Federal Writers Project

Viola B. Muse

Harden Woodham Stuckey was one of eleven children born to William and Susie Stuckey, of Bishopville, S.C.South Carolina. He was born June 27, 1896, and at the age of four years lost his sight com—pletely, being injured by a sling shotslingshot.

Born of poor parents, his possibilities were limited, and he would have felt his handicap severely but for the kindness of those in his home townhometown. He was not a backward boy by any means, and although blind, worked and helped the family earn a livelihood by shining shoes in a white barbershop. While working there, two white lawyers became very much interested in Harden and sent him to a school for ^the blind at Cedar Springs, S.C.South Carolina, and bore all expenses. These men were R.E. Dennis and the late Ex ex–Gov.governor T.G. McCloud of South Carolina.

After finishing his academic work, Harden entered the Theologicaltheological Departmentdepartment of Benedict College at Columbia, S.C.South Carolina, where he graduated in Theologytheology.

His first position after graduation was at Lucknow, S.C.South Carolina, as principal of the aThe document presents here in sequence the definite and indefinite articles the and a. We have opted in our edition for the latter. public school. for sighted people.

In 1921, he migrated to Florida in in—terest of work for the blind, and was called later to pastor a church in Groveland, Fla.Florida, 2 Viola B. Muse A technical limitation currently prevents us from aligning to the right this header, as well as the one on p. 4 below. where he served satisfactorily two years, from 1924–1926. He left Groveland at the expira—tion of his pastorage and went to St. Augustine, FlaFlorida, where he worked in a shop for the blind and at same time spent three days of each week at Florida Normal Institute, teaching boys broom making.

In 1929, Rev.Reverend Stuckey was elected Statestate Missionarymissionary for the East Florida and Bethany Association and served through 1931. He was employed in 1932 as vocational instructor for the blind by the Rehabilitation Dept.Department, State of Florida, where he served with competency eighteen months. Under the C.W.ACivil Works Administration, he was again employed as Superintendentsuperintendent of the Colored Department of workWork for the blindBlind. His work was outstanding, and many blind people were given an opportuni—ty to earn a living under his tutorage.

From the C.W.ACivil Works Administration, Rev.Reverend Stuckey worked under the FERAFederal Emergency Relief Administration, and after the project ended, he was employed by the Board of Public Instructions of Duval Co.County,For Instructions in place of Instruction, see Board of Public Instructions. where he worked until February, 1936. He is now employed as instructor for the blind and sighted people in vocational education under the W.PAWorks Progress Administration, and has classes in chair caning, basket making, and the BrailBraille Systemsystem of reading. 3

Rev.Reverend Stuckey owns and operates a BrailBraille Writerwriter and makes lesson copies for his students.

Without his presence in Jacksonville during these years of "depressionDepression," the blind people could not have had such a splendid oppor—tunity to learn and advance and earn a living as has been accorded them through his influence.

Aside from instructing classes in broom making and chair caning, this blind artist, with his finger tipsfingertips, so sensitive to touch, as must be, from continuous reading of BrailBraille, has learned beedbead work. Tiny beads are woven with fine wire into bracelets, rings, and small trinket baskets, using different colored beedsbeads and forming symetricalsymmetrical designs for decorating. He also makes leather belts from leather cut into small pattern designs and woven together without the use of needle and thread or any other kind of material. At one end is the buckle of metal or some other hard substance such as bone or glass, and the other end terminates with ^a leather tip fastened to rest of belt by snaps.

His female students are particularly interes—ted in beedbead making and find a competent 4 Viola B. Muse teacher in Rev.Reverend Stuckey. He has his work so well in hand that each color of bead is kept in separate container, and he is so very familiar with the feel of each that his color design is perfectly carried out.