John E. Bush
1856–1916

Organization founder, politician, activist, entrepreneur

Throughout his life, John E. Bush applied his philosophy of hard work to all of his endeavors as an African American organization founder, politician, government official, lecturer, entrepreneur, and community activist. Best known for founding the Mosaic Templars of America, Bush created a legacy that served as an example of black economic and social development.

Bush was born a slave in Moscow, Tennessee on November 15, 1856. As was the custom during the Civil War, his owner moved young Bush, his mother, and his siblings to a more secure location to keep them from being freed by the impending arrival of federal troops. Their new home was Arkansas. Because of the harsh living conditions, his mother died, leaving him an orphan and homeless at age seven. To survive, the youngster slept under bridges and in livery stables, eked out a living doing chores, and spent time getting into trouble until a concerned resident enrolled him in public school. Eventually Bush went to work in a brickyard, where during the summers he was able to earn money that enabled him to continue his education. In contrast to rural schools, the urban Arkansas high schools offered a better education for blacks, including Latin, bookkeeping, science, and higher mathematics. In 1876, Bush graduated with honors. Following graduation, the young man taught school for a short time and then was appointed principal of Capitol Hill School in Little Rock. From 1878 to 1879, he served as principal of a public school in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He returned to Little Rock in 1879 and married Cora Winfrey, daughter of a respected and wealthy Little Rock family. They bore seven children, three of whom survived Bush.

Bush's life spanned a mercurial time in black history, including the highs of the abolition of slavery and the lows of the post-Reconstruction era. The ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Plessey v. Ferguson in 1896, effectively reduced African Americans to conditions and status similar to those under slavery. In the 1880s, Bush became active in Republican politics. His intense interest in politics led him in 1883 to run for a seat as representative of the Sixth Ward of Pulaski County at the Republican State Convention. Political advances continued when he became secretary of the convention the following year and was elected to an at-large position with the Pulaski County Republican Central Committee. Subsequently, the young man worked in a variety of jobs in city and county political organizations. Because of his involvement in Republican politics and unquestionable party loyalty, Bush was appointed as postal clerk in the railway mail service. In 1898, despite unwillingness in the South to appoint blacks to federal jobs, Bush's political connections led to his being selected as receiver of the U.S. land office in Little Rock. In that job, Bush handled the receipt of public money for the office. At the time, it was the highest federal appointment held by a black man west of the Mississippi River and compensated him with a generous salary. As with many political positions, following a change in administrations, Bush's bids for reappointment made him a target of political opposition, especially from white Republicans who wanted to eliminate blacks from the party. However, known as both honest and efficient, Bush served as receiver for sixteen years, through the presidential administrations of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William H. Taft. When the country elected Democrat Woodrow Wilson to the presidency in 1912, Bush tendered his resignation. This freed him to devote his complete attention to the Mosaic Templars of America, the fraternal organization he founded.

Founds Mosaic Templars of America

The experience of seeing a black woman begging a white man for help in burying her husband propelled Bush to find a remedy. In 1882, he co-founded the Mosaic Templars of America with Chester W. Keatts. The group's original purpose was to provide life and burial insurance for widows of black men in Little Rock. Soon the organization spread into the rest of Arkansas and surrounding states, and by 1908 it boasted a membership of about 25,000. Using the skills he learned as a government employee, Bush began to transform and modernize the organization. Over the years, services expanded to include a building and loan association, an insurance company, a business school, a nurse training school, and a publishing company. In 1911, the organization completed construction of a national headquarters in Little Rock. The History of the Mosaic Templars of America notes that before this time, no other African American organization had built a facility for housing their organizations. In addition to the Templars' offices, the three-story building housed other black businesses and professional offices, which augmented funds for maintenance and construction. By the early 1920s, the membership had grown to over 100,000 with chapters in twenty-six states and several foreign countries. The Templars had a social and economic impact across the country. Bush served as national grand scribe and treasurer of the Templars until his death.

As a young man, Bush began accumulating wealth by investing in real estate. Reportedly, he amassed over 120 pieces of improved property in addition to numerous parcels of unimproved property and farmland. He published a newspaper, the American Guide, from 1889 to about 1900. The publication is probably the predecessor of the Templars' weekly paper, The Mosaic Guide. In 1908, Bush took over the accounts of a bankrupt insurance company. He established Arkansas Mutual Insurance Company, which became the largest employer of African Americans in Arkansas.

