By DIETRA WEDD, Student Reporter
Dr. Roger Hardaway traveled to southern Spain, in July, for an academic conference too present his paper, “Leigh Whipper”.
To participate in the conference, Dr. Roger Hardaway had to make a proposal, which must get accepted, and once accepted, he was then put on the program. All he needed to do was book the round trip tickets.
People from all over Europe, and also from the United States of America, made their appearance at the conference.
Dr. Roger Hardaway’s paper, “Leigh Whipper” was about how Whipper played in six different western movies, but he was never the cowboy or main character. Back in the old western movies, it was uncommon for African American’s to be casted in main roles.
He got small character parts such as a servant, a stable hand, a preacher, a background singer or a crook. Whipper starred in “Of Mice and Men”, in 1939, as well as “The Ox-Bow Incident”, in 1943.
“Whipper had one grandchild. I’d been corresponding with her back and forth, off and on, for about ten years, while I was doing research.” Dr. Roger Hardaway spoke of how he came by his information.
Whipper retired when he was about ninety-eight, after seventy years of working. Preceding his 15-20 minute long presentation, at the conference, with 150 people in participation, Dr. Roger Hardaway got to visit Granada, Spain. He saw big forts called Alhambra, and got a walking tour of the city.
Dr. Roger Hardaway is already in the process of some new topics that will allow him to travel to future conferences.