Factual OUT BERN CHOOL EWS Objective

VOL I, NO. I NASHVILLE, TENN. SEPTEMBER 3, 1954 Reporting Service To Tell School Story

By C. A. McKNIGHT LEGAL STATUS OF SEGREGATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS are somewhat long, somewhat weigh­ Executive Director ty. And since SERS is not trying to WITH this first issue of So•uthern compete with daily newspapers, but SchooL News, the Southern Ed­ t·ather to supplement them, these ucation Reporting Service undertakes Segregation required 17 states and District of Columbia initial reports lag behind the head­ a major new journalistic assignment lines in several cases. -to tell the story, factually and ob­ But they are loaded with facts for jectively, of what happens in educa­ the thoughtful reader and student. Segregation permitted 1n varying d egrees 4 states tion as a result of the Supreme The story revealed by the facts is Court's May 17 opinion that segrega­ one of watchful waiting throughout tion in the public schools is uncon­ most of the region, with the begin­ stitutional. nings of desegregation this month in Much has been done-and in a the states of Missouri, West Virginia, short time-to organize the Report­ Maryland and Delaware, and the ing Service. District of Columbia. Mont N Dole • ~to\ Future monthly issues will not only It was in April that several south­ : Minn • -., tl-0\\ em members of the American Society :...... "" carry along the chronological story, of Newspaper Editors got together at • -. ~ \ state by state, but will look closely the annual Washington convention to S Dok at key communities, give excerpts .• ldoh0 ---'"'Co""' talk over with representatives of the ; ..... : ~- ...... " from sign.iflcant public addresses, ...... I \ Fund for the Advancement of Educa­ : .,...... ··········-· · lowo ,. .•.. legislative proposals and court deci­ sions, report editorial and other opin­ tion the need for such a reporting Neb service. ion from responsible sources, digest important books, magazine articles It was on May 11 that a group of ·. Utah southern newspaper editors and ed­ and other writing on the subject, and ucators met in Nashville and con­ analyze statistical information com­ stituted themselves a board of direc­ piled by state departments of educa­ tors for SERS, electing Virginius tion and other agencies. Dabney, editor of the Richnwnd This initial issue speaks for itself Times-Dispatch, as chairman, and in answer to the two southern news­ Thomas R. Waring, editor of the papers which have voiced the opinion Charleston News & Courier, as vice­ that SERS was established to en­ chairman. courage integration, and to the east­ On June 6, the board held a second ern Negro newspaper which ex­ meeting in Nashville, elected C. A. pressed the fear that SERS was a McKnight, editor of The Charlotte scheme by "Dixiecrats" to thwart the News, as executive director, laid Supreme Court and preserve segrega­ down broad project directives, and tion. designated the George Peabody Col­ But it should be stated again-as lege for Teachers, Nashville, to act as categorically as possible-that the fiscal agent for the project. Southern Education Reporting Serv­ On July 5, formal application for a SERS NEWS BEAT-The 17 states and the District ol occur in other states where segregation has either been ice will not be an advocate for or grant of $99,200 was made to the Columbia shown in black in the map above, where seg­ permitted by law, or where the law was silent on the sub­ against anything, that it will express Fund for the Advancement of Ed­ regation in the public schools has been required by law, ject. The map is from the book, "The Negro and the no opinions of its own on what is ucation. will be the principal news beat of the Southern Education Schools," by Harry S. Ashmore, published by tl1e Univer­ good and bad or wise and unw~. On July 15, the Nashville office of Reporting Service. But facts will also be reported as they sity of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N.C. and that it will adhere scru.pulously SERS was opened. to the accurate and objective report­ Since that date: ing Service were explained. newspapers and magazines in the and content are concerned. At the ing of facts as it finds them. 1. A central headquarters sta.II has 3. A mailing list of nearly 10,000 non-South, radio and television sta­ outset, it seemed desirable-even es­ This fundamental policy of the Re­ been employed. names has been built up. It includes tions, wire services, federal agencies, sential-to go back to May 17, pick up porting Service has been emphatically 2. Top-Bight newspapermen and governors and members of their ex­ and hundreds of interested private the many loose ends of the public endorsed by the members of the women in the District of Columbia ecutive sta.ffs, chief state school of­ citizens. school story, and tie them together in board of directors, whose personal and 17 southern and border states ficers, members of state boards of ed­ 4. SERS has been incorporated a full and detailed documentary, convictions about segregation cover a have been appointed SERS corre­ ucation, local school administrators, under Tennessee law as a general which would be useful to school ad­ wide range, by the newspapermen spondents. (Their names appear in university presidents and heads of welfare corporation. ministrators, newspaper editors and and women who accepted appoint­ the masthead on Page 4). On July 24- interested university departments, 5. This first issue has been prepared, others as background material for ment as SERS correspondents, and 25, the correspondents attended a public libraries, all daily and weekly printed and distributed. understanding subsequent develop­ by officials of the Fund for the Ad­ two-day seminar in Nashville at newspapers in the region with a cir­ The initial issue is not a prototype ments in the several states. vancement of Education who ap­ which the objectives of the Report- culation of 2,000 or more, leading of future editions, insofar as format Hence, the reports in this first issue proved the grant. Exchange of Correspondence Explains Purpose of SERS (Editor's Note: The following ex­ preme Court's recent opinion and for carrying out these aims. We have boards of education, local superin­ the board unanimously agreed. upon chance of col'l'espondence explains fully the objectives of the Southern forthcoming decrees in the five cases arranged to establish headquarters tendents, local school board chair­ the recommendation of the Execu­ Education Reporting Service and Its involving segregation in the public at Nashville, Tennessee. There a small men; public libraries. (2) In the field tive Director, to avoid such interest­ relatJonshlp to tho Fund for the Ad­ schools. central staff consisting of the Execu­ of government: governors and mem­ ing by-paths and to limit the Report­ vancement of Education, whJcb Is We believe that the primary bur­ tive Director, an assistant director, a bers of councils of state, members of ing Service to its essentially journal­ financing the project, and to George Peabody College for Teachers, Nash­ den for making these adjustments research assistant-analyst, a librarian southern state legislatures, local gov­ istic !unction. ville, which Is serving as flscal agent. 1·ests with the school administrators and a secretary will gather pertinent erning officials; (3) In the field of Since the Southern Education Re­ This eonespondence makes public the and other leaders, both public and information about developments in communications: daily and weekly porting Service is not yet incor­ full record of SERS.) pt·ivate, of each individual communi­ the District of Columbia and the 17 newspapers in the southern states, porated as a non-pront organization, • • • ty, and that the appropriate progt'al'D states whose public school Jaws are magazines and newspapers of nation­ (see footnote) we have made ar­ Richmond, Va. for any one community must be tail­ affected by the recent Supreme Court al circulation, wire services, radio rangements with George Peabody ored to fit the particular circum­ opinion. and television stations; (4) Interested July 5, 1954 College for Teachers to receive any stances. We believe also, however, That information will be assembled citizens. funds available to support the South­ Mr. Clarence H. Faust, President that communities can learn useful from many sources, but the main re­ em Education Reporting Service and The Fund for the Advancement lessons from the experiences of one source will be a staff of 18 field cor­ TO ESTABLISH LIBRARY to p1·ovide fiscal services. of Education another. respondents who will report at regu­ In collaboration with one of the The Chairman and the Executive 575 Madison Avenue The Southern Education Reporting lar intervals the developments in southern u niversity libraries, the Director, with the approval of the New York 22, New York Service has therefore been estab­ their states. In all cases, these cor­ Southern Education Reporting Serv­ Executive Committee and under in­ lished with the aim of assisting re­ respondents will be working news­ ice will also supervise the concur­ structions from the Board, have de­ Dear Mr. Faust: sponsible local and state leaders, and papermen of established reputation; rent filing of all the factual data it veloped a budget to cover the costs A S you know, tl1e several southern particularly school administrators, in in most cases they will be the regular assembles for the use of contem­ of inilial establishment and the first educators and newspaper editors developing practical and constructive education writers of their news­ porary writers and researchers, and year of operation. We wish to em­ whose names appear below have re­ solutions to their own particular papers. Their reports and the facts will arrange for the pennanent filing, phasize that there are necessarily cently constituted themselves as the school problems by supplying them gathered from other sources will be. indexing and preservation of these certain unknowns in the picture Board of Directors of the Southern with objective facts about the de­ analyzed and digested in the Nash­ data for the scholars of the future. which can be resolved only after the Education Reporting Service. We ru·e velopments in other communities. It ville office and then redistributed Other collateral activities were service has gained some operating convinced that a major contribution is our resolve to report the facts im­ through a printed publication to be suggested to the board of directors, experience. can be made at this time to the ad­ partially as we find them, and to re­ called Southern School NewtS. including the establishment of a per­ For example, until the Supreme vancement of education and to the frain from taking sides on any con­ Distribution will be made without sonal consulting service for local Court issues its decrees, it is impos­ general public interest by an impar­ troversial issues or advocating any charge and upon request to the fol­ school officials, the arranging ol pro­ sible to forecast accurately how tial reporting service which provides particular point of view. lowing board audience groups: (1) grams for interested professional many developments there will be to accurate and unbiased information Our Board, with the assistance of In the field of education: university groups, and the making of intensive report. Hence the budget item for concerning the adjustments which our Executive Director, has devel­ presidents, librarians and heads of studies of selected communities from printing and mailing was predicated various communities in the southern oped a plan of operation which we interested departments; chief state the viewpoint of the behavioral sci­ region make as a result of the Su- believe is efficient and practicable school officers, members of state ences. In all cases, the members of See CORRESPONDENCE On P ..e15 ES IN THE SOUTH'S POPULATION PAGE 2 Sept. 3, 1954 SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS RECENT CHANG role of chief executive and secl'?~·y of the county board. In addit•on. there are 44 city superintendents of education in the state. Alabama In 1950 the per capita income m Alabama was $847; the tx>taJ inco~~ TOTAL ,OPULATION Terry, recently estimated that county of the state was $2,581,000,000. MONTGOMERY, Ala. this, 79 million dollars, or 3.1 %, was the early sessions of the 1953 Ala- boards exercise 90 per cent of the au­ P, thority in Alabama public education. spent on schools. bama Legislature, Rep. Sam Engel­ The school population in 1952 m Reol of US. hardt of Macon County introduced a The State Board of Education is composed of the governor, the state eluded 383,679 whites and 203,716 N~~ bill providing for "the establishment, groes. Negroes thus comprised 34.7 '( superintendent of education, an~ one operation, financing and regulation of of the school population. The totals Natural lncreal4 free private schools." member from each congressional district appointed by the governor and represent a 3.7% increas~ in enro~l: Except for informally discussed ments of white children smce 1940, a confirmed by the Senate for term~ of plans, this was the only move made six years. The state boat·d excrclsc;s 3.6% increase in Negro pupils in the R.,rof U.S. in Alabama in anticipation of the Su­ general supervision over the states same period. preme Court's decision outlawing 1n 1952, expenditures per pupil on public schools, advisin~ and consult­ Net Migration segregation in public schools. ing with county and City boards, su­ white and Negro children co~p~red South -6.8 The Engelhardt proposal was ac­ perintendents, teachers, etc. The s~te this way: in metropolitan dtstr1cts, tually two bills: one proposing the board is responsible for adopting $147.20 per white pupil to $105.40 per necessary amendments to the state construction standards, methods. of Negro; in rural districts, $122.14 per Re11 of U.S. constitution; the other authorizing grading, courses of study, approvmg white pupil to $96.41 per Negro. "ten or more patrons of any public textbooks. elementary or secondary school in The state superintendent of educa­ OFFICIAL ACTIONS WHITE POPULATION this state'" to incorporate a "free pri­ The only official actions in Ala­ vate school for the education of their tion, who is elected, is granted a "referee" role under Alabama law. bama since the announcement of the children." The latter bill would em­ Supreme Court's decision on May 17 power the corporation of each such According to the code, his duties are Re11 of U.S. school to buy and rent real estate, to explain the true intent and mean­ were these: build and administer schools, etc., as ing of school laws and of the rules May 21-Alabama solicito.rs, called well ns to d~ide what pupils should and regulations of the stale board into session by Atty. Gen. St Garrett, NEG ItO ,OPULATION attend. of education, and to rule on disputes met in Montgomery, ostensibly lo The Engelhardt bill would divide and controversies within the school discuss the Supreme Court's ruling. system. He has the authority to file all school funds into "allotments,'' or The conference was closed and plans charges of immorality, misconduct in formulated, ii any, were not. revealed. per-pupil shares in such funds. Par­ ltf\t of US. ents or guardians of pupils accepted office insubordination, incompetency, July 9-The State Board of Educa­ for enrollment would assign the al­ wllfui neglect of duty, to initiate re­ tion said, in a formal resolution: moval of appointed per.;onnel in the lotments to their resp~tive schools. system. The superintendent executes The ruling of the Supreme Court .. : on The proposal received little sup­ the so-caled 'segregation' cases has ratsed the policies of the board, prepares considerable doubt and many questions m port in the 1953 Legislature. It was and submits the budget, recommends the mlnds of the county boards of educa­ still bottled up in committee at ad­ impl'Ovements in the state .sys~m , tion, school boards of trustees. school ad­ journment. ministrators, faculty members. and the lteu of U.S. submits proposed school legiSlation. general public as to the policy to be fol­ Except for this one bill, public lowed by them in the school year of 19!;.1- planning in Alabama in recent years LOCAL AUTUORITY 55 ... has been aimed at the old "separate County boards of education are section 25G of the Constitution of UH! ftcprint.ed From "l'hc Ne(;To Anti 'rhe SchO(Il• but equal" doctrine. elected. The county board controls Slate of Alabama Is in part as follows: and supervises schools in its area, Separate schools shall be provided !or Section 256 of the Slate Constitution on possibly calling a special session SCHOOL SETUP hires teachers, appoints principals white and colored children. and no chlld the same bnsls thnt they operated for 1l~e The division of authority in Ala­ and clerical assistants, pu1·chases and of either race shall be permitted to at- school year of 1953-54.... No changes m the legislature, until the Supre~t~~ . tend a school of the other race. · · · Utis announced pollcy shall be made in Court. hands down its final decree. bama public schools is somewhat leases real estate and builds schools. .. . This particular constitutional pro- any public school system in this state complex. In general, local boards of County superintendents are both vision has never been stricken by any during the school year 1954-55, lrrespec­ Dr. Austin Meadows, slate SUPl'f· education and local superintendents elected and appointed in Alabama, court ln the land. · · · The public school tlve of any action by any court In any intcndent-nominate, pledged ~-.... ,, .~·­ run their schools with but a mini­ depending on the county. Forty-four system of Alabama is administered under cnse In whtch a unlt of Lhe public school his 1·un-off campaign late in the State Constitution and the statutes system ot Alabama ls not a party .. · · mum of control from the state level. counties elect superintendents; 23 passed by the Alabama Legislature. · · · . . d ter the court's ruling) to "fmd a R. S. White, administrative assist­ appoint them. In either case, the The public schools in Alabama will op- Gov. Gordon Pars_ons h~ rndJcate way to maintain segregation in Ot: ant to State Superintendent W. J. county superintendent is cast in the crate for the 1954-55 school year under he will take no offictal action, such as schools."

