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of directors included
Reverend J. I. Jackson, F. S. Hayzel, and Reverend J. Q. A. Wilhite. Pettiford was the leader of the efforts to establish the bank but wished to continue his position in the church and not be bank president. However, the directors told him that it was necessary for the community's confidence in the bank that he be its president and he reluctantly took the role on a year to year basis. Four years after the bank was formed he finally resigned as pastor and turned to bank president full time, although he continued to insist that he was still a preacher and he continued to preach. He even held the pastorate at Tabernacle Baptist Church for a short period during his presidency. Pettiford's leadership took influence from his friend,
191:. He took the place of clerk at the Pleasant Grove church and on July 4, 1869 he married Mary Jane Farley, daughter of Joseph Farley, but she died on March 8, 1870. He remarried to Jennie Powell on July 24, 1873, but she died September 5, 1874. He married a third time on November 23, 1880 to Della Boyd, daughter of Richard and Caroline Boyd of Selma, Alabama. They had at least three children, the oldest of which was Carry Bell Pettiford born September 22, 1882.
366:, where he was a prominent member. In 1910, Percy Bond organized another bank to service the African-American community in Birmingham, and the two clashed at the 1910 League convention in New York City. The bank continued its success and by 1913, the bank's assets were over $ 540,000 (equivalent to $ 12.2 million in 2023) and it had branches across the state. Pettiford's leadership was key to the bank's success, and the bank failed shortly after his death.
268:
31:
239:, and J. T. Jones he incorporated the Robert Brown Elliot School of Technology in Birmingham, the first school of its kind for blacks in the US By 1887, he was a leader in the Baptist Church in Alabama: he was president of the Ministerial Association in Birmingham, a member of the board of trustees at Selma University, and president of the Negro American Publishing Company affiliated with the Birmingham
167:. It played an important role in black economic development in Alabama and in the South during the 25 years it existed. Pettiford has been called the most significant institutional builder and leader in the African American community in Birmingham during the period in which he lived. In 1897 he was said to be next to
346:
to establish a local bank for the community. The
Alabama Penny Savings Company opened on October 15, 1890 due to the efforts of Pettiford, Peter F. Clarke (who became the bank's vice-president), B. H. Hudson Sr. (who worked as a cashier), N. B. Smith, Arthur H. Parker, and Thomas W. Walker. The board
179:
William Reuben
Pettiford was born in Granville County, North Carolina on January 20, 1847 to William and Matilda Pettiford. His parents were free blacks and owned a farm. William worked on the farm and had lessons on the weekends where he learned to read. About the age of ten, his parents sold their
325:
At the
Sixteenth Street church, Pettiford established the Christian Aid Society to help sick members and bury its dead. He was a member of the Birmingham Negro Business League and the city's Inter-Denominational Ministers' Alliance. He was constantly active in Birmingham and Alabama politics and he
219:) and given the opportunity to study theology under then president, W. H. Woodsmall. On March 6, 1879 he was licensed to preach at the Baptist Church in Marion, Alabama and in November 1879 he was made general financial agent by the board at the State Baptist Convention in
227:. In late February 1883 he moved to Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In Birmingham, he was a very successful fundraiser for the church, and succeeded in building a new church building costing $ 25,000 and growing the size of the congregation.
315:
295:. The school opened in September 1900 with Arthur H. Parker principal in the Cameron Building and held its first graduation at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1904. In September 1902, he led the local organization for relief of the victims of the
351:, emphasizing self-help and racial solidarity while cultivating the assistance of white leaders who helped train employees and finance the bank. One example was the aid the Steiner Brothers gave which helped the bank persist through the economic
247:
to discuss needs of
Republicans in Alabama and advocate for greater inclusion of blacks in Republican politics. He was a attendee of the 1889 American National Baptist Convention in Indianapolis where
318:. In 1904, together with Rev. C. O. Boothe, Pettiford held theological classes in the basement of the church to educate future ministers. These classes became what is today known as the
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on Sunday, September 20, 1914 in
Birmingham, Alabama. His funeral was at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church led by Rev. F. G. Ragland and Rev. D. P. Moore.
