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Vice-Chancellor’s Office
The University of the South
Sewanee, Tennessee

19 May, 1905.

Dr, William M. Polk
7 East Thirty-sixth Street,
New York.

My dear Dr. Polk,

Your letter of the 17th inst. is duly received.

The package containing the portrait of Bishop Polk reached Sewanee a few days ago, It
is very much improved by the re-touching. We were sorry to be without the Bishop’s por-
trait during these past few months. It was St. Luke’s Oratory for so many years, and
was always visited by people who came to Sewanee. I can assure you that we are most
grateful to Miss Elliott and yourself for so valuable a donation, and one which we prize
so highly.

Mr. Guerry tells me that there is a probability of your coming to Sewanee this Summer,
in order to be present at the laying of the corner stone of the All Saints Memorial Chapel,
and I extend to you a most cordial invitation to be present upon that occasion. The corner
stone will be laid on the afternoon of Sunday, June 25th. I hope that Mrs. Polk can come
with you.

I have read over and over again the Address which you delivered at our Commencement
several years ago. I sent a copy of it to Mr. Roosevelt, and received a very appreciative
note. Recently, I sent a copy to Booker Washington, who expressed himself as being very
much pleased with the spirit and the treatment of the race problem. He said there were
one or two points on which he might take issue with you, but that the Address as a whole
was cordially endorsed by him. It seems to me that in that Address you anticipated a prob-
lem which has become a vital one here of late. The more I study the history of the Univer-
sity and the vicissitudes through which it passed, the greater is my admiration for the
catholicity and statesmanship of our Founder. Such an institution can never die!

With warmest regards, I am,

Sincerely yours,

{handwritten} B.L. Wiggins {handwritten closed}
Vice-Chancellor