Andrew "Jack" Lipsey

Jack and Rubye Lipsey were both cooks at the Blue Ridge Assembly and joined Black Mountain College when the lease transferred to the College. Jack was born Andrew Winston Lipsey, in Union County, South Carolina, May 19, 1888.

He was living in Asheville in 1917 when he registered for the draft. In a 1938 newspaper article he said he worked for a time as a Pullman Porter and met many notables in North Carolina including Governors Bickett and Morrison as well as Ambassador Josephus Daniels. Jack also cooked at Greensboro College for Women in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

John Andrew Rice described Lipsey as, “the only authentic gentleman on the staff of Black Mountain College…” The couple was referred to as graceful and wonderful people. Correspondence of faculty and students back to the college often pass along regards to Jack and Rubye.

Written by Western Regional Archives

Relationships

Wife: Fellow BMC staff, Rubye Lipsey

Asheville Art Museum Collection

Writings about Jack can be seen in digitized college bulletins on Asheville Art Museum's collection website: collection.ashevilleart.org. They can be found by searching these accession numbers:

2017.40.085 November 23, 1942 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey will discuss the problem of employment in the kitchen."

2017.40.120a-e August 23, 1943 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey left early last week for Atlanta for hospitalization. He will return to Lake Eden after his convalescence. During Jack’s absence Malory Few is in charge of the kitchen. Letters will reach Jack at the following address: 91 Jackson Street, S.E., Atlanta Georgia. "

2017.40.123a-d September 13, 1943 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey has returned to Lake Eden and is back at his post in the kitchen. He gained eight pounds while he was away, in Atlanta, Georgia."

2017.40.126a-d October 4, 1943 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey and the other members of the colored staff are now comfortably housed in Black Dwarf, in the apartment occupied last session by the Orr family. "

2017.40.026 January 1944 bulletin, "After ten years as chef at Black Mountain College, Jack Lipsey left in October for Atlanta, Georgia, to accept a government position for the duration of the war. He is helping to train cooks for military service units."

2017.40.158a-e June 12, 1944 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey arrived from Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday afternoon to make plans for his return in July to Lake Eden."

2017.40.160a-e July 10, 1944 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey arrived yesterday afternoon from Atlanta, Georgia, to take over again his duties as College Chef for the Summer Quarter. During part of his seven months’ absence from Lake Eden Jack worked at the Post Office in Atlanta as mail handler."

2017.40.124a-e September 20, 1943 bulletin, "There will be a general meeting on Tuesday evening at 8:00 o’clock in the College Dining Hall. At this meeting the various opportunities of and responsibilities for the College will be presented. The chief speakers will be Josef Albers, Eric Bentley, Molly Gregory, and Jack Lipsey. A general discussion will follow the presentations. "

2017.40.174a-e October 9, 1944 bulletin, "Jack Lipsey, because of ill health, and Will, his brother, have given up their work in the College kitchen and have returned to Atlanta."

2017.40.176a-h October 1944 bulletin, "George Williams has succeeded Jack Lipsey as the College Chef."