Black CPA #3 - Chauncey Lewis Christian, CPA

Imagine it's the early 1900s, and you're a black man sitting among 49 white men trying to fulfill your dream of becoming a Certified Public Accountant.

In 1926, Black people were not allowed to take the Kentucky CPA Exam. Black accounting hopeful, Chauncey Lewis Christian, was excluded on account of his skin color. But, Samuel Plato, Mr. Christian's employer, encouraged him to study for the CPA through a correspondence course anyway. Samuel was confident that Mr. Christian's fair skin, inherited from his white father, would allow him to pass as white.

While he might have looked the part, Mr. Christian was strongly advised to submit his application at the last minute to preclude the background check, which would've resulted in his exclusion based on race. Mr. Christian took Samuel's advice. Seven men passed the CPA exam in the classroom of 50 men---Mr. Christian was one of the seven.

Chauncey Lewis Christian became the 3rd Black CPA in the U.S. and the first Black CPA in the state of Kentucky.

Mr. Christian moved his family to New York and worked in the Gale Agency, a supplier of talents like Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots. In 1958, the Gale Agency became the Circle Artiist Corporation. Mr. Christian became part part-owner and secretary-treasurer--making him the only partner in a prominent Broadway talent agency.

Join NSBCPA! We have a history that we must continue!