tor of the Division of Negro Educa­ 21 to integrate nine Negro students premature, as the Supreme Court Ill tion, said: opin!on slated that further in September with about 500 whites would be heard and a decree The end of segregation will not change in the high school-primarily for the cost pictme. The facllllies stU! will financial reasons. The decision was Also on June 15, the State Arkansas have to be provided and the cost will be of Education approved a change.: just the same. accepted with almost no protest. In the past, the Fayetteville District its policy of accrediting schools, witt LITTLE ROCK, Ark. had risen to $102.05 for whites and The Legislative Council, the in­ it hopes will speed up the In has sent its Negro high school stu­ A RKANSAS' efforts to anticipate $67.75 for Negroes. 1940 the per terim body of the state legislature, tion of Negro and white the May 17 Supreme Court rul­ pupil expenditure for Negroes was 43 has assigned to its Education Com­ dents to Fort Smith (60 miles distant) per cent of the per pupil expenditure and Hot Springs (150 miles distant). ginning July 1, the State """"""-·• Ing were confined to a program for mittee the problem of determining Department will rate schools on for whites. In 1952, the figure was Tuition, partial Jiving expenses and equalizing school facilities-a pro­ what legislation and how much mon­ district-wide basis rather than 011 66 per cent. hus fare for nine students last year gram recommended by the State ey will be needed as a result of the separate school basis. Education Department and adopted totaled about $5,000. The Negro population is concen­ Supreme Court decision. The legis­ On June 19, the inactive Arkrul$l1["'~··"· with varying degrees of intensity by trated in the southeast half of the On July 28, Wayne White, Fayette­ lature will meet in January, 1955. Division of the Southern ~ ...... y-• local school districts. state. Fifteen of 75 counties have no On May 18, Gov. Francis Cherry ville school superintendent, told SERS: Council, an interracial group, In Arkansas, the legal basis for Negro students in public schools. said: reorganized at Little Rock. 0. separate schools is statutory rather Not more Ulan four patrons who have Benton County has one Negro ele­ Arkansas will obey the law. 1t always Smith of Little Rock, a N~o, than constitutional. The Arkansas talked to me are blUer aga1nst the de­ mentary student being tutored in the has. named temporary chairman. Constitution of 1874 provided for free home of a Negro teacher. Twent;y­ cision to Integrate. Some others have He said he would appoint an ad­ ~ald they did not like It but that It was Representatives of the State ,.....,,... ..,.."" 1 public schools and vested in the two other counties have Negro school visory committee, as yet unnamed, Inevitable. There has been no organized tion Department have been General Assembly the power to des­ enrollments of less than 10 per cent. protest action and no written communi­ which would "not approach the with white and Negro coJnm,wu:~l ignate supervisory officers. The leg­ In the remaining 37 counties, the Ne­ cntlons of protest. problem with the idea of being out­ leaders in school plall'Ul.lllg ~-cinnU'"' islature vested the management of gro student population ranges from laws." White said the board had received The emphasis at these local schools in independent school 11 to 60.5 per cent of the total. about 40 letters-all favorable except meetings is on plans to districts and by statute required the Arkansas has 423 school districts. INTEGRATION PROTESTED one protest from an out-of-state board of directors of each district "to On May 21, the school board at school facilities rather than on Of these, 184 have no Negro students, resident. White said the decision to to integrate. establish separate schools for white 228 have both races and 11 have only Sheridan, faced with Negro protests integrate was received quietly pri­ and colored persons." against unequal facilities, voted 5-0 In a policy speech on July 2, Negroes. There arc 1,450 white marily b~ause: (1) Fayetteville tion Commissioner Ford told The State Board of Education schools and 634 Negro schools. to integrate 21 Negro students in residents have become accustomed to serves in an advisory capacity to lo­ Little Rock Rotary Club: Since June, 1947, through a volun­ September with about 600 whites in Negroes attending graduate-level cal school districts. The board has the upper six grades. There were im­ We will continue to have segrept. tary ruling by the University of Ar­ classes at the University of Arkansas, nine members, appointed by the gov­ mediate protests from white patrons. unless and until Ole people at the kansas Board of Trustees, qualified and (2) Fayetteville has a small level are willing to accept lnt ,e~auc'n ernor, conflrmed by the Senate and On May 22, the board voted 5-0. to Negro population. (1.8 per cent of my opinion, Integration will come In serving staggered nine-year terms. Negro applicants have been eligible conununilies within a relatively for admission to courses not offered rescind the May 21 action. the school population is Negro.) The State Educational Commissioner, At a protest meeting on June 1 at­ riod of time. In others It will the chief state school officer, is select­ by the state-supported Negro college On May 21, the board of the LitUe many years. It Is apparent at Pine Bluff. Under this ruling, Ne­ tended by about 300 patrons of the Rock School District, with the largest be no general statewide pattern of ed by U1e board. Sheridan School District, a commit­ gration in our public schools. The board distributes state aid gro students have attended graduate student population of any district in and professional school without inci­ tee was instructed to circulate peti­ the state, announced that it would On July 22, about 275 funds provided by the legislature to tions asking for the resignation of the supplement property tax levies by dent. The Unive1·sity of Arkansas cont.inue the present dual system churchmen and lay leaders Graduate Center at LitUc Rock has board. On June 7, Russell Hendon pending further rulings of the Su­ Little Rock and voted for .....- ..-. ._ _ the local districts. Local district bond resigned from the board. His reasons issues and loans must be approved by been non-segregated since it was es­ preme Court but that "it is our re­ suppo11: of NAACP work and tabHshed on a permanent basis in were not announced. sponsibility to comply with federal "immediate implementation of the state board. The board has a com­ On July 28, A. R. McKenzie, Sheri­ parative accrediting system which 1950. constitutional requirements and we spirit ... and meaning of the When the Supreme Court made its dan school superintendent, told the intend to do so when the Supreme preme Court) decision." has no bearing on the amount of state SERS that in September, 11 of the 21 aid to each district. May 17 ruling, no Arkansas suits Court outlines the method to be fol­ In Al·kansas Democratic seeking an end of segregation were Negro students would be eligible for lowed." During the interim period. election campaigns this HEAVY SCHOOL SPENDING pending in federal courts. However, transportation daily to a high school the boat·d said, it will develop new regalion did not become an 27 miles distant in an adjoining coun­ In 1950, Arkansas, with a per capita petitions were on file with several school attendance areas on a non­ most candidates avoided the sul)iec'h,: school boards charging that Negro ty. He estimated that tuition and segt·egatcd basis. Superintendent of One candidate for governor, income of $821, spent $54,400,000 on transportation would cost $4,000 a schools, or 3.4 per cent of its income. children were not getting equal edu­ Schools Virgil T. Blossom, supervis­ Faubus, said early in his ,...,rnooJI:Il:rl.. cational opportunities. year in addition to an initial outlay ing the attendance area studies, said that "desegregation is the ln 1952, average daily attendance of $4,000 for a bus. The remaining 10 was 268,235 white pupils and 82,617 The end of segregation in Arkan­ no attempt would be made to gerry­ issue" and that it was a decision students-those in the seventh and mander. be met at the local level. The ,.,r,,..,...._:.,_ Negro, or 23.5 per cent Negro. The sas' public schools will cost the tax­ eighth grades-would continue in the per cent change from 1940 was minus sas Gazette objected editorially to payers 21 million dollars ii they want Sheridan Negro school urtder the CHERRY'S STATEl\lENT 5.6 per cent for whites and minus to maintain the level of education injection of racial questions into 7.2 per cent for Negroes. same two Negro teachers who ta~ht On June 15, Gov. Cherry said in a campaign and the candidate made now afforded in white schools. The Grade 1 through 12 last year. Current expenditures (excluding State Education Department had es­ statement endorsed. by the State further statements on the transportation costs) pt:r pupil in timated that amount was needed to FAYE'I'TEVILLE ACTION Board of Education: In the August 10 rur1-ou. ~-auc~~··~ 1940 were $30.10 for whites and equalize facilities and on May 17, Ed On May 22, the Fayetteville School Our present state law provides for seg­ defeated Cherry for the $13.01 for Negroes. In 1952, the figures McCuistion, the Department's direc- Bard announced it had voted on May regation In the pubUc: schoou and any nomination, usually equivalent decision for integration of Ole races is election. SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS - Sept. 3, 1~54- PAGE 3 The Wilmington school board also The Negro and white schools in Do­ school district Is not under the juris­ allowed transfers of pupils from one ver are administered by a board of diction of the State Board of Educa­ school to another, provided certain education. tion although the Wilmington Board Delaware requirements were met and provided But there is also in Dover a brand of Education did ask permission of there was room in the school the new comprehensive high school, built t.he State Board of Education before WILMINGTON, Del. c:ttion and its chief executive officer, pupils desired to attend. for Negroes with a Negro faculty and it proceeded on its plan of integra­ J ELA WARE- a border state dl- Dr. George R. Miller Jr., state super­ Involved in the integration plan administered by a board separate tion. r<'CtiY involved in the sel:(rcgation intendent or public instruction, is­ were some brand new Negro schools from the Dover Board oi Education. Special school district:> are usually nscs before the U. S. Supreme Court sued statements regarding the tran­ hailed in the national architectural When complete integration takes large district:> with high schools. The -greets the 1954-55 school year walh sition from segregation to integration. world as among the finest schools in place, this new school, buill for Ne­ trustees or boards of education of n expressed willingness to acct'pt On June 11, the State Board of the country. groes, may have to be taken into the special school districts have a certain 1e decision and mandate of the Education declared: The decision to hold off integration Dover school district as part of the amount of autonomy, but their pow­ m the junior and senior higb schools, schools in the regular administrative out·t, at least on top administrative A.~ a general policy, the Stat~ Board ers must be exercised in conformity ·vds. nf Education tully lntends to corry oul Dr. Miller said, was based on a desire area. wiLh the rules and regulations of the Regardless of what rank and file the mundntcs of U1e United States Su­ of the school officials t.o study tJ1e ad­ State Board of Education. tJreme Court decision ns expeditiously as THE BACKGROUND C!.'idcnts of school districts may say ministrative problems attendant to State unit schools come directly I>O$Sible. It Is recognized that communl­ the larger attendance areas. Here is the background on the 1 their respective areas, Delaware is u"" dlffer one from the other In tradition under the State Department of Pub­ end attitudes; therefore. the actual car. Dr. Miller also said he was relying Delaware story: ot only preparing Cor the transition With an equal but separate public lic Instruction. The school trustees -om segregation to integration (or rying out or U1e Integrative proc~ will a great deal upon the principals of here do not set any educational pol­ require n longer period of tlme ln some the various schools involved in the school system provided in its consti­ desegregation,'' as some call it) as pArts of the state than tn others. tution adopted in 1897, Delaware en­ icy as do the boards in the special oon as possible, but already Wil­ i.nlegt·ation plan. districts. The Stale Board of Education The approximate enrollment last tered segregation litigation in 1950 lin~:ton. the largest community in added til is policy: year in the Wilmington elementary when the right of the University of In Delaware there are 106 school he state, and nine other school dis­ 1. Wilmington is permitted to move Delaware (a state college) to bar districts, including Wilmington, and :icts were ready before the opening schools (from the first to sixth years promptly in the direction of integra­ inclusive) was: 4,610 white children. Negro students from it:> undergradu­ also what are known as high school r school to undertake integration on ate schools was questioned in the area districts. arying planes. tion. and 1,873 Negroes. 2. Other school authorities in the In the junior and senior high Court of Chancery. The bulk of the money for public Within a week after the U. S. Su­ state together with interested citi­ schools, the enrollment was approxi­ Chancellor Collins J . Seitz decided instTuction in Delaware comes from rome Com-t decision, Gov. J . Caleb zens should take "immediate" steps mately: 4,577 white and 1,311 Negro in Javor of Negro litigants and the the General Assembly to alJ the loggs sent a letter to the State Board to hold discussions for formulating children. trustees of the University of Dela­ schools through the State Board of f Education. saying: plans for desegregation and present ware declined to take any appeal. So Education. Money is a!Jocated to the CLAYMONT It will be Ute policy of this admlnls~t·a­ tilese plans t.o the State Board of lhe entire university was opened to schools on what is known as the per on to work toward adjusunent to the Education !or review. Claymont, an incorporated town Negroes without any distinction as pupil unit system. nltl'd States constitutional requlreml!nts At almost on the Pennsylvania-Dela­ to classroom participation or dormi­ r~~U'ully ask the Stale Board of Edu- the same time, the State Board However, special scl1ool districts J s 1tlon to proceed townrd this obJective. of EducnUon recognized tho prob­ ware border, was directly Involved tory privileges. through local taxes can implement 11 in the Delaware-D. S. Supreme Next came the public school case, Ten days after the Supreme Court lems of overlapping Negro and white the funds received from the state. school districts and the need for re­ Court case that came up from the known as Belton v. Gebhart. Bulah ecision, Atty. Gen. IT. Albert Young, Genera!Jy, all schools in the state appraising the needs for construction Court of Chancery and the State Su­ ''· Gebhart. It was also heard before ;ho hod represented Delaware in the preme Court. Chancellor Seitz and involved one are built on a basis of state-local dis­ of certain schools or additions au­ trict participation, but all Negro ;uprem!l Court hearings, declared ln After the decision of the State Su­ Negro child who wanted to attend a radio interview that tile "separate thorized in 1953 by the General As­ schools have been built by 100 per sembly. preme Court in favor of the Negro whlt.e elementary school in the vil­ tUt equal" provisions of U1e State Utlgants, the Claymont school ad­ lage of Hockessin and eight Negro cent state appropriation. :onslituLion were no longer binding LATER POLICY mitted Negroes from the Claymont students who wanted to attend tlte BOUNDARIES CONFUSED apon school districts. As the date for opening of public area. Claymont High School. There is no clearly drawn pattern "Any white school district in Delaware schools drew closer and as the State And before the opening of the The complaint was twofold: (1) of boundary lines between what are 1111 odmlt Negroes Immediately, 11 It so Boat"d began to approve a number 1954-55 school year, the Claymont that state-imposed segregation in ed­ Negro school districts in Delaware · ~h• ~.,Ires. " he declared "On the other hand, of "'~hoot dlstrlcts that -uu maintain seg­ of integration plans submitted by Board Education, citing "the sat­ ucation was in itself a violation of and white school districts. In Wil­ - egallon bnrs are within the law of the some school districts, the board isfactory progress" of integration in the Fourteenth Amendment of tile mington, !or example, all public e!il'Jo· till:S. ~;epa rate but equal facilities." 4. All schools, maintaining four or NEWARK by Atty. Gen. H. Albert Young, act­ And there are 12 Negro schools in ~ The State Supreme Court had ruled more teachers. were requested to Newark Is the seat of the Univer­ ing on behalf of the defendant school special districts administered by one ...s. ~ lnl where Negro raoUl ties were not present by Oct. 1 at least tentative ~ty of Delaware. Its board of educa­ distt"icts and the State Board of Edu­ board for both white and Negro ·~uca:.:1unl, those children could be a!­ plans for de!legregation in their area tion adopted a plan of integration cation, took an appeal to the State schools. ~: 1wcd to study in white schools until This infonnation will be submitted to involving junior and senior high Supreme Court which upheld the Hence, when the General Assem­ Jch time as their own facilities were Atty. Gen. Young as an aid to his school students but not in the ele­ Court of Chancery on the basis of bly of Delaware meets early next :\r"" nproved. The little Arden school, presentation to the Supreme Court mentary grades. This means that inequality in facilities but refrained year, legislation will be submitted to · ...... tpported by its community, admitted in the October hearings. Negro students living in Newark- from even touching on the subject merge at least 42 Negro districts with the nearest administrative white Reg: egro children who otherwise would Also, in the latter days of August, 14 miles from WUmington~an elect of segregation per se. ~UP (m.