Charles Winter Wood
 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 17, 1869 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | June 9, 1953 (aged 83) Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1897–1901 | Tuskegee |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1–3 |
Charles Winter Wood (December 17, 1869 – June 9, 1953) was an American educator, coach, actor, and orator.[1] He was one of the first Black graduates of Beloit College. After graduating from Beloit, he taught at the Tuskegee Institute and Florida A&M University.
Education and career
[edit]Wood started attending Beloit College in 1871, and joined the College officially in 1881. He performed in many plays during his studies, including as the lead role, Oedipus, in a rendition of Socrates' play, Oedipus The King.[2] He graduated from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1895.[3] That same year, he won the Wisconsin State Oratorical Contest, placed the second in Interstate Oratorical Contest.[4] He further pursued his education, receiving his Ph.D. in divinity at the Chicago Theological Seminary, and a Master's degree in the philosophy of education at Columbia University.[5]
Booker T. Washington first hired Wood as a professor in the Tuskegee Institute's English and Drama departments, where he worked for over 30 years, serving in various roles.[5] He was the itinerant of the Hampton Quartet at the Institute,[6] a Librarian and Financial Secretary.[7] He also served as second head coach for the Institute's football team for four seasons, from 1897 until 1901. His coaching record at Tuskegee was 1–3.[8]
In 1926, Wood was elected to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cardinal Gibbons Institute at Ridge, Maryland.[9]
From 1930-1931, Charles played as The Admiral in Marc Connelly's play The Green Pastures and served as an understudy for Richard Berry Harrison.[10] After Harrison stepped down as "De Lawd" due to health issues,[11] Wood stepped in to play "De Lawd," "Abraham," and "The General" from February to April, 1935.[12]
In 1937, Wood joined Florida A&M University as a Teacher of Dramatic Arts.[13] He retired in 1949.[5]
Later life
[edit]In 1949, Beloit College created the Charles Winter Wood Scholarship for Minority Students.[5][14][15][2] Wood died in 1953 at a hospital Queens, New York of an illness.[16][17]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Who's who in the South and Southwest: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Men and Women of the Southern and Southwestern States". Larkin, Roosevelt & Larkin. August 14, 1947 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 "Beloit Magazine". Beloit College. 1984. p. 11. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Andaya, Christopher DelaRosa (February 6, 2024). "Black History Month Archive Night: Reflecting on Beloit's Past". The Round Table. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "The Beloit Alumnus". Beloit College. February 17, 1924. p. 17. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Burwell, Fred (September 30, 2010). "Fridays with Fred: Charles Winter Wood". Beloit College. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Abbott, Lynn; Seroff, Doug (July 8, 2025), "The Tuskegee Institute Quartet", Stand the Storm, University Press of Mississippi, pp. 161–210, doi:10.14325/mississippi/9781496855718.003.0007, ISBN 978-1-4968-5571-8, retrieved April 10, 2026
- ↑ "The Beloit Alumnus". Beloit College. October 9, 1926. p. 9. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Tuskegee Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008.
- ↑ "The Beloit Alumnus". Beloit College. 1926. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "The Beloit Alumnus". Beloit College. December 8, 1932. p. 8. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Holmes, Louise Fordham. "Louise F. Holmes Scrapbook, 1873-1940". Lowcountry Digital Library. Image 25, Page 5. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Charles Winter Wood – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "History of The FAMU Essential Theatre". cssah.famu.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "The Beloit College Bulletin". Beloit College. 1943. p. 11. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Scholarsip Application for Charles Winter Wood Scholarship". www.campusreel.org. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Archives: Charles Winter Wood". Beloit College Archives. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
- ↑ "The New York Age from New York, New York on June 20, 1953 · Page 16". Newspapers.com. June 20, 1953.