Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2019/Fall/Section 1/Isaac Hathaway

Isaac Hathaway headshot

Overview

Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2019/Fall/Section 1/Isaac Hathaway
Born	Isaac Hathaway April 4, 1872 Lexington, Kentucky
Died	March 12, 1967 Mason County, Alabama
Education	Chandler Normal College, Hew England Conservatory of Music at Boston, Cincinnati Art Academy
Occupation	Sculptor
Spouse(s)	Ettic Ramplin
Children	Elsmer Hathaway
Parent(s)	Rev. Robert Elijah Hathaway and Rachel Scott Hathaway

Isaac Hathaway was an African American man born in Lexington, Kentucky. He took part in the Federal Writers Project, being interviewed by Rhussus L.Perry during the years 1936-1940.

Life Summary

Isaac Hathaway was an African American man born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1872. His first exposure to the arts was when his father, Rev. R. E. Hathaway, took him as a young boy to an art exhibition in Cincinnati, Ohio. While there, he discovered that there was no recognition of Frederick Douglass, which prompted him to desire to make statues of notable African Americans and place them in widely viewed spots. He gained an education from many (now nonexistent) colleges and studied pottery making. He then worked as a teacher of sculpting at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, and many other colleges. Hathaway married Ettic Ramplin, who died in childbirth. His son, Elsmer, died at a young age. Hathaway’s own father, Elijah, had been a former slave and served as his role model. He was a slave of United States Senator Garrett Saris of Bourbon County, Kentucky. He eventually escaped slavery and joined the army. This was during the civil war, and he joined the Union, where he was mistreated and mistaken to be a servant. This role allowed him to become a prominent figure in shaping Isaac Hathaway’s future as an African American man and a sculptor. His father's place in the war had a large impact on his family and paved the way for Isaac in his successes. Hathaway claimed one of his greatest preparations for success was growing up in poverty and having to use mud to create his first works.

Achievements

Hathaway was a brilliant sculptor, commissioned by the Fine Arts Commission of the United States Mint to design a half dollar with Booker T. Washington as the face and subject of the coin and again to make another coin combining both Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. He taught ceramics at what is now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Alabama State College along with the Tuskegee Institute. He taught a summer course in 1932 at Georgia State Industrial College, Savannah, Georgia. He was then a guest lecturer on fine arts at Bishop's college in 1935 and then taught art in the summer school of 1935 and 1936. He helped bring ceramics as an area of study to many colleges.

Societal Issues

African Americans in the Union Army

It was common for black soldiers to fight for the Union army during the Civil War. These men fought passionately, recognizing that they could be captured and re-enslaved by the confederate soldiers at any time. This treatment did not dissuade many soldiers from participating in the war effort; 44.6 percent of all forces in Florida were African American. Based on surveys of naval vessels participating it can be concluded that the U.S. Navy quietly enlisted African Americans as pilots, scouts, and guides; the total contribution of African Americans to the Union effort may have surpassed those who were clearly participants. During the war, these men did not have the same assurances that white men had. They had very few financial resources to support their families during the wartime. Some people had been fortunate enough to escape, but only through becoming refugees. There was a bigger occupational opportunity in the Union-occupied territory, and people moved to cities and towns, some managing to become relatively wealthy. The military presence in these areas allowed for the economic opportunities of all African Americans, both in the war and not, to be expanded.

African American's lives during and after the Great Depression

After the civil war, African Americans managed to gain a foothold in society and their involvement in the economy and business began to grow. Though they slowly began to find a place in society, it was nowhere near that of their white counterparts; the majority of black families still lived in poverty. When the depression hit, the majority of black families were not financially strong enough to sustain. The industrial revolution had only begun to take place in the north, and the South still relied on old practices, such as the agriculture industry, where most African Americans worked. Plessy v. Ferguson deemed the segregation of schools legitimate, and though black children were required to attend school as white children were, their opportunities were strictly different and limited. Almost a quarter of African Americans were illiterate in 1920, and more than a quarter of those in the South. Though when the depression hit, everyone, both blacks and whites lost assets. Blacks, though, having already been at a disadvantage, lost much more, with black southern unemployment rates reaching nearly one half. Though opportunities were better in the north, unemployment patterns persisted for African Americans. Many of those who kept their jobs worked in unskilled labor and service work. Jobs that had been designated for African Americans in the past, such as waiters, delivery boys, chauffeur, and elevator operators were then given to whites that the city was employing over blacks. Very few African Americans were able to gain and maintain professional jobs, only 2 percent of doctors and 1 percent of lawyers.

Other Notable African American Sculptors

The images that were portrayed of African Americans had not been reformed until Meta Warrick Fuller emerged as an artist. Her work is remembered as the first that engulfed the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance; some of her most notable works trace back to her memories of Afro-American folklore that her brother had recited to her since a young age. She used sculpture to explore her personal history as well, creating works that depicted the social and racial problems of the time. She began to use African-American themes while Sargent Johnson arose as the first black sculptor to use the formal properties of African art. His work, in addition to the Harmon Foundation, used different themes to expose racial inequality and honored notable black achievements. Other black sculptors of the early 20th century used their techniques to create a new image for the evolving status of African Americans in society.