WEBVTT 1 00:01.000 --> 00:16.000 When I was put out of school, there were a lot of girls up there whose parents, I'm sure, just send them to the school. Just say, "Now I want you to go up there and I want you to marry a doctor or a minister or a lawyer." You know? 2 00:16.000 --> 00:17.000 Mm-hmm. 3 00:17.000 --> 00:33.000 So we didn't have any problems. And I had friends, and they said, "We'll help you out to go to school." I said, "Listen, I don't mind going out, spending your money to have a good time, but I don't want you to be invested." Because I didn't want nobody waiting at me when I got my degree, saying now I owe you this. 4 00:33.000 --> 00:35.000 So you didn't want anybody to give you money for school? 5 00:35.000 --> 00:46.000 That's right. So I would not accept that, and I thought my people would promise me, but when I wrote them, they didn't even accept, but one sister in Chicago. She used to send me enough to eat with. Finally. 6 00:46.000 --> 00:53.000 I see. So your friends, you wouldn't let them give you money, but you would have let your family members, but they didn't— 7 00:53.000 --> 00:55.000 That's right. Because I figured that they didn't have any designs on me. You know? 8 00:55.000 --> 00:56.000 Mm-hmm. 9 00:56.000 --> 01:17.000 So the chemistry guy that was in charge of chemistry, he gave me a job working in the lab after school. And this guy that was a little BN/GYN, he gave me a job operating on rabbits, because at that time, to tell whether a woman was pregnant or not, you had to open up the abdomen and look at the ovaries— 10 01:17.000 --> 01:17.000 Wow. 11 01:17.000 --> 01:28.000 —to see if there was follicular cysts being formed. If they were ripe or not. So that's the way I got into med school. 12 01:28.000 --> 02:06.000 I guess this is interesting about my life, I never done anything great in it, but I've always been around people who have been great and who have done great things. One of the guys in my class in college, became president of the university. And this guy, this was an ambassador to the United Nations. Andrew Young, he was in the United Nations, he was a good friend of mine. His father and I, we were very good friends. We were singing in the same group together. 13 02:06.000 --> 02:07.000 What group was that? 14 02:07.000 --> 03:12.000 The Osceola 5. That was a group that this director of the music of the church was in charge of. And this—One of the guys that I finished college with, was—Well, several of them became very prominent physicians. One of them is the head of—One of the greatest honors bestowed on him, is at internal medicine. He's at Howard. He's not on the teaching. He's retired, but he still takes great interest in it. And then one was in OB/GYN, was in—this first one was in that too. So I've always been around great people, and like I said, now I'm in this Boulé with all these people that's running the city and running these universities and things. So I said, at least I've had the opportunity of being around them. Even though I didn't get— 15 03:12.000 --> 03:12.000 It sounds awfully humble to me. 16 03:12.000 --> 03:12.000 Uh-huh. 17 03:12.000 --> 03:12.000 What is—Boulé is B-U— 18 03:12.000 --> 03:12.000 B-O-U-L-E. 19 03:12.000 --> 03:12.000 Okay. 20 03:12.000 --> 03:13.000 I think I have one of the books up in there. I'm not—I want to show you one of the guys that's in there. 21 03:13.000 --> 03:14.000 Do I need to unhook you? 22 03:14.000 --> 03:14.000 No, not necessarily. I guess I can reach over there. 23 03:14.000 --> 03:19.000 All right. 24 03:19.000 --> 03:45.000 He's a federal judge. No, he's not a federal judge, but the guy is in there that's a federal judge. But he is a state supreme court judge. He is the—The other guy that died recently was the joint administrator officer of the city. So I just said, been around so many greats. But— 25 03:45.000 --> 03:54.000 I see, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. 