William Cullen Wilcox

William Cullen Wilcox (August 6, 1850 – January 26, 1928) was an American missionary to South Africa. With his wife, Ida Belle Clary Wilcox, he "adopted" John Dube, who was to be the first President of the African National Congress and the first black founder of a South African school. Ida Wilcox taught Nokutela Mdima who was to become Nokutela Dube. The Wilcoxes arranged for black South Africans to own land, and as a result they were driven out of South Africa in 1918. The South African government conferred the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo on the Wilcoxes for their work in 2009. They "sacrificed all that they had in solidarity with the South African people."

Lives William Cullen Wilcox was born in Richfield, Ohio, to Jeremiah Cullen and Julia Ann (born Wilder) Wilcox. William married Ida Belle Clary Wilcox in Northfield, Minnesota, where she was born. They were to have eight children together. Ida Wilcox taught girls including the future Nokutela Dube and Ida wrote a regular contribution for Rice County Journal in Northfield, Minnesota to publicize their work.

William was asked to talk to John Dube about his poor behavior at the Adams School in Amanzimtoti. John was the son of the Reverend James Dube who was the Congregational minister at the AZM in Inanda.

In 1887, they were returning to the United States, and Dube and his mother persuaded the missionary couple to take John Dube to the United States where he could further his education. The Wilcoxes agreed on the condition that the child was to maintain himself financially.

With the Wilcox's help, Dube was able to attend Oberlin College although he also had to find time to work. Dube never graduated but he gathered a basic higher education. Dube returned to Africa to found what became the Ohlange High School in 1901. (Dube founded a newspaper and he was a founder and the first President of the organisation that became the African National Congress.)

William and Ida Wilcox died in poverty in Glendale, California in 1928 and 1940, respectively. They were buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.

Legacy The Wilcoxes contribution to South Africa's history was recognised when the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize, visited Los Angeles to honour them in 2009. Various politicians and the grandson of the missionary couple, Reverend Jackson Wilcox, attended the ceremony. Mkhize said "William and Ida Belle Wilcox sacrificed all that they had in solidarity with the South African people." Their work was awarded the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo also in 2009 - the highest South African honour available to foreigners. The Wilcoxes were also honoured in a speech by the South African President Jacob Zuma in 2012.