Cheesy Grits: Granddad Ralston and the Boys' Welfare Association

Granddad Ralston's reputation as a successful leader, coach and teacher at Lincoln House had spread.  Six months after he and Audrey were married (in 1918), he received a job offer from the YMCA to become physical director at Camp Upton for $125/month, which was at least $25/month more than he was making at Lincoln House. While Camp Upton was a military camp, the War Department had contracted with the YMCA to provide phys. ed. programs for recruits and soldiers passing through Camp Upton, and they wanted Granddad Ralston to lead the program for African Americans.

But, six months after he and Audrey were married, there was also another factor to be considered: Audrey was pregnant with their first child. Given that Camp Upton was out in Sussex County, Long Island, some 60 miles east of Harlem, it's not hard to think of reasons why he might have declined the offer. (There are some inklings in his correspondence with the Henry Street/Lincoln House board that he was having some health problems of his own as well.)

In any event and for whatever reason, Granddad Ralston decided to stay at Lincoln House. And it was on 15 November 1918, that the Ralstons' first child was born: a daughter named Audrey Rebecca. Jane's mother and my mother-in-law. She would during her life sometimes be known as "Audrey" and sometimes as "Rebecca"; but we generally knew her as "Audrey," or, after our son was born, "Nana."

By early 1919, Granddad Ralston's career was opening up: there was a new venture being envisioned for Harlem's boys and young men. To be called the Boys' Welfare Association, it was being funded initially by the Rotary Club of New York. In April, 1919, the New York Age began reporting on what appears to have been a barnstorming tour taken by Mr. C. J. Atkinson, Chairman of the Rotary Club's Boys' Work Committee, who spoke before churches and civic groups to gather support for stronger organized programs for boys in Harlem. Sometimes speaking before audiences of several thousand, he was able to enlist the support of churches, civic organizations, and social clubs, including groups like Alpha Phi Alpha.

The backing of the Rotary Club of New York enabled this new organization to find new headquarters at 4-6 W. 131st Street, the former home of the Music School Settlement. This new organization was looking for staff as well. It's not clear if they went to Granddad or he came to them, but the result was that he submitted his resignation from his position as physical director at Lincoln House to the Henry Street/Lincoln House board, effective 28 June 1919.

His resignation letter to the Board included the following lines:

"It is but natural that I feel sorry such a change is necessary. To work with such congenial co-workers in a most home-like little House spic & span at all times, and because I have seen so many little tots grow to be grade scholars at school and watch the early adolescent boy develop into manhood, etc. Indeed, its a pleasure to be able to remember these things, therefore the regrets...."

On January 17, 1920, the New York Age led the front page with the story of the opening of the new Boys' Welfare Association.

And on the second page of the story, the new director of physical programs for the Boys' Welfare Association was introduced:

Note:

The quote from Granddad Ralston's resignation letter is from the Lillian Wald papers, Butler Library, Columbia University.