26 03:54.000 --> 04:03.000 I have some very talented people in my family. My brother, who died last year was a—a year or two ago, was very talented. And I had in a sister in Chicago who is— 27 04:03.000 --> 04:03.000 What did they do? 28 04:03.000 --> 04:03.000 I told you, he was a commission— 29 04:03.000 --> 04:03.000 Oh, right. 30 04:03.000 --> 04:03.000 Deputy commissioner. 31 04:03.000 --> 04:03.000 Uh-huh. Your sister was— 32 04:03.000 --> 04:14.000 But he was—He's also an excellent musician too. He did a lot of playing piano. 33 04:14.000 --> 04:16.000 Do you play piano? 34 04:16.000 --> 04:19.000 To my own amazement, but I wouldn't get out and try to play for anybody else. 35 04:19.000 --> 04:22.000 Uh-huh. 36 04:22.000 --> 04:30.000 But this is the guy. This Tee Keys. He's chairman of the— 37 04:30.000 --> 04:30.000 Which is— 38 04:30.000 --> 04:30.000 This one. 39 04:30.000 --> 04:34.000 Uh-huh. Chairman of Social Services. 40 04:34.000 --> 04:54.000 But I'm going to show you—I would want to show you his resume. It's in here somewhere, if not, it's in that book. Yeah, here it is. But it's just an example of the kind of people that I was telling you about. 41 04:54.000 --> 04:58.000 Mm-hmm. 42 04:58.000 --> 05:07.000 Candidates for—He's a candidate. He was trying to get me to go up there, but I can't make it. Yeah, this would more or less—describes his activities there. But that's the kind of people that have been— 43 05:07.000 --> 05:11.000 That were in this. 44 05:11.000 --> 05:17.000 Yeah. Norman Francis is President of Xavier. That's a big university out there. They accept more— 45 05:17.000 --> 05:17.000 And this is the first African American elected to the Supreme Court of Louisiana. 46 05:17.000 --> 05:17.000 Sam Cook is the president of Dillard. 47 05:17.000 --> 05:17.000 Mm-hmm. 48 05:17.000 --> 05:41.000 Roshawn, the president of the dart board team, vice president of the dart. 49 05:41.000 --> 05:43.000 So you're inducted into this Boulé [indistinct 00:05:44]— 50 05:43.000 --> 05:44.000 I'm the senior member in there now. 51 05:44.000 --> 05:52.000 Are you? Really? 52 05:52.000 --> 05:55.000 I've been in there more than anybody. And I don't know how I got in there, because I got in there a year—not too many years after I came in here. 53 05:55.000 --> 06:00.000 You mean into New Orleans? 54 06:00.000 --> 06:01.000 Yeah. 55 06:01.000 --> 06:06.000 Uh-huh. We should probably move to these—your family history soon. 56 06:06.000 --> 06:07.000 Mm-hmm. 57 06:07.000 --> 06:14.000 I want to ask you, before we move actually, on to these questions here on these forms. 58 06:14.000 --> 06:16.000 Mm-hmm. 59 06:16.000 --> 06:19.000 You mentioned that most of them, really well educated. 60 06:19.000 --> 06:19.000 Mm-hmm. 61 06:19.000 --> 06:25.000 Where are they educated? Why—What do you know about your family background? Your ancestors and what your—What father's [indistinct 00:06:27]— 62 06:25.000 --> 06:25.000 I can give you it. 63 06:25.000 --> 06:25.000 Yeah. 64 06:25.000 --> 06:25.000 I have a paper out there with all that on there, if you want me to get it. 65 06:25.000 --> 06:25.000 Do you? Yeah, I'd love to see it. 66 06:25.000 --> 06:25.000 All right. 67 06:25.000 --> 06:25.000 Is this [indistinct 00:06:39]? 68 06:25.000 --> 06:46.000 Medical Associates. 69 06:46.000 --> 06:46.000 What street is this on? 70 06:46.000 --> 06:46.000 That's Freret and Louisiana. 71 06:46.000 --> 06:57.000 What and Louisi—Oh, Freret and Louisiana. 72 06:57.000 --> 07:00.000 And this is a picture of the club that I was telling you about, where we used to dance once a year. 73 07:00.000 --> 07:02.000 Will you tell me the name of that one again? 