• had t:o attend schools consid­ to attend high school in their town The State Supreme Court declared school dlstrict in order to affect a 0 tile State Board of Education author­ general integration plan. - · ·ed Inferior by their parents. ized the employment of Miss Virginia instead of going to Wilrnlngt.on's that the Negro children did not have Howard High School. !o, Soon after the decision of the U.S. Mason as a consultant in human re­ to wait until their schools were SCHOOL STATISTICS Edt: upreme Court, the State Board of lations for the office of the superin­ Wilmer E. Shue, superintendent of brought up to parity with the white the Newark schools, stated that inte­ schools. According to the 1953 annual re­ e .ducution began to explore the tendent of public instruction. Miss port of the State Board of Education, ::: .ethod for moving toward inlegra­ Mason had been conducting classes gration of the upper grade students The attorney general decided to was "the easiest and most logical appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court there were 2,287 teachers and profes­ sessi'"·~n. in humnn relations in the schools of sional employes in the pubUc schools Delaware for the past eight years. step" for Newark. on the grounds that a reasonable time tert7 IPARTlSAN SUPPORT should be a!Jowed ior equalization. of the state, including 1,914 whii:IC And JUSt before school opened, th~> NEW CASTLE However, pending tile appeal and de­ teachers and principals and 355 Ne­ equ. ~ Ils move was bol5tcrcd not only by State Board of Education drafted a The town of New CasUe, which gro teachers and principals. 'n f re altitude of the governor of the series of proposed guides !or school cision of the U. S. Supreme Court, has always been faced with a prob­ the State Board of Education, after In Delaware, there is no distinction . ate but also by the attomey general districts, suggesting how the school l!lm of overcrowded conditions in its as t.o pay. The schedules are the same ·.ol~~ ... ld most recently by "integration'' much flurry in Ute newspapers, de­ 0 officials can proceed to evolve plans white schools, has launched an inte­ for Negro as well as white teachers "anks adopted by tile Democratic for desegregation. cided to allow Ute plaintiffs to attend grated plan. Specifically, the plan Is the white schools to which they had and principals. The standard.s for 1d Republican Parties of the state. A quick review of the desegrega­ for first year children and in all high teacher certificates are the same. ~·· The Democratic Party's plank on tion program in Delaware follows: sought admission. school grades. However, this decision applied only For the school year of 1952-53. the ;;loc tull citizenship" stated: Otiler school districts that have total state funds made available to WU... "\IINGTON to the white schools actually involved :f"Becausc we deplore the rcleg<~Uon uf varying forms of integration are: in the litigation, although the trus­ the school districts was $20,752,757. .: ,y American to n position of second Summer schools in Wilmington, the Rose Hill-Mlnquadale, near WU­ tees of a little country schOol near This included $6,924,187 for the ~~ C"-w clU:u!nshlp, we npplaud the rcc(•nl largest city in Delaware and near Ute m ington; Conrad High School, also school building program and $13,828,- I' .clslons o! the United Sl.l\le-s Suvn'ml' WiJmjnglon decided to take advan­ 01 •Urt uffirming Uu.• cnnstltutJonnl right northern boundary of the state, were near Wilmington; Delaware City, 14 tage of the sjtuatlon and admit three 56!1 lor current operations. all citizens to equal treatment In pub- conducted on an integrated basis. miles from Wilmington; Aliced I. du­ Negro children despite frowns on the The 1952-53 report of the State :ili=' ~utolion and recreation. We rccog­ The only opposition came from one Pont School, ncar Wilmington. Board of Education shows that !52,724 lllft a~~ lhat these decisions will heIa• to part of the State Board of Education. rate In Delaware n climate In which lone citizen dissenter who appeared The Dover Board of Education­ children were enrolled in the schools lnall~ tl'r!or clllunshlt) ~talus will not be at alJ meetings of the Wilmington the state's capital and the most ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS of the state, not including kindergar­ and erated. Board of Education to object to any southern town in Delaware lo under­ But now that the U. S. Supreme tens. of: And the next w<.>ek, the Republican integration program. take any kind of integration. has Court has handed down its opinion The percentage breakdown for that ;1t l-· ,rty of Delaware st."lt«i in its plat­ Early in July, the superintendent been given permission to try a lim­ on segregation in and of itself and year follows: rrn plank on education: of the Wilmington public schools, Dr. ited plan. This involves admitting has wiped out the "separate but Elementary schools: 81.1 per cent Ward I. MUier, made public a plan Negro sudents who graduated in equal'' basis for state-Imposed seg­ of lhe children in these schools were ;."'\ll"-r4' \' e t>romlse continued IOlJ•MVemNII of lff. • educational s.m>grom •.nd an orrkrly of integration, hoping to receive pub­ June Irom the Negro elementary regation, there are a number of im­ white and 18.9 per cent were Negroes. :,1lP \nsltlon to integrC planks in the platfonns of high schools. selection of tl1cir high school courses. with headquarters in the state's cap­ White: 44,395; Negro: 9,360. ,ad< e Democratic and Republican pnr­ Faculties in the elementary schools These tests are to be administered by ital, Dover. The per capita current expenses in c:ect 'S were adopted in conventions were integrated. the principal of the Negro school who There are actually three types of day schools based upon average en­ (au~ thout discussion and without a dls­ Courses not available in the Negro is a Negro. school districts in Delaware: rollment were: """l"';nt.ing voice. Howard High School were op!lned to Dover has a typical example of the Wilmington is virtually a "special 1952-53-$300.01; 1951-52-$276.48; ~enl From lime to time during the sum­ Negro students in the Brown Voca­ problem of school administration in­ specaal school district" with consid­ 1950-51-$248.57; 1949-50 - $234.22· " er months, the State Board of Edu- tional (wlute) School. volved in the process of integration. erable autonomy. The Wilmington 1948-4.H198.46. I PAGE 4 Sept. 3, 1954-SOUTHERN SCHOO L NEWS District of Columbia SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEW S into three formerly white junior WASHINGTON, D.C. to be two Boards of Teacher Exam­ highs will be made. Coming has Southern School News is the ~fficial publi.cati.on of the Sou_th­ B EFORE the turn o! 1953, the Dis- iners. Before the counsel's oplllion, Corn­ termed the overcrowded schools in­ Education Reporting Servtce, an ob1echve, fact-findtng trict of Columbia Board of Edu­ volved "emergency areas." =~nency established by southern newspaper ~ditors.and edu.cators cation began to concern itself with ing issued a statement saying he the possibility that the Supreme would have to put off school integra­ In addition. 460 Negro students will 'th the aim of providing accurate, unbtased tnformatton to Court might rule against segregated tion until lhe court finalized the de­ be transferred out o! an antiquated Wlh 1 administrators, public officials and interested lay citizens technical high school into one for­ schools. cree concerning the District suit. . sc do velopments in education arising from the U. S. Supreme Community organizations were After a meeting with Ute Commts­ merly attended by white students Cou~ opinion of May 17, 1954 declaring segregation in the pub­ sioners Corning cllaDged his mind. only. Funds have been requested to asked to suggest "best ways" of in­ lic schools unconstitutional. tegrating the 165 schools should the At this' meeting, Commissioner ~­ t·evamp the latter building so it can court so order. The response was uel Spencer disclosed t.hal Pres1dent serve as a city-wide technical school. OFFICERS Eisenhower had expressed hope the 2. A select number of Negro stu­ Chairman heavy, thoughtful and varied. Virginius Dabney . School Superintendent Hobart M. District would become a "model" for dent.'! now traveling "excessive dis­ Vice-Chairman tance" to scl1ools will attend a white Thomas R. Waring Corning publ1cly stated "we will be the nation in school integration. Executive Director prepared." Corning and his staff school nearer their home this fall. C. A. McKnight Corning said this wiU affect about worked overl.ime drafting plans for FIVE-POINT POLICY BOARD OF DIRECTORS the posib1c transition from a dual to Five days later, the school board in 100 pupils who will enter 18 build­ special session wrote its own five­ ings. Frank Ahlgren, Editor, Memp~is Charles S. Johnson, President, Fisk single school system. The teachers' University, Nashville, Tenn. in-service training program was de­ point antidiscrimination .policy to Commorciol Appeal, Memphis, voted to seminnrs and formal lec­ govern District schools. This declara­ EVENING SCHOOLS Tonn. tion asked the "aid, cooperation and Also in September, the evening C. A. McKnight, Editor !On leave) tures by experts on human relations. Gordon Blackwell, Director, Institute Charlotte News, Char otto, N. C. A teaching handbook was published good will" of Washington citizens schools will open on an integrated basis for an anticipated enrollment of for Research in Social Science, on the subject. and the "help of the Almlghty" in University of N.C. Charles Moss, Executive Editor, District school policy is set by a carrying out lhe following pledges: 8,600 adults. The two teachers' col­ Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tenn. nine-member school board appointed 1. All appointments, changed as­ leges, operated by the public school Harvie Branscomb, Chancellor, Van­ by District Court judges. The auton­ signments, promotions and annual system, will open on an integrat.t.>d derbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. Thomas R. Wering, Editor, Charles· basis. Courses will be offered in both ton News & Courier, Charleston, omy of the board is li.mjted only by ratings of educational and othc:r em­ Virginius D4bney, Editor, Richmond financial dependency on the District ployees will be based on mer1t and plants until an e.xisting high school Times-Dispatch, Richmond, v.,, s. c. not on race or color. can be converted to a city-wide Commissioners and Congress. Henry I. Willett, Superintendent of The network of schools prior to 1ast 2. Pupils will not be favored or college. Coleman A. Harwell, Editor, Nash­ ville Tennessean, N4shville, Tenn. Schools, Richmond, Va. June was divided by race into two discriminated against because of race School officials plan to conduct in­ divisions. These separate wings were or color. ter-high athletic competition o~ a Henry H. Hill, President, George P. B. Young Sr., Editor, Norfolk administered by twin sets of teachers, 3. School boundaries, when reor­ city-wide basis wherever poss1ble Peabody College, Nashville, Tenn. Journal & Guide. Norfolk, Va . principals and other officers. ganized, will be honored with. few this year. Some varsity football game exceptions, but no exceptions will be contracts were made on a racial ba­ CORRESPONDENTS BQUALIZATION PROBLEl\1 made for reasons of race. sis as long as a year ago. High school MISSOURI 4. After 17, ALABAMA As administrators studied methods June records of pupils cadet competition will be conducted Williem H. McDonald, Editorial Robert Lasch, Editorial Writer, St. of integrating students and staff and school personnel will be kept on a city-wide basis this year. Writer, Montgomery Advertiser louis Post-Dispatch should the need arise, tho school without reference to race. Another important point in Corn­ 5. The pl1ysical school plant will be ARKANSAS NORTH CAROLINA board was enmeshed in pending ing's plan gives old students the "op­ Thomas D. Davis, Asst. City Editor, Jay Jenkins, Staff Writer, Raleigh problems of equalizing existing fa­ utilized fully without regard to race. tion" of remaining in their present Arkansas Guetto The scl1ool board further direcU.>d News & Observer s:o:.:.r cilities. An increasing Negro enroll­ schools or moving into the building DELAWARE Coming to bring in a blueprint for OKLAHOMA r•tt u~ ~ ment was coupled with a declining in their new zone when the latter he­ William P. Fronk, Staff Writer, oru:"..t. white registration. school integration. He was given less comes effective. Wilmington Nows Mary Goddard, Staff Writer, Qk. than At l1ll i ~ This situation began in 1950 when, a week. this time, the scanty DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA lehoma City Oklahoman-limas beginning of school integration stood Several board members objected nit~ for the first time, the number of Ne­ to the "option plan" because old stu­ Jeilnne Rogers. Education Writer, SOUTH CAROLINA 51 at six system-wide school posts, all FII'!U gro pupils jumped to per cent of dents could remain whw·e they are Weshington Post & Times Herald W. D. Workman Jr., Speci11l Cor· the total enrollment of more than held by white officials. Everywhere FLORIDA ~?. else, the parallcl pattern of jobs pre­ only if priority students living with­ respondent, Columbia, S.C. j!\'!!a:.l 96,000 youngsters. This enrollm~t in the new boundaries did not crowd Bert Collier, Stilff Writer, Mi4mi trend is continuing due to population vailed. There were 57,716 Negro stu­ !!ei:!J2 them out. Walter N. Tobriner, board Hor41d TENNESSEE shifts which spotlight an exodus of dents and 1,895 Negro teachers and GEORGIA James Elliott, Staff Writer, Nash­ sac 43,100 white students and their 1,693 member, said the resulting "bump­ •bs: white families with school-age chil­ ing of students" will create "com­ Joseph B. Parham, Editor, The ville Banner dren into nearby Maryland and Vir­ teachers. A:r-41 munity ill will." Macon News Wallilce Westfeldt, Staff Writer gjnia suburbs and an in.6ux of Negro On May 25, Corning submitted KENTUCKY Nashville Tennessean ~; families into Washington. general plans calling for a Septem­ Between October 1 and 15, 1954, Weldon James, Editorial Writer, According to 1950 census figures, ber 1954 start on integration which school officers and teachers will ex­ louisville Courier-Journal TEXAS plain the working of this option sys­ Negroes comprised nearly 35 per cent. would be completed by fall of 1955. LOUISIANA Richard M. Morehead, Austin Bu· of the 800,000 District population. The school board asked for more de­ tem to parents. Then, student choices Mario Fellom, Political Reporter, reau, Dallas News Unofficial projections now place the tail. will be tabulated and throughout the New Orleans Item year Corning will make the neces­ VIRGINIA white-Negro ratio at 60-4n. MARYLAND Tll\IETABLE ADOPTED sary student shifts. This will mean Overton Jones, Editoriol Writer, In 1952, there were 54,716 Negro Edgar l. Jones, Editorial Writer, Richmond Times-Dispatch pupils or 54.3 per cent of the total en­ One month later, Coming present­ more and more boundaries going into B41timore Evening Sun rollment o£ 100.800. 1n addition, 18,- ed a step-by-step timetable which operation through the school year. MISSISSIPPI WEST VIRGINIA 928 students attended Catholic, pa­ put deadlines on every phase of in­ Kenneth Toler, Mississippi Bureau, Frank A. Knight, Editor, Charles­ rochial and private District schools. tegration. The board adopted the plan LATER STEPS Memphis Commercial-Appeal ton G.neHe ,1nrc: A majority of these students were by a 7 to 1 vote. Opposing it was By mid-term, or February 1955, • r.s.l all junior high graduates would be white, although Catholic parochial Mrs. Margaret J ust Butcher, one of MAIL A DD RESS ~.:. and the private Episcopal schools be­ three Negro board members, who de­ assigned to senior highs according to ~~1m gan accepting Negroes in 1952. manded "f-ull scale" integration by the new boundaries. By September P. 0. Boa 6156, Ac klen Station, Noshville 5, Tenn. ha\~ !:!: The per capita income for Wash­ school opening of 1954. Mrs. Butcher 1955 all vestiges o( school segregation ~&. ington in 1950 was $).,948, according said the Corning plan was a "grad­ in Washington will have been to Commerce Department figures. In ual" approach to integration. erased. L------4~~ to this year, public school operating ex~ Corning told the board that "arti­ Although not voting against the gress of Parents :md Teachers, chologically unwilling" go beeaw penditw·es were $22,698,000. Current ficial and immediate reassignments Corning plan, Robert R. Faulkner, which has a membership of nearly they will be in the minority race. expenditure per white pupil is $273.21 of large numbers o.f pupils, teachers board member, submitted an integra­ 18,000 persons. The Washington Con­ Another large organization, and per Negro pupil, $212.02. and officers would be disruptive and lion plan of his own which was ta­ gl'eSS has no racial restrictions to Djstrict branch of the National !'lltl2:: By May 1954, District government will be avoided." He added that in bled. Faulkner proposed the estab­ membership. The fo:nner system of ciation !or the Advancement of CO: o! ~ statistics recorded the Negro enroll­ his professional opinion, complete lishment of three sets of schools in segregated schools, however, has ored People, bas promised to use ~ ment at 57.2 per cent of the total oi "desegregation" of all the schools by areas where the Negro and white precluded white membership in this its resources to "protect the righ ~ 101,000 students. This percentage is Sept~ber would be impossible. population is about equal. One would group. No move has been made to of District children who are ~ expected to reach 60 this fall, based Under Corning's plan, approxi­ be exclusively white, one exclusive­ merge the two Congresses. admittance next fall to the sch G=:t, on an anticipated enrollment of mately 29,800 students this fall will ly Negro, and the third would have a nearest their nome because of race. ~ lNJUNCTION PLANNED nearly 107,000 students. attend mixed classes in all levels of mixed faculty and integrated classes. The NAACP, which repeatedly :;x:~ the school system. The faculty also Shortly after Coming announced On another front, the District Fed­ labeled Corning's plan as one ~:.,. RESIDENTIAL PATTERN will be integrated to some degree. his integration plans, tbe District eration o{ Citizens Associations has "gradual desegration," declared ir~:.:; Negro residences in Washington Teams of Negro and white school offi­ Congress of Parents and Teachers re­ hired an attorney who is preparing "refusal to admit any school appl !;in:~ are not restricted by unofficial real cials this summer appointed new moved all racial bars to membership to enjoin the Board of Education for cant because of race will be consl ~11!1 teachers from a single eligibility list, in its 64 Parent-Teacher Associa­ estate covenants. Thus, the city has its decision to integrate schools be­ ered a violation of law." ~ a checkerboard neighborhood com­ which for the first time did not desig­ tions, which represented schools at­ fore the Supreme Court determines position. This fact, in turn, has re­ nate the race of the job candidates. tended by white students. The Con­ how and when it should be done. Wesley S. Williams, Negro sch ~~ sulted in some white schools oper­ Most of the big steps o! integration gress has more than 26,000 members. The Federation bylaws restrict from board member, also bas disci ~~ ating at half of capacity while some would be taken by February o£ 1955. Congress officials also approved membership organizations which in­ that some Negro parents plan to se ~ Negro schools were overcrowded to A key point in the District integra­ t.he Coming plan. In a statement, clude Negroes. The Citizens Associa­ their children to the closest sch n.~ the point of using corridors and tion plan was the rezoning of all pub­ they said: "It ealls for solid plan­ tions originated years ago as voteless next Septmeber-whelher or not ne ill~!;:!) shower rooms for classes. lic schools. These new boundaries ning on all levels and careful admin­ District residents organized to seek geographic boundaries are in eft l}~IO: One day after the Supreme Court were published in map form July 1. istrative decis~n. It also calls for the such things as additional street ligh1s, One such parent who notified tl lil!~l: ban against racially segregated However, they do not apply to all assumption by us all of the respon­ playgrounds and other benefits for school board that this is his · ~l:l:i:t . schools, the District decided not to students this coming term. sibility for support of the SUP

