William Roberson (c. 1836-1878) was an American barber, proprietor of a bathing and shaving saloon with a Victorian Turkish bath, and civil rights activist in St. Louis, Missouri. He advocated to have African-American teachers. He was a Republican.
Before the American Civil War, he and his brother Francis Jefferson Roberson established a barber shop at the Barnum's St. Louis Hotel. He married Lucy Jefferson, a relative of Thomas Jefferson. He established a branch of the Prince Hall masons ( Prince Hall Freemasonry), [1] named for Prince Hall.
His establishment at 410 Market Street [2] was luxurious. [3] Léon A. Clamorgan worked for him. [4] William Taggert also worked for him. [5]
In 1867 Frederick Douglass stayed with him, after being refused hotel accommodations in St. Louis, when Douglass was in the city for his speech at the St. Louis Turn Halle. [6] [7] Roberson helped support James A. Johnson's St. Louis Blue Stockings baseball team. [8] [9]
A St. Louis periodical published an image of his brother cutting hair. [10] Francis Jefferson Roberson's son Francis Rassieur Roberson (1898-1979) became an architect. [11]
His son Frank Roberson studied at Oberlin and the University of Karlsruhe. He became an art teacher. [12]
William Roberson (c. 1836-1878) was an American barber, proprietor of a bathing and shaving saloon with a Victorian Turkish bath, and civil rights activist in St. Louis, Missouri. He advocated to have African-American teachers. He was a Republican.
Before the American Civil War, he and his brother Francis Jefferson Roberson established a barber shop at the Barnum's St. Louis Hotel. He married Lucy Jefferson, a relative of Thomas Jefferson. He established a branch of the Prince Hall masons ( Prince Hall Freemasonry), [1] named for Prince Hall.
His establishment at 410 Market Street [2] was luxurious. [3] Léon A. Clamorgan worked for him. [4] William Taggert also worked for him. [5]
In 1867 Frederick Douglass stayed with him, after being refused hotel accommodations in St. Louis, when Douglass was in the city for his speech at the St. Louis Turn Halle. [6] [7] Roberson helped support James A. Johnson's St. Louis Blue Stockings baseball team. [8] [9]
A St. Louis periodical published an image of his brother cutting hair. [10] Francis Jefferson Roberson's son Francis Rassieur Roberson (1898-1979) became an architect. [11]
His son Frank Roberson studied at Oberlin and the University of Karlsruhe. He became an art teacher. [12]