74 07:02.000 --> 07:03.000 The Beau Brummell's. 75 07:03.000 --> 07:03.000 Beau Brummell's. 76 07:03.000 --> 07:03.000 Mm-hmm. This is the inside of the building. 77 07:03.000 --> 07:03.000 Of the Medical Associates? 78 07:03.000 --> 07:18.000 Mm-hmm. That's the picture of— 79 07:18.000 --> 07:20.000 Do you also have photographs of when you were growing up? 80 07:20.000 --> 07:26.000 I doubt it. I might have one somewhere, but I doubt it. 81 07:26.000 --> 07:36.000 I was about to say, around the time that you were in the war or at Howard, or when you got [indistinct 00:07:37]— 82 07:36.000 --> 07:36.000 I'm pretty sure I have some of that. But they're probably in the room in there, in that room in the den. 83 07:36.000 --> 07:56.000 Uh-huh. 84 07:56.000 --> 08:00.000 And see, this was Flint-Goodridge Hospital. That's the hospital that I was talking to you about. 85 08:00.000 --> 08:06.000 Right. Which I passed by that. No, there's a housing project right by that. 86 08:06.000 --> 08:11.000 Yeah. They made a nursing home—Not a nursing home, but a home for senior citizens, out of it. 87 08:11.000 --> 08:11.000 This is my wife and some of her family. 88 08:11.000 --> 08:11.000 Uh-huh. 89 08:11.000 --> 08:47.000 That's in Atlanta, there. And grandkids. 90 08:47.000 --> 08:48.000 I would love to get—to photocopy all photographs. Well not photocopy— 91 08:48.000 --> 09:14.000 Okay. The first question is, what is your zip code? 92 09:14.000 --> 09:16.000 70122. 93 09:16.000 --> 09:19.000 Tell me—I remember you said 1916, I don't remember the actual date of your birth. 94 09:19.000 --> 09:20.000 1916. 95 09:20.000 --> 09:23.000 I know, but what year? Not what year, what month and day? 96 09:23.000 --> 09:24.000 September the 24th. 97 09:24.000 --> 09:24.000 Tell me the town you grew up in again? 98 09:24.000 --> 09:24.000 Fitzgerald. 99 09:24.000 --> 09:24.000 Fitzgerald. 100 09:24.000 --> 09:40.000 Mm-hmm. 101 09:40.000 --> 09:43.000 Okay. And I'm going to list your principal occupation as? 102 09:43.000 --> 09:53.000 Physician of surgeons. I was a urologist during my active days. 103 09:53.000 --> 10:14.000 Mm-hmm. 104 10:14.000 --> 10:16.000 It's George— 105 10:16.000 --> 10:16.000 Yes. 106 10:16.000 --> 10:18.000 —Jefferson Thomas— 107 10:18.000 --> 10:18.000 Junior. 108 10:18.000 --> 10:45.000 —Junior? 109 10:45.000 --> 10:45.000 That's right. 110 10:45.000 --> 10:55.000 How would you like your name to appear in written materials? 111 10:55.000 --> 10:55.000 I don't have a preference. 112 10:55.000 --> 10:57.000 I'm kind to say, "Dr. George Jefferson Thomas, Jr." 113 10:57.000 --> 11:24.000 That's all right. 114 11:24.000 --> 11:26.000 What's your wife's name? 115 11:26.000 --> 11:26.000 Thelma. 116 11:26.000 --> 11:26.000 Thelma? 117 11:26.000 --> 11:28.000 Thelma Evangeline. 118 11:28.000 --> 11:32.000 Thelma Evangeline? 119 11:32.000 --> 11:40.000 Yes. 120 11:40.000 --> 11:47.000 What was her date of birth? 121 11:47.000 --> 11:49.000 I think it's September the 22nd, 1922. 122 11:49.000 --> 11:51.000 '22. 123 11:51.000 --> 11:54.000 Mm-hmm. 124 11:54.000 --> 11:54.000 Where was she born? 125 11:54.000 --> 11:54.000 In Gadsden, South Carolina. 126 11:54.000 --> 11:54.000 Gadsden? 127 11:54.000 --> 12:05.000 Yes. Uh-huh. 128 12:05.000 --> 12:06.000 G-A-D-S-D-E-N? 129 12:06.000 --> 12:11.000 I'm pretty sure that's it. 130 12:11.000 --> 12:13.000 You said South Carolina, right? 131 12:13.000 --> 12:16.000 Yes. Uh-huh. 132 12:16.000 --> 12:18.000 All right. And did she—What was her occupation? 133 12:18.000 --> 12:25.000 Housewife. 134 12:25.000 --> 12:26.000 What was your mother's name? 135 12:26.000 --> 12:31.000 Winnie Cornelia Whittaker, before she married. 