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291:. In the late 1890s, Pettiford and other pastors petitioned the city to form the first public high school for African Americans in Birmingham called
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led the push to provide aid for blacks fleeing violence in the South and moving to the North. In 1896 he was an
Alabama at-large delegate to the
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Pettiford took ill in March 1914 and took an indefinite leave from the head of the bank and was succeeded by J. O. Diffay. Pettiford died of
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where he studied for seven years, teaching and farming in his spare time to fund his education. He took a principalship at a school in
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from which he resigned in 1877 to focus on finishing his schooling. In 1878, he was elected a teacher at the Selma
Institute (later
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54:
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worked particularly closely with
Reverend T. W. Walker of the cities Shiloh Baptist Church on a number of civil rights and anti-
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In 1887, together with A. L. Scott, Samuel
Roebuck, George Turner, J. H. Thompson, Sandy Goodloe, D. A. Williams, A. T. Walker,
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On July 4, 1868, Pettiford converted to the Baptist religion and on August 3, 1868 he was baptized by Rev. Ezekiel Horton in
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The Alabama Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia: A Brief History
164:
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355:. He also believed in the relationship between financial and spiritual success, and in 1895 wrote a book entitled
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Birmingham Revolutionaries: The Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
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159:. Early in his career he worked as a minister and teacher in various towns in Alabama, moving to the
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In 1906, Pettiford organized the National Negro Banking Association at the convention of the
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about Christian marriage. In 1899 he was a predominant delegate at the annual meeting of the
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Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia
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The African American Church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1815-1963: A Shelter in the Storm
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223:. In 1880, he resigned from these positions to accept the pastorate of a church at
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in June, 1912. He was the spiritual leader of the Alabama Grand Lodge of the
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Homelands and Waterways: The American Journey of the Bond Family, 1846–1926
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Black Titan: A. G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire
342:'s Saving Bank of the Grand Fountain United Order of True Reformers of
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in 1883 and serving there for about ten years. In 1890 he founded the
155:(January 20, 1847 – September 20, 1914) was a minister and banker in
111:
184:, where Pettiford was able to get a tutor and more formal lessons.
779:
Uplifting the People: Three Centuries of Black Baptists in Alabama
338:
Pettiford was inspired by the apparent need and by the success of
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835:
White, Marjorie Longenecker; Manis, Andrew Michael, eds. (2000).
867:. North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. September 7, 1906. p. 1
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where he took work as a farm hand and teacher. He entered the
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the black man who has done the most in the South for blacks.
527:. Galveston, Texas. April 21, 1889. p. 4 – via
243:. In 1889, he was in a delegation to meet with President
1019:. Hopkinsville, Kentucky. September 22, 1914. p. 1
579:. Indianapolis, Indiana. September 19, 1899. p. 1
549:. Charlotte, North Carolina. April 23, 1889. p. 2
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that killed over 100 people during a speech given by
669:. Maysville, Kentucky. September 23, 1902. p. 1
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40:
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469:Simmons, William J.; Turner, Henry McNeal (1887).
989:. Atlanta, Georgia. September 21, 1914. p. 3
921:Jenkins, Carol; Hines, Elizabeth Gardner (2009).
497:. Saint Paul, Minnesota. April 2, 1887. p. 1
303:He was again an Alabama delegate-at-large to the
812:. New York, New York. October 8, 1914. p. 5
959:. New York, New York. March 26, 1914. p. 1
699:. Nashville, Tennessee. May 1, 1908. p. 2
639:. Richmond, Virginia. June 29, 1899. p. 1
609:. Decatur, Illinois. June 11, 1896. p. 1
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439:. Rochester, New York. May 3, 1897. p. 6
8:
1058:People from Granville County, North Carolina
729:. Des Moines, Iowa. June 14, 1912. p. 2
472:Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising
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310:He received an honorary master of arts from
1093:Activists for African-American civil rights
756:. University Press of America. p. 20.
953:"Diffay Succeeds Pettiford: on Sick Leave"
839:. Mercer University Press. pp. 9–10.
29:
18:
983:"Leading Negro Banker Dies in Birmingham"
320:Birmingham-Easonian Baptist Bible College
1073:Baptist ministers from the United States
411:. Taylor & Francis. pp. 52–75.
1078:19th-century African-American educators
1063:Businesspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
806:"Dr. Pettiford, Bank President, Buried"
800:
798:
386:
7:
475:. GM Rewell & Company. pp.
195:Early career as minister and teacher
16:African-American minister and banker
305:1908 Republican National Convention
254:1896 Republican National Convention
1103:Activists from Birmingham, Alabama
1068:African-American Baptist ministers
14:
927:. One World/Ballantine. p.