Chronology

1856

Born in Moscow, Tennessee on November 15

1876

Graduates high school with honors

1879

Marries Cora Winfrey

1880

Elected to political office

1882

Founds Mosaic Templars of America

1898

Appointed as receiver of the U.S. Land Office

1903

Organizes protests against segregation of Arkansas streetcars

1905

Helps defeat measures to institute segregated school taxes

1911

Oversees construction of headquarters of the Mosaic Templars

1912

Resigns as receiver of the U.S. Land Office

1916

Dies in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 11

In addition to his work obligations and business interests, Bush was an active participant in race and community matters. The prestige and status of his position in politics and in the U.S. land office allowed Bush the opportunity to advocate for his race. At public gatherings, Bush urged and trained blacks to acquire farmland by taking advantage of the government's homestead laws, thus increasing the number of African American landowners. He was one of the charter members of the National Negro Business League (NNBL). Founded by educator Booker T. Washington in 1900, the league set out to improve the economic conditions of African Americans. For many years, Bush served on the national executive committee of that organization. A devoted friend of Booker T. Washington and staunch proponent of Washington's philosophy, Bush believed that the key to success for Negroes was hard work, thrift, lawfulness, property ownership, self-help, and preparation for competition. Washington often sought counsel from Bush on political matters and relied on his friend for support and effective administration of the NNBL organization. In a letter to Bush, Washington stated his pleasure and satisfaction in working with him, noting that unlike his dealings with others, he could depend on Bush in all situations.

Reacting to legislative attempts to segregate Arkansas streetcars, Bush, in 1903, led protests and supported boycotts of several streetcar lines in the state. In 1905, Arkansas proposed to segregate school-tax revenues. The aim of the plan was to provide financial support for black schools exclusively from taxes paid by African Americans. Writing an emotional appeal in an open letter to the members of the Little Rock legislature, Bush helped to defeat the scheme. Using petitions, protests, and boycotts, he opposed other efforts to restrict the civil rights of blacks. In addition to the Templars, he was a member of other fraternal groups, including the Pythian Grand Lodge and the Odd Fellows. He was a supporter of the Arkansas Baptist College, and a trustee of the First Baptist Church of Little Rock.

A compelling speaker, he was sought after to address a variety of groups in and out of Arkansas. Booker T. Washington invited him to give a commencement address at Tuskegee Institute. An address delivered by Bush at the 1909 convention of the NNBL attracted attention throughout the country and was the focus of several editorials.

Bush died in Little Rock on December 11, 1916 and was buried in Fraternal Cemetery. His activities had earned him the respect of both blacks and whites in the community. Following his death, associates praised his integrity and stewardship in dealing with the finances of the Templars over thirty-three years. Little Rock officials and businesspeople commended his intelligence, leadership, and service to the African American community. Bush's life was a testament to his personal philosophy of education, hard work, self-sufficiency, and assertiveness. He was tireless in his efforts to help fellow African Americans achieve similar respect and wealth. The Mosaic Templars headquarters, by providing a place for economic, political and social support, was for many years a tangible symbol of black initiative, achievement, and pride.

REFERENCES

Books

Bush, A. E., and P. L. Dorman. History of the Mosaic Templars of America: Its Founders and Officials. Little Rock: Central Printing Company, 1924.

Garraty, John A., and Mark C. Carnes. American National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Hamilton, G. P. Beacon Lights of the Race. Memphis: E. H. Clark & Brother, 1911.

Harlan, Louis R., and R. W. Smock, eds. The Booker T. Washington Papers. Open Book Edition. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984.

Hartshorn, W. N. An Era of Progress and Promise, 1863–19l0. Boston: Priscilla Publishing Company, 1910.

Richardson, Clement. The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race. Montgomery, Ala.: National Publishing Co., 1919.

Periodicals

Skocpol, Theda, and Jennifer Lynn Oser. "Organization Despite Adversity: The Origins and Development of African American Fraternal Associations." Social Science History 28 (Fall 2004): 367-437.

Online

Central Arkansas Library System. "Black Arkansas Newspapers from 1869 to the Present." Arkansas Black History Online. http://www.cals.lib.ar.us/butlercenter/abho/bib/newspaper.html (Accessed 24February 2006).

Hamilton, Kenneth. "Introduction". Records of the National Negro Business League. University Publications of America. http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/guides/african_american/nnbl.asp (Accessed 25 February 2006).

"The History of the Mosaic Templars of America." Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. http://www.mosaictemplarscenter.com/history/ (Accessed 25 February 2006).

Hope, Holly. For the Memorable Fight: Mosaic Templars of America Headquarters Building. Arkansas Historical Preservation Program, 2004. http://www.arkansaspreservation.org/pdf/publications/mosaic_templars.pdf (Accessed 24February 006).

                             Cheryl Jones Hamberg