136 12:31.000 --> 12:32.000 Her maiden name was Whittaker? 137 12:32.000 --> 12:32.000 Yes. Uh-huh. 138 12:32.000 --> 12:42.000 W-H-I-T-T-A-K-E-R? 139 12:42.000 --> 12:44.000 I'm not sure about that. It's either W-H-I-T— 140 12:44.000 --> 12:44.000 Oh, it's on that thing right there. 141 12:44.000 --> 12:44.000 —or W-H-I-T-T. I don't know which. 142 12:44.000 --> 12:44.000 Okay. Would you tell me, was it Winnie? 143 12:44.000 --> 12:44.000 Yes. Uh-huh. Winnie Cornelia. 144 12:44.000 --> 12:54.000 What was that middle one? 145 12:54.000 --> 12:56.000 Cornelia, C-O-R-N-E-L-I-A. 146 12:56.000 --> 13:00.000 Cornelia. 147 13:00.000 --> 13:03.000 Mm-hmm. 148 13:03.000 --> 13:07.000 When was she born? 149 13:07.000 --> 13:07.000 When was my mother born? 150 13:07.000 --> 13:07.000 Yeah. But I asked you that. 151 13:07.000 --> 13:07.000 It's in that thing there. 152 13:07.000 --> 13:07.000 Okay. 153 13:07.000 --> 13:24.000 But I really don't remember. 154 13:24.000 --> 13:25.000 Okay. One second. I'm wondering, did I not—I'm seeing a—am I looking at a—This right here, does that say, "Vinie"? 155 13:25.000 --> 13:36.000 It should be Winnie, but it says Vinie. 156 13:36.000 --> 13:39.000 Okay. But it should be Winnie? 157 13:39.000 --> 13:41.000 I'm not sure about that, I— 158 13:41.000 --> 13:42.000 That looks like a V-I-N-I-E. 159 13:42.000 --> 13:43.000 I believe that's what it is. 160 13:43.000 --> 13:48.000 So I'm spelling her name wrong on this stuff. 161 13:48.000 --> 13:49.000 Well, no. Her name is Winnie. I know her name is Winnie. 162 13:49.000 --> 13:50.000 Okay. Actually, that was her father's mother. 163 13:50.000 --> 13:53.000 Mm-hmm. I know her name was Winnie. 164 13:53.000 --> 14:12.000 Okay. And she was November 11th— 165 14:12.000 --> 14:17.000 November 11, 1911. She was born 11th day of the 11th hour. 166 14:17.000 --> 14:20.000 No, wait. 1883. Wait a second. Winnie Cornelia, November 11, 1883. So this is weird. This says, "to June 28, 1911." 167 14:20.000 --> 14:22.000 June the 20th? That's what it says on there? 168 14:22.000 --> 14:29.000 Look at. Tell me—Explain what this is about, what she's doing here. It says here, "Winnie Cornelia Whittaker," which is your mother— 169 14:29.000 --> 14:30.000 Uh-huh. 170 14:30.000 --> 14:33.000 —November 11, 1883. 171 14:33.000 --> 14:33.000 Uh-huh. 172 14:33.000 --> 14:40.000 And then there's this dash. Oh, maybe that's when she got married. Did she get married in June, 28th June '11, to George? That makes sense. Thomas. Okay. Okay. 173 14:40.000 --> 14:40.000 That must be. 174 14:40.000 --> 14:40.000 Okay. 175 14:40.000 --> 14:43.000 Because I know— 176 14:43.000 --> 14:43.000 Otherwise that would—Okay. 177 14:43.000 --> 14:47.000 —I know she was born— 178 14:47.000 --> 14:48.000 When did she pass away? Was that— 179 14:48.000 --> 15:07.000 I'm not sure. I think that was around 1967, but I'm not positive about that. 180 15:07.000 --> 15:17.000 All right. Well I'll say, "around 1967." I didn't ask you something about this. It says here, "These families were greatly mixed by marriage," does she mean racially mixed? What does she mean by "mixed"? 181 15:17.000 --> 15:23.000 I imagine that's what she meant, but I'm not sure. But I don't know of any interracial marriages at that time. Now it's been plenty since then. 182 15:23.000 --> 15:27.000 There were plenty since your time, interracial marriages in your family? 183 15:27.000 --> 15:41.000 Well in my immediate family, you mean my children? Not—My daughter is married to an Iranian, and my grandson is married to a White girl. 184 15:41.000 --> 15:47.000 Uh-huh. I wonder what she meant by "greatly mixed by marriage". 