July 15 1950
New Pittsburgh Courier, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saturday, July 15, 1950
In N. C. Tournament
Chess Star Invited, Then Barred From Playing With Whites
By A. M. Rivera, Jr.
Durham, N.C.—W. A. Scott, son of the late founder of the Atlanta Daily World newspaper, was the victim here last week of Tarhellia's determined back-to-the-wall struggle against the threat of integration.
Scott, who was invited to play in the annual tournament of the Southern Chess Association, was refused because of his race when he sought to pay his entrance fee at the Washington Duke Hotel here last week.
ACTED “GENTLEMANLY”
Sam A. Agnello, president of the Durham Chess Club, host of the association, told The Courier, “Scott withdrew his application gentlemanly when objections were raised to his participation.”
Young Scott told this reporter that he was invited to play in the tourney by Martin Southern, a Knoxville, Tenn. attorney and one-time president of the association. He stated that he had played in the Tennessee State tournament in January, and in the Mid-South tournament at the Peabody Hotel in Knoxville in April, and anticipated no difficulty here.
NO BIAS IN RULES
According to Mr. Scott, Mr. Southern met him upon his arrival at the hotel and informed him to expect objections to his participation. Scott said, “Mr. Southern told me, 'I can present you to the group and state that you will play because the constitution of the American Chess Federation permits no racial bias, but I do not want to embarrass you.”
Mr. Southern told the group that he invited Scott to the tourney because he felt that the game was a contest between two human minds and that he had no thought of disturbing the Southern tradition.
A small group from Georgia and Florida objected, and stated that they would withdraw if he was permitted to play.
The hotel management reminded them of the state's segregation laws. A few players suggested that the tournament be moved to a location, where Scott might play, but Scott withdrew when it became apparent that any insistence on his part might “break up the tournament.”
Kit Crittenden, state champion, and others volunteered to pay his return fare back to Atlanta, Scott told The Courier, a gesture that he appreciated, but refused.
