Before James Madison University there was the State Normal and Industrial School for Women. One of the first employees hired for the newly founded school was Page Mitchell. Mitchell worked as a cook at the Normal from 1909 to 1918 and became a pivotal figure at both the Normal and the broader Harrisonburg community. Unfortunately, not many campus sources on Mitchell survive, and the ones that do work to diminish Mitchell’s impact.
Floor plan of Harrison Hall showing the location of the Dining Hall and Kitchen
Mitchell initially worked in what was called Dormitory No. 1, now called Darcus Johnson Hall. The kitchen and dining hall were located in the basement of that building. In 1916 he moved to the Student Services Building, which was renamed Harrison Hall. Mitchell was a professional cook at a time when most Black men were barred from many occupations. And while a white faculty member named Frances Sale was officially responsible for the Normal’s kitchen and dining area, it was Mitchell who really ran things. Mitchell oversaw the day to day operations of both the kitchen and dining room.
Harrison Hall Dining Room
Mitchell lived in Harrisonburg and commuted to his job at the Normal, though he may have stayed on site in the staff cottage during the week. While at the Normal, Mitchell’s contributions were frequently diminished by both faculty and and students. President Burruss routinely referred to Mitchell and his Black coworkers as “the servants.” The students created works such as “A Page for Sale” and “A Mock Faculty Meeting” that used racist, demeaning imagery to depict Mitchell. By September 1918, Mitchell was working as a cook at W.S. Friddle’s restaurant, a sort of diner that was popular among the white students attending the Normal. Mitchell continued to work at Friddle’s, a whites-only restaurant, despite Harrisonburg having multiple Black-owned businesses.
Mitchell was able to achieve a level of autonomy uncommon in Harrisonburg of the time. Census records indicate that he owned a 2-story home worth $2,000 in 1930. Mitchell lived in the home with his wife, 2 children, and a boarder named Bertha Randall, who was an educator. Perhaps this success was because Mitchell was a skilled chef and thus had an easier time finding work, which in turn gave him the financial stability.
Likely photo of Page Mitchell. School Ma’am, 1914.
As well as being a skilled cook, Mitchell was a pillar in Harrisonburg’s Black community. A founding member of the Blue Circle Club, a civic association formed in the 1920s to advocate for Black equality and support the local Black community, he was an activist for racial equality. A February 1930 article from the Richmond Planet noted Mitchell’s forceful words on a variety of issues and further likens Mitchell’s remarks to those of Percy Wells, another Black Harrisonburg leader, who gave a speech arguing the amount of opportunity afforded to the Black community was diminishing and must be fixed.
Although Mitchell’s contributions to this campus have been hidden over the years, projects such as this one will hopefully give Page Mitchell the respect he deserves.
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