185 15:47.000 --> 15:53.000 Now she could—if she meant Indians. Now she may mean Indians. There are a lot of Indians in that country, I know. 186 15:53.000 --> 15:55.000 Uh-huh. 187 15:55.000 --> 15:55.000 So maybe that's what she meant. I'm not sure. 188 15:55.000 --> 15:59.000 Okay. 189 15:59.000 --> 16:09.000 And it could have been—She could have been talking about the ancestors, because my grandmother was White. I mean, my grandmother's father was White. 190 16:09.000 --> 16:09.000 Oh, really? 191 16:09.000 --> 16:29.000 And her—My grandmother's father was the—I mean, her mother was Black. I think that's the way it was. 192 16:29.000 --> 16:29.000 What? That's weird. 193 16:29.000 --> 16:31.000 But I know my grandmother looked like she was pure White, but she— 194 16:31.000 --> 16:39.000 Your grandmother did? You said her father was White and your grandmother looked like she was White? 195 16:39.000 --> 16:40.000 Her father was White. 196 16:40.000 --> 16:40.000 Okay. 197 16:40.000 --> 16:46.000 And one of them was Black, so the other one must have been Black, or whatever it was. 198 16:46.000 --> 16:48.000 Right. But the point is, your grandmother also looked like she was— 199 16:48.000 --> 16:54.000 Oh, yeah. She looked like—She had gray eyes and white hair, and all that kind of stuff. 200 16:54.000 --> 16:56.000 You don't have any pictures of her? 201 16:56.000 --> 17:03.000 I don't think so. I may have them, but where at to look for them, I— 202 17:03.000 --> 17:06.000 Maybe Mrs. Thomas would know. 203 17:06.000 --> 17:06.000 I can ask her. 204 17:06.000 --> 17:09.000 All right. 205 17:09.000 --> 17:20.000 But this is a picture of the original group in that— 206 17:20.000 --> 17:28.000 Oh, yeah. Now this was in the early '60s. 207 17:28.000 --> 17:28.000 Mm-hmm. This is another picture of the building there. 208 17:28.000 --> 17:28.000 Mm-hmm. All right. 209 17:28.000 --> 17:30.000 And this is— 210 17:30.000 --> 17:33.000 You had a wide mustache. 211 17:33.000 --> 17:35.000 —This is a picture of one of the functions over there at the place. 212 17:35.000 --> 17:38.000 What place? Your country club? 213 17:38.000 --> 17:38.000 Yeah. 214 17:38.000 --> 17:48.000 That spread looks incredible. 215 17:48.000 --> 17:50.000 Mm-hmm. Now my mother and my father died about three or four days apart. That was in 1963. 216 17:50.000 --> 17:52.000 Oh, look. Then I can write it from this. 217 17:52.000 --> 18:09.000 Mm-hmm. 218 18:09.000 --> 18:14.000 Jay Tanner Stanley. That's not the man that married— 219 18:14.000 --> 18:16.000 Bea— 220 18:16.000 --> 18:16.000 It is. 221 18:16.000 --> 18:16.000 Bea Perry. 222 18:16.000 --> 18:17.000 Is it? Yeah. 223 18:17.000 --> 18:17.000 Yeah. 224 18:17.000 --> 18:18.000 Okay. 225 18:18.000 --> 18:23.000 But he's divorced, and he married Andrew Young's— 226 18:23.000 --> 18:23.000 Daughter? 227 18:23.000 --> 18:27.000 Uh-huh. 228 18:27.000 --> 18:33.000 Is that? Yeah. 229 18:33.000 --> 18:40.000 This is that same picture of my son and his family. And this was a picture of us, shortly after we came down here, at one of the cocktail parties. 230 18:40.000 --> 18:50.000 Can I photo—I want a copy of this. This was—When you say shortly after, this means—Oh, it says right here, "Week of January 25, 1958." 231 18:50.000 --> 18:51.000 Mm-hmm. 232 18:51.000 --> 18:53.000 Well you said shortly after you come down here, but you came down here in the '40s. 233 18:53.000 --> 18:53.000 '46. 234 18:53.000 --> 18:59.000 So when you say shortly after you came down here— 235 18:59.000 --> 19:07.000 I guess I was wrong then. But this is a picture that was taken back there in the back, at one of the reunions we had down there. 236 19:07.000 --> 19:09.000 Back of what? 237 19:09.000 --> 19:11.000 Back of the house. 238 19:11.000 --> 19:11.000 Okay. 239 19:11.000 --> 19:13.000 Backyard. 240 19:13.000 --> 19:14.000 That's [indistinct 00:19:13]. 