Melvin B. Tolson arrived at the all-black school that autumn to teach English and other subjects. He also started a debate team.

Tolson, who would win wide distinction as a poet, saw argumentation as a way to cultivate mental alertness. Wiley was soon debating and defeating black colleges two and three times its size. In , Tolson decided to break new ground. He managed to schedule a debate with the University of Michigan Law School, an all-white school.

Henrietta Bell Wells, the only woman, the only freshman and the last surviving member of the Wiley College debate team that participated in the first.

Wiley won. In the fall of , Henrietta Bell, who would later marry Wallace Wells, was a freshman in an English class taught by Tolson. The professor urged her to try out for the debate team, because she seemed to be able to think on her feet. She was the first woman on the team. Bell attended classes during the day, had three campus jobs and practiced debating at night.

She did not debate in high school but was valedictorian of her class.