199:On December 3, 1869 he moved to
55:Granville County, North Carolina
1083:19th-century American educators
890:Alexander, Adele Logan (2007).
781:. University of Alabama Press.
364:National Negro Business League
297:Shiloh Baptist Church stampede
281:National Afro-American Council
1:
1108:Activists from North Carolina
861:"On Lynching and Other Crime"
573:"Baptists Advocate an Exodus"
182:Person County, North Carolina
1118:Baptists from North Carolina
865:The North Wilkesboro Hustler
752:Peebles, Marilyn T. (2012).
693:"Two Important Conventions"
521:"A Delegation from Alabama"
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334:Alabama Penny Savings Bank
165:Alabama Penny Savings Bank
161:16th Street Baptist Church
633:"The Program For Chicago"
340:William Washington Browne
189:Salisbury, North Carolina
146:
127:
28:
1123:African-American bankers
987:The Atlanta Constitution
525:The Galveston Daily News
1017:Hopkinsville Kentuckian
1013:"[No Headline]"
777:Fallin, Wilson (2007).
543:"[No Headline]"
491:"[No Headline]"
433:"[No Headline]"
407:Fallin, Wilson (1997).
1088:Shaw University alumni
437:Democrat and Chronicle
293:Industrial High School
272:
241:Negro American Journal
225:Union Springs, Alabama
1113:Baptists from Alabama
603:"M'Kinley is the Man"
577:The Indianapolis News
271:W R Pettiford in 1902
270:
86:Lincoln Normal School
896:. Vintage. pp.
667:The Evening Bulletin
663:"Death List Unknown"
357:God's Revenue System
349:Booker T. Washington
301:Booker T. Washington
169:Booker T. Washington
153:William R. Pettiford
23:William R. Pettiford
723:"Shaw Commencement"
697:The Nashville Globe
277:Divinity in Wedlock
258:St. Louis, Missouri
205:State Normal School
157:Birmingham, Alabama
74:Birmingham, Alabama
547:The Charlotte News
344:Richmond, Virginia
273:
250:William J. Simmons
213:Uniontown, Alabama
180:farm and moved to
66:September 20, 1914
938:978-0-345-45348-8
907:978-0-679-75871-6
788:978-0-8173-1569-6
763:978-0-7618-5814-0
359:about this idea.
289:Alexander Walters
275:In 1895 he wrote
245:Benjamin Harrison
237:R. C. O. Benjamin
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35:Pettiford in 1887
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1098:American bankers
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262:William McKinley
231:Community leader
221:Opelika, Alabama
217:Selma University
90:Selma University
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51:January 20, 1847
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312:Shaw University
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209:Marion, Alabama
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118:Political party
94:Shaw University
82:Alma mater
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100:Occupation(s)
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20:
1027:– via
1021:. Retrieved
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997:– via
991:. Retrieved
986:
977:
967:– via
961:. Retrieved
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947:
923:
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875:– via
869:. Retrieved
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814:. Retrieved
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747:
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731:. Retrieved
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707:– via
701:. Retrieved
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671:. Retrieved
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647:– via
641:. Retrieved
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617:– via
611:. Retrieved
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587:– via
581:. Retrieved
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557:– via
551:. Retrieved
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441:. Retrieved
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309:
307:in Chicago.
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68:(1914-09-20)
1053:1914 deaths
1048:1847 births
1023:October 12,
993:October 12,
963:October 12,
871:October 12,
816:October 12,
733:October 12,
703:October 12,
673:October 12,
643:October 12,
613:October 12,
583:October 12,
553:October 12,
501:October 12,
443:October 12,
1042:Categories
495:The Appeal
382:References
175:Early life
122:Republican
47:1847-01-20
330:causes.
328:Jim Crow
137:Religion
132:Personal
108:educator
104:Minister
898:327–328
287:led by
285:Chicago
141:Baptist
935:
904:
843:
785:
760:
415:
112:banker
76:, U.S.
57:, U.S.
479:–465.
370:Death
1025:2016
995:2016
965:2016
933:ISBN
902:ISBN
873:2016
841:ISBN
818:2016
783:ISBN
758:ISBN
735:2016
705:2016
675:2016
645:2016
615:2016
585:2016
555:2016
503:2016
445:2016
413:ISBN
63:Died
41:Born
477:460
283:in
256:in
207:at
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929:89
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49:)
45:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