241 19:14.000 --> 19:31.000 This is the—That's just a picture of the church. 242 19:31.000 --> 19:31.000 But what is—When is this? 243 19:31.000 --> 19:33.000 You know I don't remember. I can't remember, but it must have been a mighty long time ago. I had hair on my head, so you know. 244 19:33.000 --> 19:34.000 So you know that was a while ago. 245 19:34.000 --> 19:48.000 And this is a picture of the Beau Brummell club. 246 19:48.000 --> 19:49.000 Oh. Will you spell that for me? 247 19:49.000 --> 19:52.000 B-E-A-U, beau. 248 19:52.000 --> 19:52.000 B-E-A-U? 249 19:52.000 --> 19:52.000 BRUMMELL. 250 19:52.000 --> 20:10.000 Beau, Beau Brummell. 251 20:10.000 --> 20:10.000 Now you know that was taken a long time ago. 252 20:10.000 --> 20:10.000 This was your car? Okay. 253 20:10.000 --> 20:11.000 This when I first came down here. 254 20:11.000 --> 20:16.000 But say now, you keep saying when you first came down here, but—So this was the Ford. Did you have kids when you came down here? 255 20:16.000 --> 20:18.000 Yeah. I said I had two. 256 20:18.000 --> 20:19.000 When were your—Well, I'll ask this— 257 20:19.000 --> 20:20.000 Three, really. 258 20:20.000 --> 20:23.000 Yeah. Okay. That's right. One on the way. 259 20:23.000 --> 20:23.000 That's a picture of my father and of the church that he was— 260 20:23.000 --> 20:24.000 Uh-huh. 261 20:24.000 --> 20:49.000 Now don't ask me when that was taken. 262 20:49.000 --> 20:55.000 But that was more recent. For how long did you sport a mustache? 263 20:55.000 --> 20:56.000 Until I got hurt, I guess. 264 20:56.000 --> 20:57.000 Really? 265 20:57.000 --> 20:58.000 Uh-huh. 266 20:58.000 --> 20:59.000 Then what, you couldn't keep up with it? 267 20:59.000 --> 21:11.000 That's my brother that died two years ago, in the middle. But this, I saved this check, just to show you how they waste money in the government. Now why would they— 268 21:11.000 --> 21:12.000 Oh, for 32 cents? 269 21:12.000 --> 21:13.000 Uh-huh. 270 21:13.000 --> 21:29.000 A Medicare payment. Now Louisiana Avenue, right? That's where your office was? 271 21:29.000 --> 21:29.000 Mm-hmm. 272 21:29.000 --> 21:47.000 Okay. 273 21:47.000 --> 21:51.000 This is a picture of the singing groups, in front of the church, since we went every Sunday. 274 21:51.000 --> 22:00.000 There you are. Uh-huh. 275 22:00.000 --> 22:03.000 You didn't meet Mrs. Dent, since you've been down here, did you? 276 22:03.000 --> 22:10.000 No. I actually—We asked to do an interview with her, and she was unable. 277 22:10.000 --> 22:10.000 Yeah. 278 22:10.000 --> 22:13.000 I'm disappointed about that. 279 22:13.000 --> 22:13.000 Well this is a picture. I don't know when it's from. That's [indistinct 00:22:15]— 280 22:13.000 --> 22:13.000 [indistinct 00:22:15]. 281 22:13.000 --> 22:13.000 She was quite a concert pianist. A very talented— 282 22:13.000 --> 22:14.000 She looks so nice. 283 22:14.000 --> 22:29.000 Mm-hmm. Very lovely person. 284 22:29.000 --> 22:38.000 I guess I could guess from the clothes, what era, what decade we're in here. 285 22:38.000 --> 22:53.000 These are some pictures of the Boulé, when I first got in it. This when I was living over on—before I moved over here. 286 22:53.000 --> 22:59.000 So is Boulé, is it a mixed raced club? I mean, is it a mixed race— 287 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 No, it's sole Blacks. 288 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 This gentleman here, who is— 289 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 Who is that? Caruso? 290 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 There's a man here who looks White. 291 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 Where your finger and thumb is? 292 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 Yep. 293 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 No, he's a minister out in California. That's Reverend Hill. 294 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 Really? 