Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:00:02] Stacey Scales: Uh-huh. Fannie Richardson Cooley: I barely see [indistinct 00:00:08]. They allowed to live [indistinct 00:00:10] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:00:13] Fannie Richardson Cooley: And I come, you know, I just didn't even think about it, I was just another student, at the time when I was invited to apply for the position. I said, "Oh, you know, yeah, I might be too old," [indistinct 00:00:25] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:00:27] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Mm-hmm. So, I guess I have to [indistinct 00:00:31]. Or, I had always been accustomed to being [indistinct 00:00:48]. As one that [indistinct 00:00:54] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:00:55] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:00:56] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:00:56] Fannie Richardson Cooley: But you know, I can say this, you know I have always been kind of [indistinct 00:01:11]. In many ways, uh-huh. I, having been reared as an only child, [indistinct 00:01:16]. I had the run of the house myself. And then, [indistinct 00:01:23] brother came along it was about time for me to go to boarding school. [indistinct 00:01:28] boarding school. So, I have just never been one to [indistinct 00:01:33] a lot of people around. I told you about Rachel and how we used to preserve things together. We were good, we were good friends. And we [indistinct 00:01:42] our friendship [indistinct 00:01:42]. But, somehow or another, my activities have always been the type where I didn't see a lot of people who were not [indistinct 00:02:18] my way. [indistinct 00:02:18]. Or the dance thing. And people who were in charge going to go [indistinct 00:02:18]. People who were talking about the performers. You know what I mean? Stacey Scales: Mm-hmm. Fannie Richardson Cooley: I had one interesting experience [indistinct 00:02:25]. When they had a big conference there, they were trying to sensitize everybody about the movement and the Black experience and so forth. And, I [indistinct 00:02:38]. Several of the [indistinct 00:02:47] and I used to go down to this [indistinct 00:02:51]. Speakers and everything [indistinct 00:02:51]. Well, you know, they had planned and had all these [indistinct 00:02:51] and everything like that. And, [indistinct 00:02:51] and so when I talked to them [indistinct 00:02:51]. They were prancing up and down the steps. [indistinct 00:02:51] I knew he was talking to me. Or he was talking about me. And he was [indistinct 00:03:31] from the top of the stairs, you know? And I thought to myself, "If you think that I am going to go up there and have a seat and leave my house [indistinct 00:03:39], you've got another [indistinct 00:03:41]." Sister. Sister. [indistinct 00:03:47] everybody said, "Bonnie, he's talking to you." [indistinct 00:03:50]. He said, "If you can find a seat [indistinct 00:03:55]." They put all of us in [indistinct 00:04:15]. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:04:20] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:04:26] about the university. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:04:29] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Uh-huh. You know, cultural events and so forth. They were— Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:04:33] Fannie Richardson Cooley: No. No, no, no. That wasn't there, that [indistinct 00:04:36] conference. That was interesting. I would have been [indistinct 00:04:48] because if they were not going to allow all of the others to go in, then I would not have gone in either. [indistinct 00:04:53] but they were gracious and they allowed all of us to go in. And people also had [indistinct 00:05:05] and sat on the floor. Sat on the floor the whole time. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:05:10] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Oh, we [indistinct 00:05:14] a lot of [indistinct 00:05:15]. The one that wrote the book called, "The Way It's Supposed to Be." [indistinct 00:05:22] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:05:23] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:05:28]. He was doing some explosive kind of talk. You know, it [indistinct 00:05:36] off. That was really something else [indistinct 00:05:41]. Two or three days of all of these people who had [indistinct 00:05:49] to come. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:05:53] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Oh, sure. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:05:56] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Yeah. [indistinct 00:05:59] he spoke. You know, he's always talking about [indistinct 00:06:03]. One thing that I remember about what he said, [indistinct 00:06:10] his speech. And he said, [indistinct 00:06:16] protocol back then. He said when he told the story about this young man from the South, he was driving [indistinct 00:06:27]. And he met a person [indistinct 00:06:31]. And his children had gone North [indistinct 00:06:35] sent him a ticket. And, [indistinct 00:06:38]. And, he said [indistinct 00:07:00] first a Black man in the seat next to him. He said, "What time is [indistinct 00:07:10]?" The conductor [indistinct 00:07:12] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:07:34] Fannie Richardson Cooley: So that was what I remembered from Thurgood Marshall. And so, he said, "And I will lead from [indistinct 00:07:45]." And you know everybody just [indistinct 00:07:49] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:07:50] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:07:51] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:07:54] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Oh. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:07:59] Fannie Richardson Cooley: I don't know that I have said anything that is really meaningful [indistinct 00:08:07]. But it has been such a beautiful time just reflecting. And [indistinct 00:08:14] you know? Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:08:15] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Uh-huh. Misses [indistinct 00:08:18] about Carver and how the children pulled pranks on him. [indistinct 00:08:26] because he would never do anything for himself. Stacey Scales: Right. Fannie Richardson Cooley: But he was always doing nice things for the children. And you know, [indistinct 00:08:34] he was given the piano. Stacey Scales: Yeah. Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:08:37] for the children [indistinct 00:08:39], but he was there. And if he had had any inkling of the fact that they were going to recognize him, he would not have gone there. So [indistinct 00:08:49] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:08:50] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Oh, very humble man. Oh, very humble man. Yes. In fact, he's one of my favorite persons. [indistinct 00:09:00] very spiritual. Very much in tuned with, "The Creator." And, gave the Creator the credit for everything. He would not take money for his inventions. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:10:16] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Without the Creator to pull back the curtain, he could not do anything. And, I appreciated that. Stacey Scales: Mm-hmm. Fannie Richardson Cooley: And then I think [indistinct 00:10:27] he walked with canes. [indistinct 00:10:27]. He would come down to be massaged. He [indistinct 00:10:27] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:10:27] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Yes. I learned that from Reverend Richardson [indistinct 00:10:27] Richardson, who was the chaplain when I was in school, then came back to [indistinct 00:10:27]. And he would live nextdoor to the Carver family. [indistinct 00:10:27] I think that was over in that area there [indistinct 00:10:27]. Not too far from [indistinct 00:10:27]. Besides people who had what they called rheumatism back in those days. You know, today they talk about arthritis and bursitis. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:10:40] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:10:44]. But, the day he came down here, [indistinct 00:11:00] as you know. Stacey Scales: Yes. Fannie Richardson Cooley: Yeah. [indistinct 00:12:00] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:12:00] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:12:00]. Yes, and [indistinct 00:12:00] that museum. [indistinct 00:12:00] it's amazing. It's amazing. But I told you, I don't [indistinct 00:12:00] but, this place [indistinct 00:12:00]. Some more young people like you to think it through. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:12:26] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:12:28] Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:12:29] Fannie Richardson Cooley: [indistinct 00:12:31]. Oh, it was exciting. I hope that I've been helpful in some way. Stacey Scales: [indistinct 00:12:36] Fannie Richardson Cooley: Yeah.