visory powers. Local boards may hire come was $967; her total income brought immediate defiance from the teachers they desire. The state $3,336,000,000. A total of 88.9 mil­ Georgia's chief executive. board sets the salaries and the State lions of dollars was spent on schools Gov. Talmadge declared that Geor­ IW··•· Georgia Department of Education organizes in 1950; a percentage of 2.6 of the gians would not accept racially the curriculum and the supervisory total state income. mixed schools and Atty. Gen. Eugene and administrative program. Local Cook declared Georgia would not be boards can supplement teacher sal­ IlEAVY OUTLAY represented at the Supreme Court • n MACON, Ga. Negro schools in the rush toward aries or adjust qualifications to meet ANTICIPATION of an eventual equalization. According to Gov. Herman Tal­ sessions to argue implementation local conditions. madge, the state's outlay for educa­ procedures this fall. Cook argued, U.S. Supreme Court decision on Provisions cutting off state finan­ Free textbooks available are listed tion in the 1953-54 fiscal year, count­ segregation in the public schools and and the governor backed him up, that cial help for any schools which mixed by the state board although local ing teacher retirement and the Uni­ to do so would make Georgia a legal the knowledge that the ruling would the races were already in the State boards may use unlisted textbooks so versity System, was $115,400,438, or have great impact on the state had pm-ty to the instructions which would Constitution and in the Appropria­ long as local money is used in the 53 per cent of tile state government's be issued. laid close to the hearts and minds of tions Act, but the General Assembly purchase. revenue. Gov. Talmadge claims no The high court ruling built a fire all Georgians, white and colored, for of Georgia in late 1953 took further One restriction on local boards, re­ other state is supporting its schools - several years. under an already hot Georgia gu­ steps to prevent integration in event cently cited in a ruling of the attor­ and colleges at a higher level based bernatorial campaign. Nine candi­ go be.. But when the high court degree the Supreme Court ouUawed segre­ ney general of Georgia, is that local upon its income and no other south­ dates have qualified for the post of ty ra~ was announced on May 17, it found gation. boards cannot employ teachers who eastern state comes within 10 per ace:: all of Georgia's important state gov­ chief executive in the Sept. 8 Dem­ are not recommended by local super­ cent of it. ocratic primary, tantamount to elec­ ona).-.. emment officials and a great number COMl\USSION CREATED intendents of schools, Georgia had 429,951 white school tion. :111 of of Georgia's white citizens kltally A resolution passed by the State Georgia has an estimated 13,259 children and 207,578 Negro (32.2%) All of the candidates except one, to~ unpt"epared to accept or to follow the in 1952. This represented a 12.8 per Supreme Court decision outlawing Legislature created a Commission on white teachers with degrees and an an AUanta woman lawyer, have an­ ben. cent increase in white and 2.5 per re rf segregation in the public schools. Education to study and make plans estimated 6,323 Negro teachers with nounced in favor of segregated Cor the state to provide adequate ed­ degrees this year, according to a re­ cent increase ln Negro school chil­ scl1ools. The lone dissenter advocates t sd:~ Georgia's pre-decision strategy to 1 ucation consistent with both the state dren since 1940. Dr. Collins estimates compUance with the Supreme Court ol ra,t preserve segregation has been based port !rom the governor to the mem­ and federal constitutions. The gov­ bers of the General Assembly. 875,000 pupils will attend Georgia's decision. tEdJy~ upon the "separate but equal" con­ 1 ernor was to serve as chairman. The public schools this fall and approxi­ The candidates all have a plan or ; ollt cept. Realizing the schools were sep­ There are 150 county and 43 inde­ state superintendent of schools, va­ mately one-third of these will be col­ plans or a combination of plans to arf(l ~ arate but not equal, the state legisla­ pendent school systems in the state, a rious other important state officials, ored. avoid segregation. The plans, as ad­ .o! at.' ture in 1951 enacted into lawn three total of 202. Of the school boards op­ educators, attorneys and private cit­ erating these systems, two are sell­ Educational expenditures per white vocated by the candidates, include: e cor.>: per cent retail sales tax to finance a pupil in Georgia in 1952 averaged Minimum Foundation Program for izens were named to the commission. perpetuating, 16 are elected and oth­ Enforcement of segregation in the The legislature also passed a pro­ ers are named entirely or in part by $163.76, compared with $46.70 in 1940. schools at the localleveJ. Education advocated by Georgia Expenditures per colored pupil in ~ sd: school teachen; and school adminis­ posed state constitutional amendment grand juries. Proposing a federal constitutional c!isdo. which would allow the General As­ Georgia ln 1952 averaged $110.59, amendment granting states the rights

! 1£ PAGE 6 Sept. 3, 1954 SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS . " G Roll.ms stuck by his community. No pc:-rson ~> hall bed~n · nounced purposes of the meeting, Atty. en. . CMary- any opportunity because or hh lllc Mr. Rollins said. ''It seems to me they opmion by ciUn~ the se.~uon ·~J he tbt> hnd law wl11ch reads, lt shaf d On JIJne H, at a special mecl!ng are trying to circumvent, rather than duty of the county board o c uca­ Baltimore !tdlool teach('rs, Dr. Fisc! implement the will of the Supreme tion to e:;tablish one or mol'e answered a n~~r ol the quest]( Court. I ~ not intCJ·ested.'' pub!~~ Maryland schools in each election ilistric.t ~~r a. ~\ l.uclt had SlrlSt·n m );,y and pro! Wendeall D. Allen, preSldent of the colored youths. . .. " He asked tf ,. an~ - stonal mmcb followmt: the ~h· State Board of Education, and Dr hom d ~ action. An additional 77,516 children in the thing could br· more mand! system functions independent of pupils out of a total county enrollment upon them. It is a challenge U1ey no nnother year and initiating studtes o! there han• been no racial disti: State control in many policy areas, 0 { 15,837 school children. In Calve.rt longer can refuse to accept." county, on the other hand, down m ways a.n.d means o£ bringing about tions . ... white and Negro teachers have served Manv of the county newspapers did together on workshop projects. com­ southern Maryland, the school popu­ intr~rotion in the future. the Bal~t­ "Where a nearby 'lcl1ool ofTe11 lation is almost equally divided: 1.594 not co~ment on the decision. Those more Cit:v Board of School Cornm.Js­ vantaf.'t.S to any pupil, white or Net mittees and staff conferences for that did have editorials on the subject many years. The Public Sc~ool white pupils, 1,578 Negro pupils. In !'ioners was movinl! rapidly toward O\•er the ~cl1ool ht> now :~ttends, t Baltimore City according to the latest followed the general line that Mary­ desegregation Shortly after the Su­ tJ;e t>arent requests a transfer, Teachers Association, the city eqwva­ land must face with calmness and figures, the Negro school population is preme Court decision the boar~ w:ote request should be ~ranted. But~ lcnt of the State Teachers Associa­ coural!e the problems arising from 36.8 per cent of the total enrollment. to City Solicitor Thomas N Bt~~Lo;o,n in rf application of more Utan a dozen Somerset county spent $140.16 P<'l' force until final decrees were issued. the Baltimore City Code. Is In deprivation answer is: 'No.' The Division of Ct ~~ qualified Negro boys to be admitted to Negro pupil and $203.61 per white pu­ He indicated that it would be unlaw­ ot the equnt protf.'ctlon of the> la"""S l!lllll'· ored Schools will cease to exist ~ ~ILl: a special accelerated pre-college en­ pil and Calvert county $140.68 per nnteed bv the Fourteenth Amendment. no one now a!;SOciated wilh that~ b iQ ful for any community to end its :md Is. cons.,qu~tly. unconstltutlcmal and gineering course ut Baltimore Poly­ Negro and $212.10 per white pupil. In school segregation before the issuance Invalid Yision wllJ suffer any loss of mr ~ technic Institute, a white all-male BalUmore City the costs in 1952 were of the decrees and said that. any because of this administrative c1u:; i..% high schooL This course has acquired $224.75 for white students and $191.70 This ruling, running contrary to the As in 1he past. vacancies which oct' r.'e? Negro applicants to white teachers Attorney General's opinion that seg­ so h~h a reputation over the years for Negroes. colleges should be turned away until in the future will be filled wilh sc:: t:iT: that Poly "A" students are accepted after the decrees were handed down. regation laws stand until the Supreme ulous reJ:(nrd for mt'rit, There will dMJ 1\lcKELDIN'S STATEMENT Court hand!! down its final decrees, upon graduation as second-year men After a discussion indicating that one eligible list for each type of lUll at a large number of the nation's best The immediate reaction in Mary­ was read to the Board of School Com­ lion. Wh<'ne\'er a vacancy occun, [ l'J'f. I! land to the Supreme Court's school board members were anxious not to missioners at its regular b1-monthly engineering schools. appear to he foot-dragging on the of the applicants of the five stalld ~:.. segregation decsiion was one of gen­ meeting on June 3. Immediately alter­ 1 The Sehool Board held a hearing on matter of integration, the board highest on th~ list will I)(' ~elec~ l the question of whether or not it eral acceptance and of willingness to wards. with no public discussion employment. No one will bed' ' adopted a statement whlch said in its dL~cussin!! would be po~ble to establish a sec­ comply with whatever decrees were (board membel'$ had been inated again.c;t becau~e of hi~ rar handed down to bring about racial most pertinent parts: the matl<'r pri\'ately for many days), ond "A" course lor Negroes which Nor will hi~ race entitle anyont would conform to Supreme Court integration. Maryland's Republican The laws or Maryland speclftcally pro­ the board adopted unanimous!~· the preferment over another who is bett vide for segregation ln the public sehool'f standards of "separate but equal." On ~overnor. Theodore R. McKeldin, is­ following resolution: qualified." sued a statement on the decision and ln the teachers colleges. In view of the basis of the arguments presented, lllls law requiring segregation. no pro­ ln view or the decision or the Snprem<' Will children he required to aH the School Board decided that a sep­ which said, in part: ~tram of lnte~allon can be put lnto ef­ Court regarding our public schools and parti('ular <;t·hool'>? fect until the decision of the Supreme In view of nn opinion given us by the arall:.' course would not be truly Maryland prides Itself upon being a Baltimore City Snllcltor dater! June 1. A~ain Dr Fisehcr rPpli<'d "No" · taw-abiding state. and r om sure our ell· Court becomes !\nat and an effective date equal, particularly in terms of pres­ Is set by the Supreme Court. 1934 It ls the opinion ot this Board that elaborated on the pol!c\• declarall lzens nnd our Qfficiala will nccept readily our svstcm should be con!ormed to n tige value, to the Poly course, and the the Unlted Slates Supreme Court's intcr­ The deta lied problellls In respect to Im­ adopted by the school board. "01 11 Negroes were thereupon admitted to plementing the decision of the Supreme non-se~tr<'natton basts to he In effect by IJI'etntlon of our fundamental law... . the opening of schools ln September of 175 school units,'' he ~aid, "only a the formerly all-white course. I shall confer with Dr. Pullen (Dr. Court will rest primarily upon the local lhl11 ycnr Thomas G. Pulleu. Jr.) stole SUllerln· boards of education. The problems In­ 2:1 or 30 which arc badly overcrowd tendent of schools, and other officlnls In· volved In any progrnm of Integration will In doing so. we would ask our stnf'f are districted. In these cn~es, childr DIVISION OF AUTDORITY tn prt>pnr<' mnterlal outlining the practlc'11 volved In the question, and I um confident vary among the different school systems living within a prescribed al'ea hi r.;r.,. ~lep~ to be taken nnd that this material While the city schools are, in most the tramlllon cnn be brought about In of lhe state. but we aTe c:onftdent thnt the dt?ht to attend lhc district practical r·espects, a system unto Maryland wiU\ollt conCuslon nnd without thev will be solved ln a fnJr. decent. and be presentl!d at our next meeting. school and others :m.• pxcluded. ll themselves, the public schools in undue delny. lel(al manner with good common sen.~e The next meeting was a special one Furthermore. we are con11dent lh.nt the if a child livin~ in any district wish Dr. Pullen, head of the state agency on June lO. nt which "the practical Maryland's 23 counties have been local school boards, the local school om. to attend elsewhere, he may do., part of a centralized State system whlch sets policy {or the county clal& and the parents will settle this prob­ steps to be taken" were presented to the school is not il<;c)f districted since 1870. The Governor-appointed school system, borrowed a phrase lem without resorting to chlcanery or the board by Dr. John H. Fischer, devious methods and with due regard for school superintendent. The policy di­ if there is good reason for trans.1 State Board of Education formulates from the Bible when he said that it the rights of all parties concerned. Any rintz.u statewide educational policies, adopts was Maryland's obUgation to work rective, unanimously approved by the program of Implementation wtll be based Will it work? the bv-laws and administrative regu­ out the problem "seemingly and in upon professional and hwnan considera­ school board and issued to all staff latio~s necessary to govern the school order." tions and not wllh coercive design, or members, cont.nined three main Here Dr Fischer g:we a full anm meU1ods. The public sehool system of points: following the thf.'me that pa"t eXJJef. system, distributes the funds made "I see," Dr. Pullen said, "no imme­ Maryland has always been !mown for It& available to local school systems by diate drastic changes in our pt·esent hlgh professlonnJ attitude and for Its un­ (1) Present standards pcrtaininl! ent·~ ar·e the only ~n.~ide to the {ut the Federal and State governments. biased and unprt'judl<:ed trealn1ent ot all to school admission, grades and cur­ At the staff l<'v~l we hove ~n plans of operation. Particular cases children. issues teachers certificates for both will be handled as they arise locally. ricula "shall <.'Ontinue in Corel.' except ln~t for many :v~>:u-s In l!f('tliN a«t> that the mce of the pupil shall not he without rc1U1r<:l to rn~ e. Tn wnrkshi'IJo public and private schools and sets and the rights of no individual will be OPINION CHALLENGED c:ommiiiN'<. In ~tnl'f ~ontrrencell r because of ench ofltcr. In U1~ Pu hllc' 5<-h~><>l T torney prominent in Republican poli­ ers Assocnlllon. thr- T"ll e h~>r< UnJnn. ing. Dr. John H. Fischer, su~rintendent changes of residence will be routinch· tics and also counsel to the Baltimore approved. "Transfer for other reason's Princinals A!<."oclotlon, lnll'ltrntlon As tho relationship ~tween the of public instruction in Baltimore city Afro-American, semi-weekly Negro b<.•en lhe pattern for mnny yt'n~ . In State Board of Education and the schools, which are o~rated outside newl·;paper, challenged Atty. Gen. may be approved by the two princ­ stnff we know 1t hns worked. county boards is explained ny Dr. state jurisdiction in most respects. ipals involved or by the appropriate In mnny of our !llplls hnv,.. v l<rrl .-nrh nthtr David W. Zimmerman. acting State said that he could not see that the school segregation laws continue in exchnnge- n'<~t'tnbly prol(rnons. to cnC'! (2) No child shall required to Superintendent during Dr. Thomas Supreme Court's decision "presents force until the Supreme Court issues be in debt~l~ In dlscu~ common pooblt: This has worked G. Putlen's summer stay in Europe, any special problems." We don't ex­ ilo; decrees. Mr. Levin said there was attend nny particular school. Balti­ the State board is a "policy-making more has never had school districting, For severn! years, lh<' Junior Rl'd Cl' pect, he said, "any b·oublc at all as nothing in the state law that makes hils conclueled aumtnl'r work!lhop~ agency" and a "consultive service." far as the chlldren arc concerned." segregation "mandatory," that the except in specific instances where a whieh white- nnd Nej!ro nuplls h• "Generally speaking," he says, "tl1e Atty. Gen. Edward D. E. Rollins law merely "pennits" segregation. lie school has been overcrowd<'d and at­ worked :md plavcd ~lite by stele .,.,, plca ~ur<· and flroilt 1'hl8 hn.< wnrkcd. State board L~ not n policing agency." indicated that Maryland would accept contended that any local school board tcndnnce hns had to be limited to neighborhood houndary lines. There 1\t lhP 8alllmnr•• Pul:vtrt·hnlc.- JMIItJ The local school systems are auto­ promptly the Supreme Court's in­ could have done away with segrega­ 1 formrorty nil-whit•· hiAh ..-hooll. Nrf nomous to the extent that they select vitation to discuss the decrees and tion, even before the Supreme Court arc to he no district lines .~;enerally boys werP ndmiiiCd to lhl' Acc~IC11't their own books, use the report cards said that "nothing can be accomp­ decision. unclcr the inteJ:(ration policy. hut "as Course In 1!15~ . 