295 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 Mm-hmm. He is not that bright either. 296 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 He's not that bright? 297 22:59.000 --> 22:59.000 Uh-huh. I mean, in color. 298 22:59.000 --> 23:25.000 Oh. I thought you meant— 299 23:25.000 --> 23:34.000 Now you see, all these guys are dead, that's what makes me feel like the last leaf on the tree. We were the original four in that group. 300 23:34.000 --> 23:35.000 Look at their faces though, it looks like it's burning down or something. 301 23:35.000 --> 23:36.000 Mm-hmm. 302 23:36.000 --> 23:38.000 The way it is there, don't they look kind of surprised or something? 303 23:38.000 --> 23:41.000 Yeah, I guess so. 304 23:41.000 --> 23:42.000 Because this is right the opening, right? 305 23:42.000 --> 23:43.000 Mm-hmm. 306 23:43.000 --> 23:50.000 And they've got flowers on their suits. That's you. 307 23:50.000 --> 23:50.000 Yes. 308 23:50.000 --> 23:52.000 C King. 309 23:52.000 --> 23:56.000 That's when he was leaving. He's—I was the master of ceremony. 310 23:56.000 --> 23:57.000 Who was leaving? 311 23:57.000 --> 24:09.000 Reverend Hood, the minister. The former minister. This is him on the end with that watermelon in his hand. Towards your right, where your thumb is. 312 24:09.000 --> 24:20.000 Wait a minute. Oh. I thought you had—It looks like a young guy. 313 24:20.000 --> 24:20.000 Well he was then, but he's up in age now. 314 24:20.000 --> 24:21.000 I wish you could tell me what era this was. Around—Would this be '50s or '60s? 315 24:21.000 --> 24:24.000 That's got to be in the '50s. 316 24:24.000 --> 24:24.000 The '50s? 317 24:24.000 --> 24:24.000 I'm sure it is. 318 24:24.000 --> 24:24.000 Okay. Good. 319 24:24.000 --> 24:47.000 And this one has to be in the '50s or '60s too. 320 24:47.000 --> 24:49.000 The cast. The Fellowship of the Fellows. 321 24:49.000 --> 24:51.000 Mm-hmm. 322 24:51.000 --> 24:53.000 What's that? 323 24:53.000 --> 24:56.000 That's just the men's group. That's when I was in the Army. 324 24:56.000 --> 24:56.000 Oh, R. Perry. Robert Perry? 325 24:56.000 --> 24:56.000 That's when I was in— 326 24:56.000 --> 24:56.000 Robert Perry? 327 24:56.000 --> 25:00.000 Yeah. 328 25:00.000 --> 25:01.000 Was he a friend of yours? 329 25:01.000 --> 25:05.000 Yeah. That's— 330 25:05.000 --> 25:05.000 He must have been. 331 25:05.000 --> 25:05.000 —That's Bea's father. 332 25:05.000 --> 25:05.000 I know. 333 25:05.000 --> 25:05.000 Uh-huh. 334 25:05.000 --> 25:07.000 So he must have been a friend of yours, huh? Because you were in the same [indistinct 00:25:08]. 335 25:07.000 --> 25:09.000 Yeah. 336 25:09.000 --> 25:12.000 What's this? Where is this taken? 337 25:12.000 --> 25:14.000 It was in the 1970s, I think. 338 25:14.000 --> 25:19.000 In the—Oh. 339 25:19.000 --> 25:28.000 I know I was in the Army, overseas. And this is when we first moved in that building, the clinic. 340 25:28.000 --> 25:28.000 Yeah. Okay. 341 25:28.000 --> 25:28.000 So do you think this is '50s or '60s, or later? 342 25:28.000 --> 25:28.000 I think it was probably in the '50s. I'm not sure, but I would guess it was in the '50s. I had hair on my head in this. 343 25:28.000 --> 25:28.000 Oh, I see this is the opening. This is the opening. 344 25:28.000 --> 25:28.000 Yes. Uh-huh. Let me see who—Everybody on there almost, is dead. 345 25:28.000 --> 25:28.000 Is dead? That, I don't know. It's hard for me to imagine what that would be like. 346 25:28.000 --> 26:42.000 I think I overstayed my time. 347 26:42.000 --> 26:53.000 No. Uh-uh. All right, I should ask you more questions. 