ools.

"The colored citizens of the Choctaw Nation have not been allowed to
participate in the benefit of the school fund of that Nation; hence we
have not been able to establish any schools for colored children in the
Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, until this year. We have now a few
colored schools in both of these Nations. There has never been any
demand for normals or summer institutes for colored teachers in these
two Nations. They will enjoy an appropriation of $100,000 for the
ensuing year, but there are no funds available for normal schools among
them this year." John D. Benedict, Superintendent.

This letter indicates the lapse of provision for the general education
of the Choctaw Freedmen and its renewal during the last years of the
Territorial government.

LICENTIATES

Those that pursued the course of study, provided during these years, for
those that were preparing specially for the ministry, were Noah
Alverson, Griffin, and John Richards, Lukfata. Mr. Richards died at 28
in 1908 and Mr. Alverson was ordained in 1910.

CANDIDATES FOR THE MINISTRY

In April 1911, Riley Flournoy, Sylvester S. Bibbs, Fred McFarland and
Clarence Peete expressed the desire to become ministers of the gospel
and were received under the care of the Presbytery at Eagletown, as
candidates. All were members of the Oak Hill church and school.

THE FIRST CHAUTAUQUA

In 1907, the last year under territorial government, arrangements were
made for a patriotic celebration, in the form of a Chautauqua at the
Academy. The following account of it is from the columns of the Garvin
Graphic:

The Fourth of July meeting by the Freedmen at Oak Hill Academy, near
Valliant, was a real patriotic Chautauqua, the first meeting of the
kind ever held in this part of the Territory, and well worthy of
more than a mere passing note. The preparations for the occasion,
which included a comfortable seat for everyone, were fully completed
before hand. The speakers' stand and the Academy buildings were
tastefully decorated with our beautiful national colors, one large
flag suspended between two of them, being twelve feet long.

"The exercises included three series of addresses, interspersed with
soul-stirring patriotic music by the Oak Hill Glee Club, and the
speakers included several of the most eloquent orators in the south
part of the territory. The occasion afforded ample opportunity