Like his father, John Wesley showed early signs of brightness.
His mother often told of how, as mere baby, he was unusually alert and quick to learn. At two years of age, he picked up books and went through them page by page and indicated he was trying to read. When taught to do things at that age, he learned them readily and with permanance.
He, as his brothers and sisters who came after him, attended the
Log Cabin School at Springfield through the first four grades, the highest level to which the school went. After finishing there, they walked ten miles daily to attend grammar school in White Plains, Georgia, a school established by Northerners for black children in or near Green County, Georgia.
After John Wesley completed two years of training at White Plains, the professor in charge contacted Zack and informed him that it would be a waste of time to send him there anymore as he had learned as much as they were capable of teaching. Zack was quite upset at the news so he sought the advice of his friend, Dr. Kilpatrick as to what he should do with his son. Dr. Kilpatrick advised Zack that due to John Wesley's potential he should attempt to arrange to get him admitted to the Atlanta Baptist College for Negroes which was conducting high school and college courses.
Zack Hubert took Dr. Kilpatrick's advice and wrote to Atlanta Baptist College asking how he could go about getting his son admitted. The school responded that it was receptive to admitting John Wesley and gave Zack additional information on the matriculation requirements, necessary clothing and fees. In September 1891, Zack and Camilla dispatched John Wesley by train to Atlanta, equipped with several books and a wardrobe of home made clothing, and the necessary fees to sustain him for several months. The voyage took John Wesley to Atlanta to become the first black ever to attend college from central Georgia.
Upon graduation, in 1897, John Wesley entered the University of Chicago to do graduate work. There he received the Master of Science degree in 1899.
John Wesley, the first child of Zack and Camilla Hubert, was
born at Springfield, Georgia, in 1875. His parents named him
after the great English theologian, evangelist, and founder
of methodism, John Wesley, in keeping with the policy of naming
children after famous people as established by Zack's parents,
Paul and Jincy. Several others were named accordingly.