348 26:53.000 --> 26:53.000 Okay. 349 26:53.000 --> 26:58.000 I know—here's—Right, you told me this. It's down here. It doesn't say it right here. Where was your mother born? 350 26:58.000 --> 27:03.000 I would guess Rockford, Alabama. That's where I first knew her, and that's the only place I'd ever known. 351 27:03.000 --> 27:18.000 Okay. Did she—She was a housewife, right? Amazing, your mom. 352 27:18.000 --> 27:23.000 Mm-hmm. 353 27:23.000 --> 27:26.000 Okay. And your father's name, I know your father's name. 354 27:26.000 --> 27:28.000 George. 355 27:28.000 --> 27:29.000 George Jefferson Thomas— 356 27:29.000 --> 27:38.000 Senior. 357 27:38.000 --> 27:44.000 And his date of birth? 358 27:44.000 --> 27:45.000 You're asking me? 359 27:45.000 --> 27:52.000 No. I'm going to look, but do you happen to remember it off the top of your head? 360 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 No, I sure don't. 361 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 Okay. Wait a minute, you handed me something earlier. 362 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 Yeah, I was about to say, I gave you that— 363 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 Not this. 364 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 —the funeral— 365 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 Yeah. 366 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 It should be on there. 367 27:52.000 --> 27:52.000 I put it in one of these piles. 368 27:52.000 --> 28:58.000 That's another picture that was taken, that she sent me. 369 28:58.000 --> 28:58.000 This is great. Wow. Okay. 370 28:58.000 --> 29:04.000 Oh, it doesn't say. This is the back. It only says when he passed. It doesn't say when he was born. 371 29:04.000 --> 29:12.000 I thought it did. 372 29:12.000 --> 29:15.000 You would think it would. There's no obituary on there. I mean, it doesn't say— 373 29:15.000 --> 29:43.000 I don't know how he was when he died, but I was for sure it said on there when he was— 374 29:43.000 --> 29:44.000 But he was probably born in the 1880's as well. 375 29:44.000 --> 29:44.000 Let me see, he must have been. It wasn't in that article then. 376 29:44.000 --> 29:44.000 What? 377 29:44.000 --> 30:00.000 It wasn't in that newspaper article, huh? 378 30:00.000 --> 30:01.000 I'll look again. 379 30:01.000 --> 30:06.000 This is my daughter's wedding, and her husband's on there. He's the Iranian. 380 30:06.000 --> 30:06.000 Oh. Let me see this. 381 30:06.000 --> 30:06.000 That's the paper? I'll look it up. 382 30:06.000 --> 30:06.000 Now tell us more about what he did with this chart I'm checking off. What about where he was born? 383 30:06.000 --> 30:06.000 I think he was born in Hawkinsville, Georgia. 384 30:06.000 --> 30:06.000 Hawkinsville? 385 30:06.000 --> 31:07.000 Yes. H-A-W-K-I-N-S-V-I-L-L-E, Hawkinsville. 386 31:07.000 --> 31:13.000 Okay. Moving right along, can you tell me the—I need the names of your brothers and sisters, and when they were born. 387 31:13.000 --> 31:23.000 It's not in—It's in that thing, I'm pretty sure that I gave you it. 388 31:23.000 --> 31:23.000 Oh, this thing. 389 31:23.000 --> 31:25.000 His date of birth should be in there. 390 31:25.000 --> 31:28.000 Yeah. 391 31:28.000 --> 31:46.000 I thought she put everything in there. 392 31:46.000 --> 32:08.000 Okay. She writes about their marriage. 393 32:08.000 --> 32:08.000 You want me to see if I can find it? 394 32:08.000 --> 32:08.000 Oh, I see. Okay, she writes it out. 395 32:08.000 --> 32:08.000 I thought she had everybody's— 396 32:08.000 --> 32:08.000 So Portia? 397 32:08.000 --> 32:10.000 Mm-hmm. 398 32:10.000 --> 32:18.000 Okay. Well then—Oh, Edwina? 399 32:18.000 --> 32:18.000 That's my sister. 400 32:18.000 --> 32:18.000 Lottie? 401 32:18.000 --> 32:18.000