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INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 9026931 The contributions of Carl D. Perkins on higher education legislation, 1948-1984 Damron, Donald Reid, D.A. Middle Tennessee State University, 1990 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 The Contributions of Carl D. Perkins on Higher Education Legislation 1948-1984 Donald R. Damron A dissertation presented to the Graduate Faculty of Middle Tennessee State Universi in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Arts May, 1990 THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CARL D. PERKINS TO HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION 1948-1984 APPROVED: Graduate Committee: &MJL/ MajorVProfessoOT>r ^ Committee Member JU. C^^yU^t^g it tee Member'' Chairman, Department of History Dean of the Graduate School ABSTRACT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF CARL D. PERKINS TO HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION 1948-1984 by Donald R. Damron Carl D. Perkins was the representative from the Seventh Congressional District of Kentucky. At the time of his death on August 3, 1984, he was among the top three in seniority in the House of Representatives having served as the representative from his district since 1948. During those three decades of service Perkins became one of the most powerful voices in Congress for aid to education and relief for the millions of people who live in poverty. Perkins served all of his term in Congress on the House Education and Labor Committee, succeeding Adam Clayton Powell in 1967 as chairman of that important body. From this powerful position Perkins found it possible to aid President Lyndon Johnson in his Great Society programs and also to act as a barrier to proposed funding cuts and program dismantling in the following administrations. Perkins was credited with a great impact upon programs which affected higher education legislation of 1958, 1965, and 1972. His importance was so widely recognized by his peers that the National Direct Student Loan Program was Donald R. Damron renamed the Perkins Loan in his honor. It was the purpose of this dissertation to explore the contributions of Carl D. Perkins to legislative activities which directly impacted upon higher education. In order to accomplish this goal, chapter three of the dissertation provided a brief overview of the history of federal aid to higher education. Chapter four provided biographical information on the career of Carl D. Perkins. Chapter five was an examination of Perkins' legislative activity from 1948, and previous to his assuming the chairmanship of the House Committee on Education and Labor. Chapter six examined Perkins' years as chairman of the committee from 1967 until his death. Special emphasis was placed upon his adroit handling of the House/Senate Committee which produced the compromise Higher Education legislation of 1972 and his fight against budgetary cuts proposed under the Reagan Administration. This dissertation concluded that Carl D. Perkins was a man totally dedicated to his goal of placing quality education at the postsecondary level within reach of every citizen who had the desire and ability to seize it. The contribution of Carl D. Perkins to higher education legislation was a very significant factor in the status of this arena of educational activity in this country today. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF APPENDICES iii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem Significance of the Study Definitions of Terms Limitations of the Study 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 7 Preparation to Present Procedure 3. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FEDERAL AID TO HIGHER EDUCATION 15 4. A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF CARL D. PERKINS 5 5 5. THE PRE-CHAIRMANSHIP YEARS, 1948-1967 103 6. THE CHAIRMANSHIP YEARS, 1967-1983 116 7. CONCLUSION 152 Appendix A. BILLS SPONSORED AND COSPONSORED BY CARL D. PERKINS 157 B. THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR AND ITS SUBCOMMITTEES 165 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 169 li LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A. Bills Sponsored and Cosponsored by Carl D. Perkins 157 B. The Committee on Education and Labor and Its Subcommittees 165 iii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction For thirty-six years Carl D. Perkins from Hindman represented the Seventh Congressional District of Kentucky. During that period of almost four decades the United States increased its funding of higher education at a dramatic rate. The launching of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in the fall of 1957 created an intense push toward educational development in an attempt to make up ground perceived lost to the Russians in scientific development. During this push toward increased funding across the board, one of the primary figures involved was Carl Perkins. He was a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor from his early years in Washington and eventually replaced Adam Clayton Powell as Chairman of this very important committee in 1967. It was during his tenure as chairman of this committee that significant increases in funds were made available to all areas of educational activity in the country. Perkins perhaps was most widely known for his work with elementary and secondary education, especially his efforts to protect the funds designated to help underprivileged youngsters with the school lunch and milk 1 2 programs, but he also made a significant contribution to funding for higher education. It was in this area that the author proposed to channel the research which formed the basis for this study. Statement of the Problem This paper was devoted to an examination of the contributions Congressman Carl D. Perkins had on legislation affecting higher education during his tenure as Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor from 1967 until his death in 1984. Significance of the Study Over the past twenty-five years there have been at least eighteen dissertations that have explored the general field of federal aid to higher education. Of these eighteen scholarly works only one was devoted to chronicling the activity of a significant individual who worked to implement funding of higher education through legislative activity. In 1969 James Richard Davis researched the contribution of Senator Wayne Morse to federal aid to higher education as the basis of his doctoral dissertation at Michigan State University. During this twenty-five year period federal involvement in higher education had mushroomed. Certainly there were many individuals who were important contributors to this increased governmental activity in postsecondary 3 education, but there were few who would hold more influence than the long time cuairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Carl D. Perkins (Democrat, Kentucky). During the time span in which Perkins oversaw the activities of this committee, federal spending on higher education went through a period of boom and bust. During the administrations of Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter, a significant amount of financial aid was made available to students and colleges to assist them in their activities. During the Reagan Administration budget cuts created a retrenchment in this area. Perkins was on the cutting edge of both scenarios. His work was instrumental in gaining funding for higher education, and he was also active in holding the line against proposed budget cuts which would have eliminated or severely curtailed many of the resources available to students to help them in pursuit of a college education. This made the actions of this individual extremely significant to the university community as a whole. With this in mind the question with which this paper proposed to deal was framed as follows: What was the contribution of Congressman Carl D. Perkins to the passage of legislation affecting higher education during his tenure as chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor from 1967 until his death in 1984? 4 There were also several subsidiary questions which were treated as well. These included the following: 1. Did Congressman Perkins have a consistent position on federal aid to higher education? 2. Where did higher education rank in Congressman Perkins' priorities and why? 3. Was his position on higher education clearly related to his position on other issues? 4. What effect did Congressman Perkins' background have on his views concerning higher education? Preliminary research indicated that Perkins played a significant role in making funds available for higher education in this country. It appeared that his background in rural Appalachia was a significant factor in his lifelong devotion to the opportunities made available through a good education.