111,. fllt'ully ond stu•lr hoct.v d('cldtd ot thr nUUt'l that ttr of their choice, scl up their own cur­ lished until next y<'ar following the population increnses occur, 1t mav bC'­ The Baltimore branch of the Na­ comt• ncc<'ssnry in the futur·e, as it has wnnld be h1 this school onlv nne ciMl ricula (consistent with the state court's final rulinJ:(." He expressed the tional Association for the Advance­ h <':V- Ihe Pnly bn.v , Thr N••go-n $tude board's minimum requirements) and certainty that Maryland would "com­ in the past, to district adclitional now !'Oil\(' :Ill of tht'm, pnrtkittlllt'd tn grn~::t: mum state S.'llnry scaJc. ocation." next Junl". Yttu ml~ht n•lt him nr t Education action as an illegal delay­ and tran~{('r of staff members, the Maryland as a whole, with a per When Mr. Rollins received, on May ing move and announced that it white classmates whn rf'fr·r to him as capita income in 1950 of $1.557, spent present policy o{ respecting relati~·e "Rood RU\'." 20, a telegram from Atty. Gen. Eugene planned a series of test cases in Mary­ $93,200.000 on schools, or 2.7 per cent merit ! purpost­ or a segregation conference m Atlanta dents admitted to white elementary tanf:lrt' :-l<'liro and \"\'hilt' student• Maryland's total public school of the Department of Education to sn•dtcd' in the <'Ia Within shorUy after the Supreme Court de­ schools and teachers colleges this fall. ~nml· sse:~. assign t"ach employe to that position l>IISl nHmth • . . wt' h:~\·e onrantzrd population in 1952 was 386,724, one­ cision, Mr. Rollins declined. "I wasn't No ler:ral action has been instituted up in which he is likely to r·ender his ndttlt even lnp C't•ntf'r 10 which 1!1\th ... thil'd of which was in BaJtimore City particularly pleased with the an- to August facultv and lhf' 51Udl'nl hodv incl ... h<'st !':ervic<' to the !'chool and to th~ CnntinUl'rl On Xl•'t J•aJre SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS- Sept. 3, 1954- PAGE 7 (Kentucky has made no cillierentia­ pected !rom this committee before Here arc some relevant background tion on the basis o! t·~ since 1882.) October. !nets on the Louisville situation: It is worth nothing that this figure is Negro gx·oups on July 10 elected a There already is no segregation on Kentucky based not on average attendance or special committee of la'vyers and public transportation, m the city li­ enrollment (average attendance in educators to study the problem of braries, at the University of Louis­ LOUISVILLE, Ky. motion, and remuneration of em­ 1952-53 was only 477,605) but on the desegregation. Represented on it are ville, at three Catholic colleges, at s uPT. Orner Cannichael of the ployees, (3) determining the school total number of school-age children, branches of the NAACP, the Ken­ the Baptist and 'Presbyterian theo­ Louisville schools and hls aides budget and the tax ra.te necessary to which for 1954-55 is 698,759, and that, tucky Teachers Association, and vari­ logical seminaries. Negro firemen began staff-level infonnal "explora­ produce the funds needed, (4) pro­ m addition to the per capital allot­ ousPTA units.The chainnan is James work and live in the same stations as white firemen. The city's General tory discussions" on integration al­ viding the necessary physical facili­ ment for these, the state later will A. Crumlin of Louisville, president of Hospital is open to Negro nurse most a year ago. Their consultants in­ iLes such as buildings, equipment and distribute S8.573,000 to its poorest the Kentucky stak- conference of trainees. The city employs Negro po­ cluded educators in Pennsylvania and suppHes, and in (5) the assignment school distncts ns the beginning of its NAACP branches. licemen. New Jersey, where areas of JSCgrega­ of pupils to particular schools m the new "minimum-foundation" program. At its first meeting the committee tion existed until fairly recenlly, and district. The staw's per cap1ta total, exclud­ heard a State Department of Educa­ As of August, 1954, Louisville':; ing the minimum-foundation grants, tion spokesman, Sam Taylor, director Supt. Carmichael reports that: Staff­ in New Albany and Jeffersonville, In­ A !act o.I fundamental importance, diana, across the Ohio River from is $26,212,500. This fund is earmarked of the department's division oi edu­ level discussions and exploration ol however, is that the regulations of the specifically !or teachers' salaries, to cational supervision, explain that the the problem of desegregation, begun Louisville, where an in~gration pro­ State Board of Education, in matters which the stato's 224 local school dis­ state has said it will abide by Lhe de­ last year, are continuing. We arc gram began six: years ago and was not covered by existing law, have the completed only Lwo years ago, with a tricts will add another 24 million dol­ cision of the Supreme Court, that the moving slowly and cautiously. No force of law itself. The board is com­ lars. department has no definite plans as definite plans will be announced until • n, r repomd minimum of friction. posed of eight members: seven lay­ ·(f .. to how and when desegregation wlll after the Supreme Court speaks, but lite (NoLe: IntegrnLion will affect men appoinwd by the governor, and, EVENTS SlNCE MAY be accomplished. that the state is we are working on them in line with ioutj~ Louisville more than any other area ex officio, the superintendent of pub­ The story since May 17 in brief: waiting for lhe court to say how Its the May 17 instructions of the Louis­ ro .:t•l of Kentucky, in t proportion ns nur lnlnt "chool pnp­ C<~rver Vocational School, then under ment Dr. Fischer can only say that system in the Baltimore area, consist­ now is to white Washingtonians. ulatlon And U1ls Is workl011 •n wt>ll that construction, to duplicate the equip­ "a number of schools will have Negro ing of 66 elementary schools, one Baltimore Negroes have Morgan the vlewers-wllh-ala.rm could nol hnvc.­ ment in the formerly all-while Mer­ pupils,'' with the heaviest Negro en­ special school, 9 hlgh schools and ll becn more wrona:. State College close at hand and ru·e, But, some S.'ly, what llh••ut Uar. pnrl'll'l.>• ~enthaler Vocational School. Negro rollment coming in the fonnerly commercial schools in the city and 44 therelore, less likely to be drawn to p.'>tr.' How will thev read? Sine~.> l!H7 when our students the pre\'ious year bad sought white elementary schools serving elementary schools and 16 hlgh the College Park campus. ,dff" Coordtnaun£ Cow•cll of Part·IIL·Tt'n~ht'r :admittance to Mergcntha1 cx<-cUtivc separate but equal facilities would be addition to Mergenthaler, it is also College-level Catholic scl1ools were board of lhr• Council has tncllllh•d every provided at Carver. The Negroes had known that about 20 Negro girls will already on a nonsegregated basis. the University of Maryland "auto­ matically" closes out the out-of-state yedr men and women or bulh Iii<'('$. llns then sued the city Cor admittance to lw alt~nding the all-girl, fonnerly all­ IL worked? 'l'h~ "'cord uf the (.'touncll's ::IC­ white Western High School. A lawsuit "We must give due consideration," scholarship fund for Negroes, in the compllsluncnts is trroof enough ••f succes,, Mergenthaler this fall. The suit was Dr. McConnick said, "to the means still pending when the integration had been pending to admit Negro girls opinion of the attorney general's of­ Will It w<•rk? Rcvlrw, If you plt•n•e. ev­ and methods of making the (desegre­ ery nctivlt)' ot our sehClol sy~tem ror 1he to this academically hlgh ranking fice. The scholarship program, estab­ course was adopted and it became gation) decision effective," indicating post 15 or mur·c yf.'ar~ In which Nc~tro nnd possible to drop the plans for a Carver girls' hlgh school whlch has an ac­ lished in 1933, was Maryland's answer white ch.ildr!'n. adult students. or slnfT that it had not yet been detennined •:, ·.:) celerated pre-college course of na­ lo the need either to open College members have beeu as~uctntcd You will printing course and to admH the how integration was to be carried out • r.Y discover U1nt, without cxcc)lflon, cvcry­ Negro applicants to Mergenthaler. tional renonwn. Park facilities fully to Negroes or to in the Catholic schools, which on the I ; er rmc ha~ ~uccerdt'd The evening adult summer courses build extensive duplicate facilities rn ~!tl" In mid-July Dr. Fischer reported to elementary level ar·e distrlcted by elsewhere for them. In the lart fiscal in subjects ranging from literacy and U1e school board that a complete parishes. But the fact that the Cath­ TALK WELL R.ECJo: IV~U citizenship classes through high year, unding .Tune 30, the State de­ Dr. Flschcr's talk wm; well receiVed tenching staff had been assembled for olic educational lender hnd spoken out frayed the added expenses incwTed school academic and commercial the fall Lenn-the first time in several by both the Stmpltpt'rs nnd il/ro­ sludles were Baltimo!'e's first large­ promptly on the segregation issue was by some 1,000 Neg•·oes taking courses years that the city had not found Sep­ believed by public school officials to Arneric:art. A few teilchcrs. he report~. soall' integration ;:~ttempt following in colleges and universitles outside of tember approaching with not enough enhance the chances o{ having a quiet, WTOle him )oltei'S Of pr·atSC, and tl few the segregation decision, but had been Maryland which were not available tenchcrs to go around. At that time, orderly change-over in the city's others wrote him !ellen; oxpressln~ planned before the decision was made. to them at home. at a total cost of anxiety over the ni'W bi-rocinl com­ wiU1 the no-vacancy sfgn out, no schools in September. $244,000. About1,000 students, 16 years of ag" Negro teachers had been MSigned to l!eli lion ror administra livc a ncl su­ or older and one-thlrd of them white or mixed classes. That phase of The principals, supervisors and pervtsory JObs. As for puhhc reaction. UNTVERSITY ADI\ofiTS NEGROES Negroes, attended mixed clas.-;es three integration, Dr. Fischer said, would presidents of the Negro schools and he estimates that his dcpnr lml•nt r<.'­ and four times a week under both On June 25 the Board of Regents o£ be slow to develop, but the break ma:>• the University of Maryland voted to colleges in Maryland met in a con­ ceivcd ahout 100 phone call;. nnd let­ while and Negro teachers. Dr Fischer come in se<.-ondary schools, where the ference at Morgan State College on ters of protest nftrr the Supreme reports that "not one singlc incident admit qualified Maryland Negroes to shortage of white teachers is most all levels of college work. Previously June 19 to consider "how they might Court decision. and a few letter:; of of unpleasantness" took place in the troublesome. The supply of Negro contribute to a smooth and orderly praise. Many of the prolC!!ts, he says. classes, whlch las~d through July, Negroes had been accepted only in teachers is relatively strong. the gradualA:l schools and, in rare adju..-tment of our public school sys­ were from people who either· didn't and that nobody dropped out because tem to the recent decision of the Su­ understand tht• function of the Su­ the classes were mixed. as far as On June 4. just 24 hours after the cases, in undergraduate ce>urses not offered elsewhere in Maryland. preme Court of the United States.'' pn~me Court and compl:uned that school officials know decision to end segregation in Balti­ The conference, under the chairman­ thev were s:nven "no chance to vote" more publlc schools, the Rev. Dr Leo The new policy is limited to quali­ ship of Dr. Martin D. Jenkins, presi­ or .who hcJic,•ctl that "blood would FUTURE STll ,L 'UXCERTAJN J. McCormick, superintendent of fied students who are "residents of dent of Morgan, commended the edu- run down the st.. irs" if school intem-;~­ Since the school board's desegrcgu­ schools in the Catholic Department of Maryland" is believed to exclude hon were carried out lion policy was enunciated at the very Education, Archdiocese of Baltimore, Negroes who are residents of the Dis- See MARYLAND On Page 1S PAGE 8-Sept. 3, 1954-SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS Section 205. A public school shall be the House, but died in n Senate tom­ c:onstitutl.onal proVISton as a safe­ maintained In each school dlsltict In the mittee. The Senate voted 24 to 24 guard, said "without its protective county at least four months duMng each against going in committee of lhe feature," he will not call a seeond scholastic year. A school district nejlect­ whole to consider the amendment special session because "the legisla­ ln& to maintain lt1 .cbool for four montlu. shall be entitled t.o only such after the chainnan of the Constitution Mississippi ture would not vote, and I will not. part ot tile Cree 1chool tund as may b~ re­ Committee refused to coll a meeting propose, funds without it.'' quired t.o pay the leacher for the Ume for its consideration Ly his group. actually taueht. Under the proposed "last resort'' It was then that the resolution WaJ JACKSON, MISS. election later this year, he would not amendment, the legislature could by call the legislature back in session be­ HOUSE RESOLUTION offered creating lhe 25-member l.A!gaJ ~ISSIPPI officials, whose con- a two-thirds vote abolish the public fore the 1956 regular assembly in The house concurrent resolution Educational Ad vi~ or y Committet stituents are almost evenly di­ school system, or authorize counties which was adopted by bolh brnnchts_ vided between whites and Negroes, January of that year. Unless there is (No. 54) adopted prior to the May_ 17 and municipalities to do so on a lt was given $125.000 to carry out hs say they will not accept the decision another special session before the decision at the 1954 regular session 1955-56 school term, insufficient funds majority vote. School properties creating the Legal Educational Ad­ work. of the United States Supreme Court could be disposed of, and funds voted for operation nf the present dual sys­ visory Committee, and authored by A subcommittee of the LEAC did 1 to integrate their public schools. directly to children to attend the And, to carry out their position, tem will be available. House Speaker Walter Sillers o£ re-draft of the 1954 regular SCSS!on school of "their choice." That would amendment, and it was approved by they have expressed willingness to That stems from the fact that the Bolivar county, states: mean a private school system. the full committee and will he up be. abolish the tax-supported free public 1954 regular session, which ordinarily Whereas, ln order t.o preserve and pro­ school system as a "last resort'' to votes funds for two years operation Here is the proposed amendment to mote the best interests of both rnces and fore the Sept. 7 special session. the constitution to be considered by continue segregation. of schools, provided only for the cur­ the public welfare. It Is necessary to Adoption of the proposed amend­ the legislature when it meets Sept. 7 malnwln separate education and separate Supporting the position of the of­ rent session opening in September for ment for submission to lhe voters for (It will take about three weeks to schools for the while and colored races; ratification will requi1·e a two-thttlh ficials are white public school au­ the 1954-55 session. Without addition­ and, thorities, headed by J. M. Tubb, state al funds, lhere will be 18 mill ion complete action on it): Whereas, necessity (or further leglslo­ vote in each branch on three separate superintendent of education, an dollars less than needed for schools Section 213-B. (a) Regardless of any Uon and constltutlonnl amendments in days in each. Some lawmakers have provl.slons of Article 8, or any other pro­ that regard may hereafter arlse; elected official. In a meeting at Jack­ in the 1955-56 session. announced U1ey will oppose the pr0• vl.slona ot this constitution to the con­ It Is therefore resolved by the Housf' posal. son on Aug. 12, the white educators, Since the bi-racial meeting, several trary. the legislature shall be and Is here­ of Rcpresenhttlves of the sUite of Missis­ It must then be ratified by a llll­ including members of the county and Negro leaders who attended It and by authorized and empoweNld by a two­ sippi, U1c Senate concurring therein: thirds {2/3rds) vote of those present and municipal school boards, announced did not speak, have stated publicly I. Tile Legal Educational Advisory jority vote of the qualified electors. voting In eac:h house, to abolish, and may Although Mis~issippi has a total of support of the "last resort" movement they favor continuance of segrega­ Committee ts h!'reby eswbllshed. authorize the counties and school dl.slrlets 2. Sale! committee shall fonnulale a 525,000 qualified electors, the largest if that step is found necessary to tion provided ample buildings are to abolish. the public schoolt In this state plan or plans of legislation. prepare prevent integration. and enact suitable legislation to e1Ject drnf!JI of suggested taws. and recommend­ number ever to vote was in the 1951 provided for Negroes. One of those the same. Those developments followed the is A. A. Alexander, principal of the ed courses or action for consldernUon by race for governor when 407,000 partJ. first state-level bi-racial meeting held (b) In the event the legislature shall the Jealslature whereby the stale may. by cipated. A recent county-by-county Negro high school at Brookhaven and abolUh, or authorlu the abolltlon of. the taxation or otherwise. provide education compilation by Atty. Gen. J. P. Cole- J:if.-~ here on July 30, and ealled by Gov. former president of the Miaissippi publk schools in thU state. then the lec­ and/or assl.stance in obtaining education Hugh L. White to seek endorsement ltlatUl'e shall be and ls hereby authorized for all of II.s citizens consistent with the man shows 22,104 qualified Negro I:£~ Negro Teachers Association. and empowered to enact sultable legi.sla­ by Negro leaders of a proposed "vol­ Addressing the white Lions Club provisions or the col\ltltuUon or the voters. ~1:1· untary" or "segregation by choice" Uon to dl.spose of school buUdlnp. land Unlled States and Ute constltut1on of the at Brookhaven, Professor Alexander and other achool property by lease, sale state or Mississippi. EARLIER plan, contingent on the state's imme­ er ACTIO~ ·~' said "a good school building, ade­ otherwise. Prior to the May 17 decision of the .. ... ,a diately launching a building pro?'":un quately equipped and properly (c) The legislature may s.pproprlate COMMITTEE STATEMENT to wipe out the estimated 115 .nullion state funds and authorlze counties, mu­ Supreme Court, Mississippi enacted ~ :.1 staffed, will erase any problem of an nlelpalJUes and other governmental sub­ After its first meeting, the commit­ a Negro-white public school equallza. !~ dollar disparity between white and tee, headed by Gov. White, issued the integrated school system here." divisions and districts to appropriate tion program at an extraordinary fl..llti Negro school facilities. "If we could get a good building !uncls, Including poll tax and sixteenth foUowing statement: At the bi-racial meeting, attended section funds, to aid educable children (special) session of the legislo.turt ~r;: a: program established with adequate 1'he committee conceives Its duty to be by an estimated 90 Negro leaders, of thl.s state to secure an education. which met from November throudl ~ facilities for all the children, most of (d) The leglslature may do any and all to devise the means and methocls by December of 1953. ~' only one spoke out fnr the ''volun­ our other ailments would soon be acts and things necessary for the purposes which separate scltools for the races shall In t.hls That equalization pro~ram had .