Jacob Dever Gilliard
Overview
Jacob Dever Gilliard was the son of an influential free African American family in Baltimore. Due to Jacob’s upbringing and the support of his family, it was decided that Jacob would attend New York Central College. Jacob Dever Gilliard studied here for two years during 1850 through 1852. At New York Central College he had gained a better education, which eventually led him to pursue activism within abolitionist work.
Activism
In addition to his academics, Jacob Gilliard joined a school committee that rallied and campaigned against the Fugitive Slave Act. This committee even went as far to invite Samuel Ward, a prominent abolitionist, to speak to the college and citizens of Mcgrawville. A reaction to the speech by Minister C.P Grosvenor was published in the New York Tribune and local papers, through the work of Jacob Gilliard pushing for it to be printed. During his time at Central college Jacob also became invested in the committee of vigilance, which sought to resist the Fugitive Slave Act.
Community Work
Jacob D. Gilliard did not spend all of his free time in political activities. He also joined his classmates for fun distractions, such as the 1850 Great Pumpkin Pie Jubilee, a festive event that helped bring the Central College community together with food and drinks. Gilliard was lucky enough to be a chairman for the event along with other members of the school. A poem in the “Proceedings” of this event suggests that Gilliard already practiced as a barber while in Cortland County. The lines from the poem were:
“Let a Gilliard work with his well-sharpened razor,
(He does it up brown we will never deny,)
Should he ask me to do it, my words would be, “nay sir,
My business is eating a good pumpkin pie.”
Other African American students mentioned in the Pumpkin Pie Jubilee Proceedings included Robert Purvis and John F. Cook, Jr. Overall, the Pumpkin Pie Jubilee pamphlet mentions students throughout the school in a fun and light-hearted manner. Additionally, the poem (seen above) recognizes other students' abilities and hobbies that they took part in throughout their educational careers.
Gilliard at New York Central College
Jacob D. Gilliard arrived at New York Central College in 1850 and departed after the Spring 1852 term. The federal census recorded his presence in Cortland County in August 1850 at the beginning of the semester. He appears in the school catalog for the 1851-1852 academic year, but his name cannot be found in subsequent catalogs. Although he had only spent two years here he most likely studied numerous different subjects. Subjects such as Arithmetics, Grammar, Algebra, and Geometry were offered through the school allowing African Americans to gain some sense of an education that could be compared to their white counterparts. Notably, Jacob attended this school at the age of 23 yet was put into the preparatory portion of the college. He was also a student who was in the Academic Department at Cental College. With this knowledge, it could be inferred that Jacob was not quite ready for college classes and the school thought it would be best for him to attend the preparatory school instead.