James Hardy Dillard

For twenty-four years Dr. James Hardy Dillard’s wise and devoted energies as an educator were concentrated on the improvement of Negro educational opportunities and on better understanding between the white and Negro races. Born in Virginia, he taught at Washington and Lee after graduation there in 1876. He was principal of the Rodman School in Norfolk, and later of Norfolk Academy. He resigned, after eighteen years, from the professorship of Latin at Tulane to accept the presidency of the Anna T. Jeanes Fund, and served until his retirement nine years ago.

Dr. Dillard was a founder of the Jeanes Visiting Teacher Plan which provides for the training of Negro teachers and their distribution among schools where there is a numerous Negro population. Dr. Dillard took an active part in the study, financed by the Phelps-Stokes Fund, of Negro conditions in East Africa; he introduced the Jeanes Plan into Kenya and other districts of Africa. Among many other trusteeships, he served on the board of the General Theological Seminary, the Southern Education Board and the General Education Board.

Geoffrey Parsons
1940 Century Memorials