Series: Walter Ingram
Scope and Content Note: Family background near Pontotoc, Mississippi; mother's recollection of Yankee troops during Civil War and incidents under slavery; family's land-owning in Mississippi; experiences as a baseball player in Pontotoc and in Racine; move to Beloit; work at Fairbanks-Morse; problems with foreman; confrontations with Italian workers; recruiting for F-M in the 1920s; move to Racine; Eugene Burlingame; black businesses in Beloit; decision to quit recruiting after seeing Memphis lynch mob; decision to leave Beloit for Racine; work at Walker in Racine; development of union at Walker; Blue Jenkins.

Session 1, 1976 September 13
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Walter Ingram, September 13, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Family background in Mississippi--parents as slaves, uncles sold and lost track of--Walter Ingram born in Pontotoc, Mississippi in 1892

Mother recalled Yankee troops during the Civil War---house saved by a Masonic ring--grandfather as a “tough boy,” encounter with owner, refused whipping and prevailed--grandmother was an Indian

Incidents under slavery--relative barely escaped over the Ohio River--importance of family on stories

Ingrams as landowners in Mississippi after the War--cheap land, mother wanted to buy more, father feared debt--log house

Walter Ingram's father worked for the railroad

Family religious background--father Baptist, mother Methodist

Schooling in Mississippi--W.I. as self-made--most teaching from parents and the Church

Interacial relations in Mississippi--white neighbors--W.I. refused to work for a man in debt to him, angry confrontation

Further comments on confrontation with W.I.'s debtor, “can't live on air”--visit to Uncle Frank in Jackson

Father's fear of debt--taught W.I. to run from a fight--father helped build local cotton oil mill

Walter Ingram' s work in Mississippi--cleaning and pressing--restaurant business, problem with white men

Leaving Mississippi for Beloit, the influence of John McCord who wanted W.I. as a baseball player

W.I. as a hunter in Pontotoc, supplied local hotel and doctors

W.I. as a baseball player, second baseman--triple play--played with Pontotoc team---played at Rust College once, they won by cheating

McCord wanted W.I. to help challenge white teams in Beloit area--W.I.'s decision to play on Sunday

Introduction

more on baseball playing--W.I. as first black in the CIO baseball league in Racine--others followed, “we got one” story

No returning to Mississippi--warned to leave Pontotoc, refused to leave until later

Decision to leave Mississippi, the year of the boll weevil--W.I. as one of the first to leave for Beloit

The trip to Beloit

Andrew Davis story, the Yankee beggar in St. Louis

Differences in Beloit--Mississippi migrants resented by original Beloit black families, feared trouble with whites

John McCord's pitch about Beloit--better opportunities, no fear of lynching--encounter with Sheriff Woods of Pontotoc

First job at Fairbanks-Morse--work in the power house--problem with foreman who fired blacks indiscriminately

Further comments on problem with the foreman--W.I. relationship with Eugene Burlingame, F-M personnel director--problem with Italian-American workers, fights---fight with “Monk”--Italian workers threatened to quit--W.I. worked in the power house while recruiting workers from Missisippi

Further comments on confrontation with Italians--Italians briefly quit work, marched downtown, 1916

Further comments on work at F-M--W.I. tried to get along with everbody--hunting with friend Miles in Pontotoc, confrontation between Miles and W.I.--Miles later killed in auto accident

Walter Ingram begins recruiting for Fairbanks-Morse--wages at F-M, more than John McCord, McCord confronted manager

McCord introduced W.I. to recruiting--recruiting money appropriated by George Ingersoll--W.I. operated out of Memphis, made contacts from there in the Pontotoc area

W.I. went to Chicago during the 1921 recession---returned to F-M in 1922

Introduction

Walter Ingram's first recruiting experience--special car for groups over eighteen--Mr. Moore of the Illinois Central in Memphis, problem with tickets, lawyer needed to settle it

W.I.'s reaction to Eugene Burlingame--recollection of Edgewater Apts

Burlingame considered W.I. dependable--foundry work too hard for white workers

Moving to Racine--getting a job from Mel Ward at Walker Manufacturing

Need to organize a union at Walker

Further comments on recruiting--used church-going people as contacts in Pontotoc area--emphasized wages--man willing to come north

Story about John Reneau

W.I. began recruiting soon after his arrival in Beloit--W.I. told Burlingame that he knew more people in Mississippi than anyone else in Beloit

Dangers of recruiting, W.I. succeeded in avoiding most of them

Duration of W.I.'s recruiting--comments concerning Charles Simmons--no additional pay for recruiting

Seymour's impact on Fairbanks-Morse--spread work over entire year, Seymour as W.I.'s superintendent

W.I. saw recruiting as a way to help his people--caused worry to his family--the next recruitor, Rogers, was arrested in Mississippi, too careless

Burlingame made trip to Memphis with W.I. in 1917--W.I. laid off by F-M even though he was a steady worker--George Ingersoll took care of brother Jim's problem in the foundry

W.I. considered recruiting to be the Lord's work, helped others to prosper--1957 trip to Pontotoc

Session II, 1976 October 26
Alternate Format: Audio recording of interview with Walter Ingram, October 26, 1976 available online.

Introduction

Ice business in Beloit, Ed Branigan

Black-owned grocery store in Beloit

Race relations in Beloit--no discrimination at first--story about J.D. Stephenson encouraging separation in a Beloit restaurant--holdup at hotel--W.I. wanted to drive J.D. Stephenson from Beloit, he taught the “Tuskegee Way”--States Restaurant

Attempt to segregate W.I. out of the Planning Department office at F-M--further comments on the impact of W.E. Seymour on F-M--big order for English submarines

Family reaction to W.I.'s recruiting activities, mother worried--recruiting techniques, staying in Memphis

Decision to quit recruiting, observed Memphis lynch mob--recollections of that case--mob took prisoner from train

Further comments on Memphis lynch mob--W.I. saw the lynched man's dismembered head--souvenir crosses from lynch rope--gruesome stories--W.I. left Memphis as soon as possible

The drowning of a friend in Memphis, sailor on a torpedo boat

Upon return to Boloit W.I. was frightened by the approach of three white, female friends of his, reaction to the Memphis experience

W.I.'s decision to leave Beloit, laid off and not rehired according to seniority--not treated “like a man”--F-M tried to hire him back

Introduction

Further comments on F-M efforts to rehire him--W.I. feared his temper, didn't want to be played with--too many “stool pigeons” in Beloit

Decision to move to Racine, attracted by baseball team--further comments on hiring by Walker Manufacturing

Work as a grinder at Walker--incident with fellow worker, later became good friends

Development of the union at Walker--organized by the UAW, Ed Hall as organizer--decision to fight company, willing to “starve like a peckerwood”--W.I. elected as steward--anger at cowardly workers, W.I. used pick handle to steel their courage in one incident

Encounter in company office--problem with piece work rates--problem with timing jobs, Lovin' Babe and pacing work

Further comments on work at Walker--the foreman's beer garden, favoritism toward customers--dealing with foreman's favoritism--Problem with unemployed friend

A striker hit a protesting woman--impact of call to Madison by Ed Hall,“they started treating us like people”

Recollections of “Blue” Jenkins, baseball teammates--incidents with the baseball team

Further comments on Walker Manufacturing--“key men” to thwart the union--dealing with “stool pigeons”--other problems at Walker