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THOMAS S. RUE, M.A.
P.O. Box 706
Monticello, NY 12701

An uncle recently loaned me a copy of your excellent biography of the late Paul L. Robeson. I am writing to offer one minor point of correction for any possible future revisions of the work, concerning the Woldin family of Somerville. It is an extremely minor point, given the scope and subject of the biography, but I trust an historian like yourself who so obviously devotes such scrupulous attention to detail in other areas will be interested in maximum accuracy. Regarding the neighbors of the Robeson family, mentioned on page 11, the text reads in part: "'He taught Paul... never to assume that whites, by definition, were as a group incapable of caring, reminding him 'that whites as well as blacks had given him aid and comfort in his trek for Freedom'. As if to illustrate his words, Reverend Robeson counted among his friends in Somerville the Woldins, a white family who lived almost directly across West Cliff Street. He and Sam Woldin, who had escaped from czarist persecution of the Jews, would often sit on the front porch 'puffing contentedly on pipes or little Recruits or sweet Corporals, sharing tales of their respective flights to freedom'" (emphasis added).

In the above quotation from your book, my grandfather, Samuel (1902-1978), appears to have been confused with his father, Barnett Woldin (1873-1935). It was my great-grandfather, Barnett, who was a contemporary of the Reverend William D. Robeson, and who immigrated from czarist Russia. As you can see by the attached photocopy (1915 N.J. State Census, Somerset County, Bridgewater Township, City of Somerville, ED #2, Sheet 5B), Reverend Robeson is listed as 71 years old, and Barnett ("Barney") Woldin, 43. It seems highly improbable that the aged Reverend Robeson would have set on the front porch puffing tobacco with 13-year-old Samuel, as suggested in your book. At this time, the younger Robeson is listed as age 17, which fits with my grandfather's recollection that he looked up to Paul, who was a few years older and a formidable athlete whose shoes on the basketball team he hoped one day to fill.

Also attached is a copy of an article which you may have seen, from the New York Daily News (February 1, 1976), featuring some of my grandfather's recollections of Mr. Robeson. Paragraph eight reads: "[Samuel Woldin] is Robeson's junior by four years. But Woldin's father was friendly with Robeson's father, who was minister of St. Mark's AME Zion Church on nearby Davenport St. Sam remembers the two old gentlemen sitting on the front porch of the Woldin home on many evenings, smoking Sweet Corporal cigarettes and talking about the affairs of the day."

During the latter years of his life, my grandfather, Sam Woldin, dedicated much of his energy collecting memorabilia and giving speeches to groups in public schools and elsewhere attesting to the life and character of Mr. Robeson. I recall my grandfather expressing to me how deeply honored he felt when to receive a get-well telegram from Mr. Robeson during a hospitalization about two years prior to my grandfather's death. It did not seem to matter that I myself had notified Mr. Robeson of my grandfather's medical condition, expressing the belief that word from a man my grandfather idolized would mean a great deal. Our family was impressed with Mr. Robeson's courtesy in sending the wire, despite the fact that he had virtually withdrawn himself from public life during his later years, and express concern for a childhood friend whom he had not seen in years.

As I recall, my grandfather accumulated a fairly large quantity of Robeson memorabilia, including news clippings, speeches, and other material, which he kept in large scrapbooks. When my grandfather died in 1978, I am uncertain what became of this material and fear it may have been discarded by my grandfather's wife of two years, Evelyn, who has had little contact with the family in many years and may have since herself passed away. I see in note 17 (p. 570) of your book, you refer to manuscript reminiscences of Sam Woldin on file at the Robeson Archives. If you have any knowledge whether the scrapbooks I mentioned were ever donated to the archives, and perhaps not lost upon my grandfathers's death as believed?

I would be most grateful for a reply.

THOMAS S. RUE, M.A.
P.O. Box 706
Monticello, NY 12701

I would appreciate it if you would review the letter, particularly the next-to-last paragraph, and advise what if any collections or writings by my grandfather are presently in your Robeson collection.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

MOORLAND-SPINGARN RESEARCH CENTER
Howard University
Washington, D.C. 20059

The Curator of the Manuscripts Division at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Ms. Karen Jefferson, has asked me to respond to your most interesting letter of June 30, 1991. Please forgive the delay; I have only just returned from vacation.

In response to your request for information on items in the Robeson Papers related to Sam Woldin, the only item included is the unpublished memoir written in 1969, referred to in your letter. Regrettably, there is no trace of scrapbooks which could have been donated by your grandfather. Because the unpublished material in the Robeson Papers is unavailable to researchers at this time; I cannot make a copy of your grandfather's memoir. I will be happy to do so when it is available.

Thank you for the copy of the entry from the New Jersey State Census of 1915 and for the article highlighting Sam Woldin's friendship with Robeson. They will be added to the Paul Robeson collection which consists of Robeson items sent here from fans the world over.

Best wishes.