Black Scholar: Horace Mann Bond, 1904-1972

Urban ( American Education ) here describes in detail the career of a scholar and university administrator. The grandson of a slave, Bond was born into a family that encouraged educational pursuits, and graduated from college at age 18. After writing articles disputing the theory that IQ test scores were determined by heredity rather than environment, in 1934 he published The Education of the Negro in the American Social Order , a study of great distinction. Because racial prejudice limited African-American scholars' access to the publishing world, he devoted his career to college administration. Although the author offers few insights into Bond's personal life or his relationship with his son, activist and politician Julian Bond, the book is nevertheless a solid contribution to the history of African Americans. (May)