John H. Smyth was the first president of the Negro Reformatory Association of Virginia, which was organized to provide a home for the reformation of Negro juvenile delinquents through the teaching of good morals, the discipline of manual labor and by providing an education in an institution operating on strict principles of order.
J. Hoge Tyler (1846-1925) was governor-elect of Virginia at the time the letter was written. The letter expresses the need for and the goals of the association and requests that Governor Tyler, upon taking office, recommend that the General Assembly support the Negro Reformatory Association of Virginia.
From the description of Letter : Richmond [Virginia] to Governor-elect J. Hoge Tyler, East Radford, Virginia, 1897 December 17. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122323330