~:~ tary" plan. One other suggested that solved," Alexander said. "We should of this section, and this section ls de­ be maintained state and to submit elaTed to be and Is, supplemental to all such plan to the legislature for Its action been recommended by a recess legis. ' It': "int.egrotlon" be placed in the back­ not get all fouled up over something theron. ground for a time and efforts concen­ other provls.ions ot this constitution. and lative committee created at the 1952 that is out yonder somewhere in the teglslotlon enacted under authority hereof After approving lhe proposed con­ trated on making opportunities for regular session. That committee was future." shall prevail, whether In conftlet with stitutional amendment and recom­ Negro children equal with those for other r.ectlons or not. authorized in an effort to present an mending the Sept. 7 special (extra­ equalization program in U1e hope of the whites. PETITION WITIIDRAWN Ratlfication of that amendment ordinary) session of the legislature, Chlef spokesman for the group of Another post-bi-racial meeting de­ influencing the Supreme Court d~ would nullify Section 201 of Article 8, the committee stated: cision. Negroes was Dr. T. R. M. Howard of velopment was presentation of a peti­ which deals with education. It pro­ to This committee announces to the pub­ The equalization program called fOT the all-Negro delta town of Mound tion the Walthall County (Tyler­ vides: lic and the press through Its cb.alnnan Bayou in Bolivar county. He is also town) school board by members of equal salaries for teachers, equal Section 201. It shall be the duty of the lllld vice rhalrman that It, the committee. transportation facilities, equal build· president of the M"JSSissippi Regional that county's NAACP branch, asking legislature to encou.roge by all suJtable a agreed upon the proposition that It Councll of Negro Leadership. Dr. for immediate integration. However, means. the promotion ot intellectual. sel­ will recommend to the legislature in due ings and an equalization of school op.. Howard said his group favored "strict whe.n white leaders protested, the 30 enUfte. moral and agricultural Improve­ course a program that wUl provide build­ portunities for both races. However ment. by establlshlng a unlfonn system of Ings and other facllltles necessary to the facility equalization fenture wu tnQ observance of the Supreme Court's Negro signers of the petition ex­ {roe publlc schools by taxation or other­ maintain separate school.s between the not supported with funds pcndin.r tbt P"e!.l: integration order:" appointment of plained they "did not know its con­ wise, for all children between the ages of races. such program to be conditioned competent Negroes to all policy-mak­ tents," but believed the petition slx and twenty-one years. and as soon as on the proposed constitutional amend­ Supreme Court decision. c. j'e practical. to establlsh schools of higher ment being adopted. The facility equalization phase calls t.:!\t.l ing boards at the state and local merely asked for "equal facilities." grades. levels, and a rewriting of all school They withdrew their names. The peti­ That same proposed constitutional for allocation for buildings of $12 ptr !:I~ laws without mentioning race, creed tion is the standard form drafted by The proposed amendment would amendment was offered at the 1954 child in daily attendance The plan or color. the NAACP for filing statewide. also 'vipe out provisions of Section regular session of the legislature in contemplated launchin~ the building mrr n The Howard group, which included J . D. Boyd, president of the Utica 205 of the constitution of 1890 which anticipation of the May 17 decision of program-in event of a favorable de- llts:;:, Mississippi members of the National Institute for Negroes in Hinds (Jack­ reads: the Supreme Court. It was adopted by cision to the dual svst.em-at the ralt llt :­ Association for the Advancement of son) County and former president of of six million dollo~ a year. An ini!W ~-X:: Colored People, also urged "consoli­ the Negro teachers association, at­ WHITE AND NEGRO CHILDREN IN SOUTHERN SCHOOLS, 1952 bond issue for that purpose carried 1 Tie 1 provision that the bill would not be- :c:~ dation and integration of the present tended the bi-racial meeting. He There ore wide voriolions stole by stole . . . • • schools on all levels." urged that "integration" be set aside, come operative unless the Supreme ~:a and attention directed to getting IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN ATTENDING SCHOOL Court. decision was favorable to sep· ~ ~ 'VOLUNTARY' PLAN FAlLS facilities for Negroes equal to those arate. but equal, opportunities. ~.to::t 0 100 200 Joo ~ oo soo 600 100 eoo 900 1000 Gov. White had expected some of provided the whiW$. He did not, how­ Other phases of the prom-am, which lUll~ .....,. III II I I the Negro leaders with whom he con­ ever, press his point at the bi-racial Alabama went in effect July l. 1954 (after the tt f.uK!l ~ eg ro Supreme Court ruling), provide for f.u.!aJ.r ferred relative to calling the bi-racial meeting. Ar~on1<11 I meeting to speak out In support of Since the July 30 bi-raclal meet­ florida equal salaries. transportation and op· ilhQ:; the proposed "voluntary" plan. When ing, President Boyd has issued a Georgia portunlties gen11ra lly (except lac!U· llt>-:t.". that failed to develop, the meeting public statement appealing to "all to K..,roo.y tie!l). ~ louitiona W3$ adjourned. be patient." A few remaining portions of thP "ll. That law wa" en­ point" to gain Negro support to the men in the local communities of our Oklohom a acted to eliminate a !ormt>r proce· South Catolino proposed "voluntary" plan. state, and I plead with men of good dul'e under whi<-h the '\tate "ICKI" will in every community of our state r •• a. control of state {und~ n1locatt>d {or SESSION CALLED to approach this problem with pa­ Virginia schools a.fte1· they rt'achcd the ooun· Gov. White, acting on the recom­ tience." I ty or municipal levels. mendation of the advisory group, has "Let us pray God to spare our state The 1952 rf'cess <-ommitl<'e reoorlcd called the legislature to meet on Sept. the blight of years of confusion and IN THE CHANGES IN SCHOOl ATTENDANCE FROM 1940 TO 1952 that state funds voted Cor Nt'~W 7 to consider the proposed amend­ conflict resulting from a system of had bet'n diverted to the whi~ . A.< '"' Co.r Olongo 20 IS 10 - S 0 +s 10 15 20 2S 30 .u ~ 0 ment. At the time, many white educa­ schools not responsible to the public a result of it.c; report, the altorneY tors expressed opposition to any plan will," President Boyd said. AJobomo lteneral recovered on eo;timated S135.· that would result in abolition of the AlkOn>O> 000 U1at h:~d not been \lsed for Nr· public school program. However, WHITE OPTBDSTIC flooida J.."''Oes as voted by thf' I<>I!Lc;laturc when called in session on Aug. 12, the Gov. White and other officials are Ceo ·titn~ M,SSOURI is educating in its pub­ of what to do with a Negro's appli­ gro pupils, decided by a 3-2 vote of .,r~ lie schools some 63.000 Negro pu­ cation for admission as an under­ its school board to integrate the ele­ '111.'1\i<~ pils, slightly more than 9 per cent of graduate. The University has an en­ mentary schools at once and the jun­ 1940 IUO ra~ all pupils. The problem of conforming rollment of 8,000. It is too early to ior and senior high schools next Jan­ say how many Negroes may apply or uary, when a new building is sched­ i' DUt 1 to the United States Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation .is, be admitted this year. uled to be completed. Ac I!Jd however, concentrated in a relatively Following the pattern set at Co­ Kirkwood has been operating a Rural Are illltrr City with 10,357 (a 1·atio of lG per ceiving applications from qualified will transfer to the nearest white 'oll>t\1. cent) between them account for Negroes, that no racial restrictions school, and 63 white pupils will IG-thJ." two-thirds of the state's Negro school will be applied this year. The other transfer to the Negro school. Thus t('Paz:· population. teachers' colleges are at Kirksville, in there will be a substantial white SOME EXAMPLES OF THE SHIFT OUT OF THE SOUTH .~ ha: St. Louis county adds 3.500 more, the northeast, Maryville, northwest, minority in one school and a Negro th~pr· six cotton belt counties in the south- and Cape Girardeau, southeast. minority in the other. west comer of the state 8,800, and What will happen to Lincoln Uni­ ELECTION CALLED 1y ~II+ six smaller cities 2,300. Apart from versity, the state-supported institu­ This plan was objected to by 34 I~!'! these areas, the entire balance of the tion for Negroes at J efferson City, S.•en Non·Sovlhtm Slol•• 1 fbtal state counts only 5,300 Negro pupils. white residents in a new subdivision 32 miles .from the University of Mis­ which would send its children to the Thirteen S.X.Ihem SlaiM and ihe Oitiricl of Colvmbio e 1arr. Forty per cent of the counties have souri at Columbia, l'emains to be de­ the w none at all. As for school districts, Negro school. They filed a petition termined. Lincoln University, witl1 proposing to transfer their subdi­ OOpa.,.; Negroes are eru·olled in only 216 or an average enrollment of 800, has al­ '·COil': five per cent of the approximately vision from Kirkwood to an adjacent ready announced that its law school school district which has no Negro ~. C!&. 4,000 jurisdictions. in St. Louis will not be closed until pupils. Their spokesman argued that :! Nee: In 1952-53, Misouri spent 162 mil­ after the 1954-55 school year, though . lion dollars on .its public schools, of future development of subdivisions the school last year had only 18 stu­ in the area would be impossible if which 65 per cent came from local dents. Lincoln University proper, 88 taXation and 35 per cent from the children were required to attend years old, announced August 2 that non-segregated schools. A special "' ono!U state. The expenditure per pupil was 1 ~ ;; ~ "' it will open its doors to white stu­ 0 .. I e.:.a;. $235, no breakdown being available election is to be held at which lhe .. dents this fall-a gesture and little transfer must be approved by a ma­ equ!]iz;. as between Negro and white pupils. more. The curators say they will illll11~ While the state spent more per pu­ jority of the whole district. The study the advisability of eliminating school board opposes the separation. ~l••~ pil than any Southern state except all graduate courses and confining Kansas City, which has the state's · throu• Kentu.oky, on a national comparison undergraduate work to arts and sci­ "'! Missouri is not among the leaders in second largest concentration of Ne­ ~ ences courses. But the final decision a 0 1 !:! gro pupils, announced July 30 adop­ .§ a r~m !.; public school expenditures. In 1952, on whether Lincoln University sur­ ~ ·;: .. 2 e ·a. 0 .. ... a 0 0 t.- It gration. Its Board of Education at the :~: .c '$ <0 ] lht Missow·i citizens spent 2.5 per cent sembly. '€ 0 ~ "'0 ·: .!! ~ l ·E ..!! l "' beginning of the summer had voted .. • ,_£ ] j l '!! .. .. ~ ~ 0 1:\ut . on public schools. Per capita. school l :; l .! <" 0" i < 0 4L z ..0 0 2" ~ :[ v cr,w expenditures amounted to $40 out ol GRADUAL INTEGRATION to conduct mixed classes at the sum­ "' Reprinted From "The Negro And The Schools." e bop- an average income of $1,583. At the high school and elementary mer session classes in two high }..urt To provide the local G5 per cent of school level, St. Louis and Kansas schools and the junior college. For James and Superintendent R. H . high school pupils had been trans­ school support, the local disbicts City have adopted s.imUar plans for a the regular tenn beginning in Sep­ Hensen explained the Supreme ported to Louisiana, 10 miles north. eal]~L levy on the average $1 per $100 stage-by-stage transition to an in­ tember, it voted to transfer Negro Court decision and told the parents, Louisiana is continuing to operate its !!. t!r ol property valuation for rural ele­ tegrated system. pupils from Lincoln junior college according to the Associated Press, segregation for its own students this u! 11..: mentary schools and $2 per $100 for St. Louis acted June 23 with an­ to the Kansas City junior college, they would have to accept it "sooner year. The Clarksville district, how­ !Chook high school districts. Owing to dif­ nouncement of its Board of Educa­ and at the same time to integrate or later." ever, estimated it would save $8,600 Ro;r: ferences in valuation, the degree of tion that the first stage would open the two vocational high schools by by integrating its high school pupils a!lm! local support varies widely. No an­ in September, with unification of the transferring Negro pupils to the SIX OTHER CITIES alone. It will also close its Negro ele­ ~d.Jtg• swer has yet been found to the prob- two teachers' colleges operated by white school. The building thus va­ Six cities in other sections of the mentary schools. At three elementary lem posed by some districts using the pubic school system, one white cated is to become a junior high state account for 2,300 additional Ne­ schools operated by the district, the school. ;;._ Poe of Ralci~h of this state." come was $949. Of the total income Walter White, executive sccrct.ary whites and 12.8 for Negroes in 1940; of the National Association for the chairman of the board of l', The Progresstt•e Farmer; I. E. Ready grnnt" proposnls by which the 18.1. "It is estimated that under the $151,300,000 on schools, or 3.9 per of Roanoke Rapid~. supcnntendcnt of cent o£ its income. spoke in Durham County on June 13. would advance a sum of money to • trend,'' said 11 state school report, He said there is "pathetic futility" Roanoke Rapids city schools; Dr. Paul "property values should be equal­ There wc1·e 576,ll7 white childrcn familil'S of school-age children to 1 in the agreement of "certain south­ Reid o! Collowhee, president of \lscd for tuition in private sc ized (the percentage of Negroes in In school in the state in 1951 and Western Carolina College. and for­ school would be equalled by a llke 239,919 Negro children who comprise em governors" not to comply vol­ As nn exnmple of possible flaws, U \mtndly with the decision. lie added: merly controller of the State Board of percentage of property value) in five 29.4 p!>r cent of the total enrollment. report a!>ked whether public "We arc s."\ddened, but by no means Education; Judge L. R. Vnrscr o( to se\'en years." Between 1940 and 1951, thc per cent could be sp<'nt to finance an indh·, alarnlcd, by this display or imma­ Lumberton, formcdy an associate ual's education in a private instit:. Current expense per Negro pupil change for white children was 2.9 ju.o;tice of the Supreme:' Coutl of and for Negroes the percentage in­ turity and backwardness on the part lton opcrntinl! free of state control enrolled rose from $24.05 in 1940 to North Carolina. and now chairman of crease was 4.2. of clcctcd officials. Their intransi­ Th<.>r£' is "no square precedent Sl35.38 in 1952, an increase of 462.9 the State Board of Law Examiners; Per capita expenditures for while ~ence does not mean that the schools rule of law to settle the private~ per cent, while thE' same expense for Arthur D. Williams of Wilson. chair­ children in 1940 amounted to $41.69, will not be desegregated At worse. issue," said the report about whites climbed from $41.19 to $158.73, man o£ the Wilson County Board of and for Negro children to $27.30. tn it is a delaying tactic dcsi~cd to de­ to tum public schools into pli~ an increase of 285.4 per cent. County Commissioners. By U1c time General Assembly con­ 1951, the per capita figure for whites cciv!' the most benighted constitu­ schools. But, the report added. vened in January 1953, however, w115 $152.20 and for Negroes, $128.67. ent whom politicians have misled The committee held its first meet­ combination or factors might lead enough doubt about the future of the Such expenditures for Negroes in into believing that sef!l'e~atlon was a Ing Aug. 11, meeting in closed session. a court dccis•on forbidding the "separate but equal" principle ex­ 1940 thus wet·e 65 per cent of ex­ pl•tmnnent way of life." Gov. Umstead later said he told the pri\'ate school to deny admission isted to be reflected in the special penditures ,·or whites, and 11 years The same day-June 13-thc Exec­ committee that "The problem as 1 see qualiftcd Negroes. act which set up mRchinery for a $50 later the pen~entage was 85. utive Council of the Episcopfll Dio­ ll Lo; to establish n policy and a pt·o­ million school bond referendum. Un­ ccsc of North Carolina adopted n res­ ~t·am which will preserve the State OTIIER. SESSJONS der the act, $25 million can be spent REACTION TO DECISION olution asking Episcopalians to ac­ public school system by having tbe Chairman Pcarsall said that as the governor and State Board of On the day following the May 17 cept the decision "in a Christian support of the people. That covers cau.sc or the: size of the task, the t! spirit" and asking them to "work Education s~ fit to spend it. This decision, Gov. William B. Umstead the broad objective." When the com­ visory committee will contima provision, said its sponsors, stemmed said he was "terribly disappointed." toward an orderly traru:ttion to an mittee recessed, Cltajrman Pearsall hold sessions until the General o::JII integrated public· school system in directly from the uncertainties cre­ That !;a.tne day, the Greensboro City said, "The problem has to be met so scmbly convenes next January. t l l!!llll th<> diocese of North Carolina." the public school system can be pre­ ated by the school suits then pend­ School Board by a 6-1 vote directed said the m-oup hopes to have rear 1 "'l\ Speaking at a regional conference served. . . . The committee ap­ ing before the nation's highest tri­ its superintendent to begin a study mendations for Gov. Umstead ret 1 tt 1Z bunal, and was designed to give state and report to the board "regarding on school law at Duke University on prooched its problem wit.h att open in January. when proposed statepr June 15, Dr. Newton Edwnrd!'