History of the American Negro: West Virginia Edition

James H. Boulware

west virginia edition 29 was its principal four years till made supervisor. He is a member of the state Teachers’ Association which he has served as president. On November 9, 1891, Prof. Boyd was married to Miss Kate Jarri­ son of Ohio. They have five children, John, Kanawha (Mrs. Butler), Nakomis (Mrs. Shelton), Czar Hyte, and Rheba Boyd. Early in life he identified himself with the Baptist church and since residing in Charleston has been a member of the First Baptist Church in which he is Director of Religious Education, a position he has held for eighteen years. In this field he has done notable work. He has modern­ ized his own school, bringing it up to the rank of the “Standard Sunday School,”being the first colored Sunday School in the state to reach that rank. He is recognized as a competent Bible teacher and has specialized in S. S. organization. Consequently he is much in demand for institute and convention work to which he gives himself as freely as his other duties will permit. He is treasurer of the State Sunday School Convention. In politics he is a Republican and among the secret orders is identified with the Pythians, being secretary of his local lodge and Grand Keeper of Records and Seals of the W. Virginia Grand Lodge. He and his associates are working out in Charleston an interesting experiment in cooperative merchandising. He has studied conditions and is of the opinion that the next great forward step of the race should be along the line of business development. James H. Boulware Hardly another county in the South, in proportion to population , has sent out more colored men of distinction than Fairfield County, S. C., of which the historic old town of Winnsboro is the county seat. This is perhaps to be accounted for by the character of the teachers who gave tone and direction to the education of the Negro after the war—an influence which is still felt in that section. james henry boulware west virginia edition 31 One of the successful sons of that old county is Dr. James Henry Boulware, the only colored physician of the prosperous little city of Fairmont,W.Va. He was born in Winnsboro, S. C., on March 14, 1881. His parents were Richard and Rosa Boulware. The Boulware home must have been one of good influence as two of the six boys made doctors, one is a pharmacist, one is a college professor and the others are equally successful along their own lines, and this in the face of the fact they had to make their own way in school. The subject of this biography grew up as did most of the boys around him. He laid the foundation of his education in the local public schools and between terms worked on the farm, with doubtless some time for play. Later he went to that well known school at Chester, S. C., Brainerd Institute, and passed from there to Biddle University, Charlotte , N. C., where he did both his preparatory and college work. He was out of school working one year, after which he matriculated at Leonard Medical College,Raleigh,N.C.,and won his M.D.degree in 1911.While in school and college he was active in athletics, especially base ball. In the fall of 1911, following his graduation in medicine in the spring, he came to West Virginia and located at Fairmont where he has built up a practice of which a much older man might well be proud. He belongs to both the West Virginia State Medical Association and the National Medical Association. He is medical examiner for the National Benefit Life Insurance Co., and for the Supreme Life and Casualty. On Thanksgiving Day, 1916, Dr. Boulware was happily married to Miss Lillie E. Shepherd, an accomplished teacher of Durham, N. C. While a busy man professionally, Dr. Boulware finds time to take some part in all those organizations and movements looking to the progress of the race. He belongs to the Masons and the Elks, for both of which he is local examiner. He has long been a member of the M. E. Church and is President of the Board of Trustees in the local congregation . It hardly needs to be said that in politics he is a Republican. Education is, in his opinion, the great need of the race today, and...