'Living legend' speaks during Bucknell MLK Week event

Jan. 17—LEWISBURG — Frank Wood is described by a fellow Bucknell University alumnus as a "living legend."

Wood, a 1962 graduate from the chemical engineering department at Bucknell University, spoke with Nisan Trotter, a 2005 graduate of Bucknell University, during a lunchtime Fireside Chat via Zoom as part of Bucknell's Martin Luther King Jr. Week. Wood, one of three Black students enrolled in the university from 1957 to 1962, became the first-ever Black president of a fraternity on campus at Phi Lambda Theta and was a championship swimmer.

Referencing King's "I Have A Dream" speech on Aug. 28, 1963, Wood said the outcome of his speech is seen, especially in pop culture and entertainment. People of all races can be seen on television and movie screens all the time.

"We're better off, and if we keep going in the right direction, then I think his (King's) dream will be fulfilled," said Wood, 84, a U.S. Army and National Guard veteran.

More than 300 participants registered for the online event. Martin Luther King Jr. Week started Jan. 16 and continues until Feb. 1.

Wood, an avid photographer, would go on in the spring of 1960, inspired by Rev. James Robinson, to embark on a transformative journey to Ghana as part of Operations Crossroads Africa, a precursor to the U.S. Peace Corps. After graduation, he took a position with Union Carbide Corporation, a multi-national chemical and plastic corporation where he worked in various positions in the U.S., Central America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He lived and worked in Nigeria for two years to build a battery factory and for three years in Pakistan as the country director.

After 30 years with Union Carbide, Wood worked as a consultant with the United States Agency for International Development to assist Eastern European countries with environmental issues. He also worked with ACN Inc., a North American multi-level marketing company. He is currently focused on energy-related services in the tri-state area.

Wood's parents were teachers, having been educated at historically Black colleges and universities. Wood said it was rare to have two educated Black parents, but it was always expected that he would attend college as well. While at Bucknell, Wood said he talked to the other two Black students, but they weren't close. They were in different social circles and were "doing their own thing," he said.

Wood remembers two major incidents of racism during his time at Bucknell. One of the other Black students had his dormitory set on fire for asking out a white female student.

Wood was elected in 1960 as president of his fraternity, which was the only fraternity on campus that allowed non-white students. After he was elected, three students from another fraternity burned a cross on the lawn of his fraternity.

"I was walking down from the campus, I saw an orange glow in front of the house, and I wondered what was that orange glow," said Wood. "As I got closer, I could see it was a cross burning on a tree outside the house."

The incident made headlines on the front page of The New York Times. Those students were suspended.

"There was really no adverse follow-up to it," said Wood. "There was no movement like Black Lives Matter, no marches in the street. It was hushed. They were suspended and we just moved on."

Wood remembers an alumnus suggested that Wood invite the three offenders to the house for meals for a month to see what the fraternity was all about. Wood presented the idea to the executive council of the fraternity, but it was rejected.

Wood also recalled taking a girl out to downtown Lewisburg, a section of town he avoided. Nothing negative ever happened while they were out, but Wood stayed alert.

"I sensed the downtown wasn't necessarily too friendly," Wood said. "I didn't have to go and I didn't want to test it out."

Trotter said it was interesting that Wood was "hyperaware of your Blackness (off campus) more so than you were on campus."

Trotter said he was "grateful for this opportunity to talk with, in my opinion, a living legend."

"You are overwhelmingly positive, despite what you witnessed and been through, and also how you've been willing to grow and embrace different people and different environments," said Trotter.