< of the officials more latitude when North ways and means for complying with mind in the hope and belief ... it cedures on the question will he gi Carolina had to move to meet what­ the court's decision," upon the mo­ University of North Carolina said, can be preserved and strengthened. "Race segregation in the public to legislators. ever decision came down. In October, tion of Board Chairman D. E. Hudg­ ... We're trying to reach such a so­ Sttpel'intendents of city and coUii schools is (in itself) a denial of Lhe 1953, the bond issue was approved by ins. Snld Hudgins, "We must not fight lution." <=chouls in North Carolina on Aug. tho people. or attempt to circumvent this de­ equal protection of the law." He continued: "Ea<:h and every person hl'ard a discussion of the courlli cision." (Subsequently the State 1NS'D1'U1'E REPORT cision hy Dr. Jolm T. Fey, deano!L STATE SCH OOL SYSTEM Board of Education voted to continue has a right to equal treatment under Each member of the committee got the law. Moreover, the legal rights George Washington University North Carollna's public school sys­ school segregation for the 1953-54 a copy of Ute Jm;titute of Govern­ School. "The recent Supreme tem is state-supported. The para­ school year and it was informed that of a person are personal to him. In ment report drafted at Gov. Um­ detenninin.l{ the rights of the individ­ decision on the question of segl'( mount administrative unit is the Greensboro would do likewise.) stead's request. The report is di­ I ion was not the end of segrC!!ll!: State Board of Education, composed Also on May 18, the Wayne County ual the courts will not rcsl content vided into three sections: a discus­ with ascertaining the equal treatment in public schools but a reo~ of three ex-officio members (the Commissioner halted a $2,300,000 sion of the background on the court's all segreg-ation's many problems."' lieutenant governor, state treasurer, school building program, pending of diffe1·ent classes of citi.zens. What­ decision, Ute text of the decision, and ever may be the rights of oU1ers, the Fey said. He called the decit. and state school superintendent) and clarification of the decision. But Ra­ a discussion of the legal aspects or "uniquc" bet:ause he said it • !!:l: 10 members from specified districts leigh proceeded with four buildin~. individual can demand protection of the decision and lhe nltematives lJased "on lhe social and psycholop: ~~ appoll}ted by tl\e governor for stag­ because, in the words of City Super­ his own .... " open to the state. eiTcc·b on the Negro." io:~ gered terms. intendent Jesse Sanderson, "We've Durintt the conference, a new na­ tional organization on school law­ Institute Director Albert Coates . D1·. Fey said that all pro~ n(~ In Lhc State Board of Education got to llave the new buildings wheth­ ouUined at least three courses open c1rcum vent the decision are liable F.cy is vested by law the aut.hol'ity to: es­ er they're for white or Negro chil­ as yet unnamed-was formed by law­ yers, school administrators and oth­ to the state. They were: be declnrcd unconstitutional. 'I X..... tablish school distrit:ts; fix the grade, dren." l. It lthe state) can take the course that salary and qualifications of teachers; The Elizabeth City Ministerial As­ ers "to increase knowledge on scl1ool t.he Supreme Court has made Its decision suc~1 propo~nls he listed as gerrynu. l~ adopt textbooks; pay the teachers; set sociation on May 22 passed a resolu­ law and its importance in public -let it enforce It; ond meet t.he court's dcrmq o( l"chool districts and a '' ~In eiTorts to enforce It with attitudes rnng­ «chool" system in which there we l) n~ de­ be segregnted and non-se la:c!a the schools; approve powers for local remind our people of the Biblical in­ Lt. Gov. Luther Hodges, cha.trman fiance. schools. Culling the list of tea~ ~ admi.nislrative units' actions; select junction to live in su bjection to the of the State Board of Education, ap­ 2. Il can take t.he course that the Su­ sites for consolidation and adminis­ higher powers ... we are a govern­ pointed a committee l1·om the board preme Court has lnld down the low, swal­ under dt.!SCI{regation-when fro ~ ter funds from the federal govern­ ment not of men or of preferences, on July 22 to "study objectively low It without question and J>roceed in teachers might be needed-" • lh.e dlrcctlinus of acUon. "'ril!ht of t!'nure'' c.laul"e. makmg haste sl.owly enoUI!h to avoid th.­ Dr Fey told Ute superintende; and provides textbooks on a rental teriol associations in Clinton ("This Boru·d.'' The committee, he sa.id, will pr.ovocallvc strife which llt.igntlon nnd met•lin~ in Mars Hill. not to ex basis through high school. The state decision is basically right and had to nJ~o serve as llaison with oU1er offi­ m.ghl be a conse<1uence of prceipltnte and superintendent must approve pro­ come somet.ime ... We are ol the cial and unofficial groups. As one unt.hlnking <~cqutesc('ncc-, and vet make miracles i.n meeting desegrega · grams of study for standard high opinion that this is a sign or the prog­ member, he appointed Dr. llarold L. haste fast enou~th to com!' within the tnw He ac.ld~'rlv of race relations. Administratively, advisorl! he subsequently appointed ) whose members represent a variety t;;ud lhal pchuons ASkin~! imm · adJust:nent to thl.' court'!; clccJsioJ; however, Ne~ro school affairs are in­ of professions Gov. Umstead namt-d action on dcscgre~ation ha\'e there IS. tt ~trong possthility that thc tegrated with those o£ the whites. FUNDS ALLOCATED Thoma." J. Pearsall, of Rocky Mount, made read:v for circulation bv co.urt will listen and that tlw state can On June 4, the State Board of Edu­ 1947 Speaker of the State House of NAACP u~lts. He said the ~tit. LOCAL AUTHORITY wm the day on this i~-;ue 1[ 11 resolves cation met in its first session alter the Representatives, Appointed to the I'<'PI'f-s~ nt l11s organization's mol't North Carolina's 100 county ad­ decision was rendered and voted to to ma~c the Pffort by nwki.n,:: the ap­ commilk't' were two Neg1·o prcsidcnl.ti propriate arguments." work ou L " dt~scgregalion pJ'OIII"• , ministt·ativc units and 72 cily admin­ continue segregation for the 1954-55 of state-supported colleges-Dr. F. In Raleigh. Greensboro and R The l'I.:POrt nddt·d Lhtn il.s Lont.t>nt.: istrative units exercise "general con­ school year, in the absence of the im­ D. BlufoJ•d of A&T College, Gr<..-en.~­ Mount, tnl<'IT:ti!Jal ''citizens' c()lllll'o c:tSt douht ou ~m·h propos..I!; as set: trol and supervision" over the plementation decree. Its members boro, and Dr. J. W. Seabrook, pr<..'li­ tees" have been Ionned and arem~ ~ng_ up a sysk•m of "pl'ivat<.>" st•hool!. schools. subject to authority placed voted to continue allotments from ldent of Fayctlevillt' State Tcacht'l·~ m~ rc•gularlv. Their stated P in the Stnt.e Bo;trd. Although the That docs not of COUJSt• prevent porllOns of lhe 50 million dollar College. Fttyelte\·illl~and :t NC"gro is to wo1·k u; the field of human state assumes U1e financial responsi- school bond issue. but only for proj- home demonstration agent, Mrs. Ha- theJr a~option as calculatt-d t'isks or as dt-\'tccs for deltl)' and postpone- lations and "to studv and plan Wl in which the decisio~ can be met. SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS- Sept. 3, 1954- PAGE II

a year after September 1, it will be with everybody else" on a completely Mac Q. Williamson, state attorney aJl righL" non-racial basis. general. elected not to altend the At­ As tnquiries flooded his office. The Oklahoma City board, serving lanta conference called by Georgia Oklahoma Hodge issued a May 28 memorandum the state's largest Negro school en­ Atty. Gen. Eugene Cook. Both l1e and letter to all superintendents suggest­ rollment ( 4,900}, has taken no acllon Murr11y took the position the con­ OKLAHOMA CITY, Okb. Eventually, schoolmen believe the ing no "substantial" changes be made beyond approving separate budgets ferences were pren1ature. Williamson ~ Supreme Court has handed combined system will be cheaper and until after the Supreme Court's Oc­ through June, 1955, and contin~ is preparing a brief for submission at Oklahoma wh1te and Negro lead­ more effective. Each Negro student tober hearings produce definite in­ plans for two new grade schools in the October hearings. ers a probl~m both groups consider cost $279.99 in 1953-54, compared to structions. all-Negro residential areas. The desegregation question d1d more financial than social. With no $214.89 per white pupil, pushing lhe "Your hoard of education should not figure as an issue, clirectly or in­ overt opposition expressed the ques­ joint average up to $219.42. plan your budget program and poli­ ~ESCHOOLTRANSFERRED directly, in the Oklahoma Democratic tion is not whether to merge litale Negro students numbered 31,684 m cies for 1954-55 according to our The board also transferred a white primary race for gubernatorial nomi­ school-;, but how to get it done. 1952 (compared to 373,083 whites), or present law and constitution." he ad­ grade school to the Negro system be­ nation (16 candidates) or in the run­ Settled in 188!), nearly 30 years after 7.8 per cent of the total. That was n vised. So !ar as the state department cause population shifts have left only ofT primary campaign. 65 wlute children within the bound­ Oklahoma members of the Associa­ lb: the Civil War, Oklahoma never had 15.4 percentage loss since 1940. and OEA had been advised by mid­ n slave culture. Her extensive JJm August, no district planned to try in­ aries compared to 450 Negro young­ tion for Advancement of Colored ~!1*., But the 1954 school enumeration Crow customs have b(.>en t<.>mpercd tegration this autumn. sters. The move was made over pro­ People did not officially endorse the ).:r !t. indicated that the potential Negro bv frontier-rooted e~Hitudes oriented tests of the Northeast Chamber of one-year wait, but indicated they l(j d· school population is stabilizing. Ne­ Dr. Hodge's letter was a policy to the West lhnn to lhe South. Commerce, whose spokesmen said would not try lo force integration thic; ~~,; ~ore groes between babyhood and 17 years guide, not an order, but on this and Open racial controversy has been a of age increased !l22 over 1953 for u any other question regardlng state they feared eswbllshing the Negt·o autumn. ~.· , comparative ral'ity. district would jeopardize property Roscoe Dunjee, Oklahoma City U!.>.'• t total of 54,878, while white children education his office has broad powers Oklahomans also hnvc nn inter­ jumped H,738 to a total of 475,953. oC supe-rvision and enforcement. values in bordering neighborhoods. newspaperman. a national NAACP t~;~ Dr .•T. Chester Swanson, city super­ director and chairman of the Okla­ : !.t~. racial p1·ocedent: Indians arc ac­ Approximately half the Negro in­ District school boards are corporate corded soCJttl cquo llty ami Indian ci·ease came in the pre-school brack­ intenden t, explains the switcll was es­ homa conference executive commit­ :o<.>:e: bodies elected by their own com­ sential in any case, but might h.. '\ve tee, commenlcd, "'!'here will Le no ll' d,.. blood is 11 maller of commonplace ac­ eL. Oklahoma county (Oklahoma munities to operate schools under City) gained 588 of the 922 and Tulsa been delayed a year to prove con­ attempt to enfor·ce any conception of :.e.-n~ ceptance and often pride. specific state school code standards. county 141. CJ·etely the disappearance of poten­ the ruling that individuals might i~ the .. The school system, however, is en­ The county superintendent, adminis­ tial white students if desegregation have, before the Supreme Court de­ tirely southern, under a constitution trntive officer for dependent rural were not just around the corner. cides the details." requiring public schools to operate NEW LEVY RECOJ\11\IENDED districts, is also elected. )J) ~ Unofficially, Swanson says his NAACP officials also have been "upon a complete plan of ~epaJ·ation The budget system, unique in seg­ .:, !i:f board will follow an interim policy watclung treatment of the few Negro between white and colored races regnlioo annals, prompted the only DEGREE OF STATE CONTROL of "doing anything we can in small undergraduates quietly admitted to ,n:.t'i ~ with impartial facilltil'S for both two moves made in direct expecta­ The state education department ·~'lll t ways to ease the desegregation pro­ Oklahoma A & M College and the races." PcrmHting mixed attendance tion of the Supreme Court ruling. controls teacher qualifications, pupil '~ sc:a Anticipat.i.Dg that the four-mill levy eligibility, attendance boundaries, cess." Example: the fall general University of Oklahoma last year. The t ~""'! is a mi~demen.nor . for separate schools might be wiped transportation and transfer policies, teachers' meeting was planned Au­ NAACP reports no slights or difficul­ !~!:: FINANCIAL ARRt\SGEl\1ENT out., both the Oklahoma Association fmancial practices, and similar basic gust 30 at the newly-opening $2,000,- ties on cither campus, but was disap­ ~~ pointed when A&M set up a town Two entirely different tax bases of Negro Teachers and the Oklahoma operation factors. Leeway is allowed 000 Negro high school [or the an­ Ste~ Education Association recommended to meet local situations in many cases. nounced purpose of using the city's residence for Negro students. BoU\ and an Urban League weeki\' when $87.6 millions, or 3.6% of the public instruction said, "If we don't OEA has unofficially indicated it executive assistant to the Richmond, television program are in the plan­ total. was spent on puhlk schools} have to do anything about it until wants them to "take their chances Va., governors' parley as an observer. ning stage.

As a practical matter. the only way Miller, 41, of a Port Arthur high Astor Kirk, Negro professor at Rus­ In which the next governor of Texas can deal with the segregation questlon Is In school. He is working toward a doctor ton-Tillotson College in Austin, com­ legislative leadership, with the legisla­ of education degree. mended the board for "the work it is ture's course sharply restricted by the Su­ The president of North Texas State, doing in the field of public education.'' Texas preme Court drcislon which becomes con­ s!llutloMl law. Dr. .T. C. Matthews, announced that Kirk said he represented NAACP and AUSTIN, Texas campaign to work for continued seg­ only white students ore being ac­ that the organization favors a "states­ 1954 census showed Texas has regation, said: "I am going to see The presidents of both Texas Negro cepted for bachelor and master degree manlike, constructive approach" to T m: colleges recently urged their expan­ 1,542,000 white and 228,000 Negro that our local schools are run by local courses. desegregation. sion, rather than integration into the ;f~!i" children of school age. people." He repeated during the cam­ Four municipal junior colleges­ He declared that responsibility for white system. It~ Of 254 counties in the state, 146 paign: Amarillo, San Angelo, Big Spring and rUtllting the public schools rests Dr. R O'Hara Lani~ of Texas ·U~!':.!. provide complete education for Ne­ We don't need the help of any night· Co1·pus Christi-voluntarily started largely with local boards but that the It:~ gr()E'S. Thi1·ty-six others provide only rldet•s or moonlighters or cross-burners Southern told the Commission on admitting Negro students in 1953 or state board's action "will to a certain llil it elementarv schools. Twenty- one roving about wlth bedsheets over their Higher Education: earlier rather than attempt to comply extent set the tone for local boards'' heads, attempting to llldc their races from Kirk recommended that the state ycholct more offer some high school trnining God and man while Lhey take the lnw "It would be a narrow position for with the "separate but equal" doc­ for Negroes, but not the full 12 years Into Lhelr own hands. Texns saw an era the state to get rid of Negro schools." trine. board set up an advisory committee :rope;.!> of p11blic schooling. of that at one Ume. ond as long as Allan State Sen. A. M. Aikin J r. of Paris The U.S. Supreme Court in 1954 to help work out the problem. Chair­ Shiver$ Is Governor we are not going LQ Je !;JI' Fifty-one Texas counties lack any then asked him: ordered Hardin J unior College at man Thomas B. Ramey of Tyler said hove anoti1er. this proposal would be taken undc>r onol Negro school. Five of th~e have no "You mean If the Negroes are given Wichita Falls to do likewise. A pend­ Gov. Shivers handily won an un­ advisement. ~ Ncgs·o •·esidl.'nt.o; and the othets have equal facilities, there is nothing to Ing case concerns Texarkana Junior ;;:;d. loo few Negro childr<'n to juJecame an issue. After a said: This action Is lll-advlsed and incorrect States Supreme Court decision in thu silence, segregation also was ap­ fied all schools to prepare for 1954-55 so for as the law Is concerned. The Su­ ;::dt Herman Mar·ion Sweatt case. In alJ, proved by Ralph W. Yarborough, For mony yean to come there wtU be operation on tbe regular segregated preme Court has effectively and clearly shown a great desire and preference on declnred that segregation tn pubUc edu­ :Dtl:' more than 300 NcWO<'S have l·nroll~d. Aw.tin attorney and liberal Demo­ the pnrt ot lhe Nellfo student to attend basis. He pointed out that Ule Su­ cation Is In vlolaUQn Qf the Fourteenth ~.... ; mostlv in etlucation crat wbo ran against Governor an lnstltullon. cquaJ ln every respect, preme Court had not written its de­ Amendment. Ruel C. Wnlhr·, Cit-burnt• attoml'v, Shivers. wlwre there will exist many opportunl­ cree and that the state constitution While we recognize thai school officials ~i Y.. llrs for developmenl of qualities o! lead­ wUJ have certain admlnistrnllve problems I heads a comm1ssion of laymen. and laws require segregation. d-.f p ed­ Mr. Yarborough's final utterance el"'hlp and where full portlclpaUon Jn ev­ in trnn&terrlng from a segregated to a ucators, lnwmakers nnd others study­ To ' came just before the election, op­ erv phase or college life will be assured. BOARD RESOLUTION nQn-segregntcd system, we wl11 resist the ;on ~~~ ing reorganization o£ the college Bl'caust> ot human behavior and social usc of any tactics contrived tor the soil' posing "forced commin~ling of races purpose Qf delaying desegregation.... " system. Ht• said in At~gust that 133 brockwountls ond palterns. long ex.lstent, The 21-member elective State dance in our public schools." He added that the Iorge majority or such students will Dr. H. Boyd Hall of Corpus Christi, w. ?r • Negroes were ntl<•nding graduate Board of Education then supported buildings and equipment for Negro rome to us bccnu•e they prefer to do so. the commissioner's directive with this state NAACP president., added thot m :~n school at the slatP univ<.>rsltv durin(! ciUz.ens should be made equnl to Su<.'h ~;tudcnts will very likely prefer to continue to study wltil homogeneous resollltion: Professor Kirk "was not authorized to 1~ sr. tht> summer, while 2,506 ·Negroes those for whites. were t..'lkin~ wadnntc work nt Prttirle wnups and will feel strcmgly lhat more Since the recent United Stntes Sup1•eme represent NAACP before the boal'd 0~ l sympathetic ottonLion will be given to View and Texns Soutlwm UnivCI'llily, Thus both majol' candidates favored CQurt's decisions on segregation In pub­ or make any statement in its behalf." Jl'.lnC them ... In our Jn.~~tltullons than in some llc schQOI$ are not llnal, tile State Bonr(f the two :;t.nte N{·~ro colll'ltcs. Said conlinucd segregation. But there is no Kh·k then contended that he had -,;;a\UU other ~thools. ot Education Q( Texas Is of till!! unani­ Walker: doubt. that Candidate Yarborough been misquoted by the Associated ho~eb Conv<>nience of the two <'olleges to mous oplnlon that It Is obligated to nd­ hcml•filt(.'{l greatly by the largest here to and comply with nil ot our pres­ Press, allhough a stenographic rcpol'l rs in n Texa.s :1reil'; nt econom1c factors also were cited by segregation In our public school system question Only lh·~ prr Cl'llt chose to do Democratic primary. Precincts o( on the disputed point. Kirk's follow­ tt3!JO!l «o. To m<•. thnl proves bPyond a doubt D1·. L:mil'r to support his plea for and to continue lo follow these pr~nt N(•gro voters went ei'!hl and ten to t11ws and pQIIclcs until such time as they up statement said that "segregation ~ant11 that they llhe NN:-rn!'s) much prefe-r In l.'.xpam;ion. Mr. may be changed by a duly constituted au·­ in the schools ought to be ended right til wllh one f01· Yarborough. He also ·e 'i.\.1 go tl1clr own schools. lhl'lr own nf thl~ PC:OJlll'. carri<'d East Texas, where racial pre­ lhorlty state now'' althou~h he did not make such -~ ENROLLl\lENT UP U ln the future, the Tex.as laws should I do n11t bellr.vt> they nr<' ••nlircly 5~'Tn­ comment to the state board. judice is suppos(.-dly st1·ongest. be changed then en~h local district should !J;I't pnthellc wllh the complt'lr nbjt>ctlvr~ of Dr. E. B. Evans, president, said The professor said that he had Tit~> Da!ln.s Morning News, support­ hove sufficient time to work the problem 10 ~· thr National A'l.,<>elntlon tor lhl' Ad\'aner­ P1·airie View's enrollment increased out. been asked lo attend the board meet­ ml'nt of Colored P~>oplc . in~ Shivers. commented editorially: seven per cent to 2,627 in 1953, a year t~ Actually, It would b!' Paslrr- thOUJ!h 'l'he board enrnestly hopes that the calm in~ by U. Simpson Tate of DaJlas, : ~:::" still undeslrabl..-to mix Negroes :md ll wa:t not until Yarborou,;:h extended which saw registration decline at atlltude which has been evidenced een­ attorney for the Texas Conference. hls East ually by the people of Tex.ns since the whtce~ of college age lhon II wouhl b<' tn crunpall!ll to Texas. where o large many U.S. colleges. He predicted that l"egro population makes the ~~·~nogntlon recent pronouncement on se&:regotlon by Southwest region, NAACP. nD-r.t=' mix the younger children- of t>lcmclllllry by 1960. Prairie View will be turning school age issue impnrtant, that he <>lecled to take o the United States Supreme Court may be ,.tond. He then annnunct·d Uull he favored away applicants unless its facilities continued and that the ellort to seek a PETITIONS TABLED "'~: .,r;J Walker's slatl.'mcnt wa!: made in a ~egreg;Hion. This wns cnml>;oratively lntr art' increased. satl'itactory solution may be nccordcd In­ In Austin and several other places, teleVISion hro:llkast supporting Grw. m tlw race :mrt ol sc1•cl in tlw ; n!"in~l It Ncwo student. Principal A. Tennyson Upon adoption of the resolution, W Sec TEXAS On Page 15 l:t ;.fl. May 25---The board of lru.stees Sept. 3, 1954 SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS 0 PAGE 12 derstanding, which ~ould cause in­ Morris College for Negroes (a Bap. versally critical of the de~sion, al­ flammation and friction · · ·. though such criticism was Ill general "Your committee recogruzes the Ust institution nt Sumter) orde that all qualified students be accept devoid of inflammatory remarks or state's needs and the public d_ema.nd talks of violence. call d f for an adequate system of pubhc edu­ ed for enrollment without regard race, color or creed. Lt. Gov. Timmerman e or cation; and it also rec~gniz~ the need South Carolina public study of a plan recommended June 2-NAACP State Presiden, for a system in keepmgdwtth -~ut_bll<: COLUMBIA, S. C. Its ratification struck from the State by him whereby the state_ would . . and establishe tm...... tons Hinton said no action is planned jQ OUTH CAROLINA has tradition­ Constitution the requirement that the maintain schools in conformity wtlh opmton gain admittance of Negroes to C\ar. General Assembly provide a school and hv.iug patterns. S ally maintained separate schools Ute wishes or school patrons in give_n _ In the field of executive _action. cndon county :;chools until thl' Su. for white and Negre children at all system, but it did not in itseU ~~ct localities as expressed by petition. HIS 2 preme Court issues its decree in th: the current operation of the existing Gov. Byme!'i' first action followmg the educational levels. plan envisions a "free choice" system case. public school establishment of South of separate schools and embraces t!le Su reme Court decision wns to hnlt The State Constitution o£ 1895, allocation of school funds fol' con­ June 11-Gov. James F. B~ Carolina. possibility of mixed sc~lools for chtl­ tb: while attending the National Gover. adopted after the Reconstruction The trustees of local districts (in struction purposes pcnclil_lg further dren of parents who wtsh them to at­ nor:.' Conference at Lake Geo~. period and still in effect, provides some instances an entire county com­ study of possible implicaho~ o£ the that "separate schools shall be pro­ tend integrated schools. Court's decision. That actJOn. an­ N Y., suggested the possibiUty o1 priSes one district) are virtuall! au­ having South Carolina's 15-man seg. vided {or children of the white and tonomous regarding school affaus on OTHER DEVELOPMENTS nounced by the governor on_ May 20, colored races, and no child of either On the official scene, these devel­ was sustained by the Educational FI­ gregation study committee vb;j the local level, subject to the super­ Northern cities to observe hot race shall ever be permitted to attend vision and orders of the county board opments followed announcement of nance Commission at its June 11 a school provided for children of the of education. Local trustees are the Supreme Court decision: meeting. At the same. time, local schools are operated there on a baz!! other race." charged, among other duties, w_ith 1. The membership of the IS-man school authorities were mstructed to of "voluntary segregation." 1n June of 1950, before the litiga­ providing schoolhouses, ~Pl?y~g "Segregation Study Comrnittee" was review pending applications for con­ June lG--The Clarendon Colll\b tion known as "the Clarendon county teachers, suspending or dJSmJSsmg revised in the light of current legis­ struction funds 1n the light of the Civic League (a Negro organizatiOll' case" had crystallized into the form pupils, controlling school property, lative affiliations, since several initial court decision with particular refer­ attacked County Superintendent ct in which it was carried to the U. S. nnd exercising general control over members were no longer legislators. ence to features of location. Education L. B. McCord for !-_ Supreme Court, the S. C. House o1 the educational interests of the dis­ The committee, headed by State Sen. On July 16, after the allo~lions had statement that "the colored people c1 Representatives took the first ove;t trict. Appeals are from the local L. Marion Gressette, chairman of heen re-appraised in most mstances, my county appear to be perfectly sat. act aimed at bringing about equali­ board to the county botu·d and thence Senate Committees on Education ond Gov. Byrnes announced th~t the Edu­ isfied with separate but equal schoob zation of school facilities as between to the State Board of Education for Judiciary, began holdin~ a series of cation:~ I Finance Commtssion . (of which t.hey now have ..." The Ci~ white and Negro children. A six-man final decision, unless the matter be closed hearings. During a recess from which he is chairman) had authortzed League denied that statement lllll! committee was authorized "to study taken to the courts. such hearings, a sub-committee vis­ the resumption of construction work. said there was no basis for such , and prepare an appropriate sales. tax The state-paid salary schedule is ited Louisiana and Mississippi to ob­ In other executive actions, Gov. declaration. "We consider segrega. measure providing for the education­ fixed by the legislature and the funds serve what was being done in those Byrnes had taken these steps: tion unChristian, undemocratic, un. al needs of the State of South Caro­ arc distributed through the office or states to preserve separate schools. a. Told school officials. on June 1, scientific and asinine," the League lina." The resolution establishing the the State Superintendent of Educa­ The committee has conferred with that the schools "ls. al!encies and whom have duties or responsibilities hardt, T am operating a barbPr shop "Wherefore, it is our bumble peti­ schools for children of the wh1te and or~anizntion~ which h:we tesfiflerl he­ in conjunction with Negro schools for white trade. Through this channel tion that these grievances be consid· colored races." fore the <'ommittee The Jrl~;t of such ered and redressed by the govenr but whose salaries are embraced in testimonv is beinlt keot confidential. I know my customers' desires and de­ The comrnlttee later was organized the per pupil computation for white terminations. I am also closelv identi­ ment." with five members of the State Sen­ both bv the committee and hy the students since the individuals them­ persons who appeared before it. fied with mv race as a teacher. and June 27-The Loris chapter of t!t ate, five from the House, and five ap­ selves are white. The generally hil(h­ know with ; few exceptions they are South Carolina Farm Bureau Feder· pointed by Gov. Byrnes. It assumed a er ratin~ of white teachers on teacher REPORT EXCERPTS satisfied with the education:~ ! admin­ ation voted unanimously (appro:d· "stand-by" role and did little or certification tests likewise is a factor The following is extracted {]·om istration. For the Net!ro cllilrlrcn and mately 80 members present) to ~ nothing until the Supreme Cou:t contributing to lhe hil!her per pupil the committee's interim report: Ne!!ro teachers in the South to be port the General Assembly "in a~· handed down its May 17, 1954 deCI­ expenditure for white students. "Your committee construes its as­ thrust into a most peculiar situ:<~tion thing they see fit to do" to prevt;; sion. Meanwhile, the committee's life signment as being the formulation which will be beset with many per­ integratio~ in the schools. had been extended indefinitely by REACTION TO RULJNG and recommendation of courses of plexing problems and grave conse­ legislative action of February, 1952. July G--Rep. Robert E. McNair, ol The May 17, 1954, announcement action whereby the State of South quences. I am of the opinion that the Allendale county, promises to brlr.t In November of 1952, the voters of that the U. S. Supreme Court had de­ Carolina may continue its unsur­ Nei!To children's educational oppor­ up U1e state's compulsory school .:· South Carolina approved, by a vote clared public school segregation to be passed program of public education tunities will suffer for the next 50 tcndance law for review and revisiill unconstitutional drew these imme­ of 187,345 to 91,823, the repeal of a without unfortunate disruption by years .. .'' so as to eliminnte the possibility Ill constitutional section requiring the diate reactions in South Carolina: outside forces and influences which May-Letter to Gov. Byrnes from legnlly compelled attendance 1' General Assembly to t'rovide for "a Gov. Jnmes F. Byrnes said be was have no knowledge of recent progress Mrs. J ames M. Dabbs, president oi mixed schools. liberal sYstem of free public schools "!;hocked" by the decision, but added, and no understanding of the prob­ the United Church Women in South July 14-The Parent-Teacher As· for all children between the ages of "I earnestly urge all of our people. leiDS of the present and future; Carolina: "In view of the Supreme sociation of the High School :I six and 21 years." The repeal had white and colored, to exercise re­ courses of action whereby the State Court's decision banning segregation been urJted by Gov. Bymes in his straint and preserve order." Charleston (white) disclosed that of South Carolina may offer to all ... I wish you and tl1c public might ndvocated conUnuation of segrega· Jan. 8, 1952 message to the legisla­ Lt. Gov. George Timmerman Jr.. children, regardless of race, color, know the attitude of United Church ture. The General Assembly readily lion and of the public schools. Tllf ~t ln the closing weeks of a successful creed or circumstances, equal educa­ Women. Both on n national level and next day, the Charleston Cenlrl ~ agreed to submit the ouestion to the campaign for the Democratic nomi- tional opportunities in an atmos­ statcwise, we have always maintained Council of P1'A said the announct- WJ voters (as reauired of all constitu­ that enforced segregation bad no tional amendments). nation for governor, called for "calm phere free of social conflicts and ment was premature since the coun· ~ place in any Christian activity and ti~L courage, determination and fairness tensions which would tend to 1m pede cil had not acted on the matter as I ~~· Proponents of the amendment, in­ to the end that we cnn find means of constituted a very real tht·eat to our cluding the governor, contended that and inhibit the learning process. council. The S.C. Congress of Parents ;:::, preserving separate schools in ac­ "Your committee is fully aware of Democracy ..." and Teachers is calling for statement> oc:u it was needed as a "preparedness cordance with the wishes of the vast measure" in the event the U. S. Su­ the close inter-relationship between May 25---A petition SJgned by some from individual units but so far b b majority of the parents of this state." 30 parents of pupils attending Negro preme Court should hold ~ool seg­ public education and economic, !;0- made no publlc announcement ' C.: regation unconstitutional. In such James M. Hinton, Negro insurance cial and spiritual progress and of the schools in North Augusta (S. C.) such statements. ' ~ event, they argued, the legislature executive and state president of the fact that public education il'l a re­ urged continuation of racial segrega­ July 23-The York County Fatll' P;I,U o;hould be free to cope with the re­ National Association for the Ad­ sponsibility assumed by the State tion in the schools. A spokesman for Bureau endorses continuation ~ ~ "It: constitutes a school division, headed Now that It appears assured the deci­ to the attorney general, it would be On Aug. 28, Gov. Stanley named a \~1! .L by a division superintendent. This of­ sion ol the Supreme Court will not affect 32-man bipartisan legislative com­ 1.965 or after" blllore integration were GEOGRAPWCAL DISTRIBUTION ·TI.~·c ficial is appointed by the local school the public: schools during the term open­ accomplished. mission to study the problems raised board from a list approved by the lng next fail, we shall have lime Lo glv~ by the court's ruling and to prepare The commission includes at least Itt~! full and careful conalderntlon to means two members from cacll of the 10 SLate Department of Education. or arriving at an acceptable solution. RESOLUTION ADOPTED a report and recommendations to him !t: t~~: Congressional Districts, w i t h the t:Rt'- Except in one county where they On June 19 about 20 members of and the General Assembly. OTHER REACTION He ask.ed the all-legislator group largest representation going to area:. ~ are elected by popular vote, mem­ the state legislature from Southside tev bers of local school boards are ap­ The flrst public reaction to the de­ Virginia, where the proportion of to meet with him in Richmond Sept. having Ute heaviest Negro popula­ 13 to organize and begin its work. tion. ~ pointed to their positions. Generally, cision from Dowell J . Howard, Vir­ Negroes in the population is large, boards in cities are appointed by the ginia's Superintendent of Public In­ met to discuss the court's ruling, and In part, the Governor's statement D city councils, while those in the st.ruction, was a sU!tement in which adopted a resolution which said, in EARLIER PLAN ABANDONED said: o!u counties are appointed by school elec­ he said: "There will be no defiance of part: This action confirmed indications "I am therefore appointing a fairly that he had abandoned original plans ld.~~. toral boards. Members of these elec­ the Supreme Court decision as far as We de$1re to have recorded our unaJ. large Commission on Public Educa­ u::.g, toral boards are selected by the cir­ 1 am concerned. We are trying to terable opposition to the principle of in­ to appoint a citizens commission, in­ tion, composed of 32 members of the tegration ol the races In the schools and cluding some Negro represenU!tives. P~~:r· cuit judges, and their only function teach school children the law of Ute Legislature. I am inviting the com­ land and we will abide by it" that we hereby pledge to the people of In a prepared statement, Stanley ex­ ~~ is to name the division superinten­ our district and to all the citizens of Vlr­ mission to ascertain, through public -:'•d!t dents. Atty. Gen. J. Lindsay Almond told glnla our determined purpose to evolve plained that after "further thought hearings and such other means as In 1950 Virginia spent $100,200,000 reporters that he Ielt "a satisfactory some legal method whereby political sub­ and many discussions with citizens, appear appropriate, the wishes of UU! on schools, or 2.8 per cent of its total solution may be reached which would divisions of the state may continue to school officials and legislators," he people of Virginia; to give careful maintain separate faeilltles for white and had concluded th.at "a legislative ~ income of $3,551,000,000. Per capita not necessarily mean Ute abandon­ Negro students In schools. study to plans or legislation or both, ~cl.t,-. income in Virginia that year was ment of separate but. equal schools." commission will be the best'' for the that should be considered for adop­ On June 11 Atty. Gen. Almond de­ mr.!,.. $1,147. Gov. Stanley and four Negro lead­ job. tion in Virginia after the final degree ~o! Virginia's 140,438 Negro public ers-including Ollver W. Hill, head of clared: "I'm satisfied of this-Negro This is so, he said, "primarily be­ teachers arc not going to be engaged of the Court is entered, and to offer T-:111~ school children represented 25.2 per the Virginia legal staff of the Na­ cause any program relating to the such other rec()mmendations as it in Virginia to teach white children. ~t:t cent of the total enrollment of 416,364 tional Association for the Advance­ public school system must be con­ may deem proper as a result of the No child oC any race is going to be r.-r.r­ m 1952. Compared with 1940, the 1952 ment of Colored People-conferred sidered and acted upon first by the decision of Ute Supreme Court affect­ compelled to attend a mixed school." -~ figures showed a 13.1 per cent in­ on May 24. The Negro leaders said General Assembly." He added: "The ing the public schools." ~tC" crease ln white students and an ll.7 later they had asked Virginia to as­ On June 25 Gov. Stanley issued a more first-hand information mem­ Meanwhile, the Richmond Diocese :.inti: per cent increase in Negro pupils. sumo leadership among the Southern statement saying that "careful bers of the Legislature can obtain, of the Roman Catholic Church, which r.g pan: Expenditures per pupil in metro­ states in moving toward Integration thought" should be given tx> the re­ the better equipped they will be to includes most of Virginia, has an­ politan districts of the state rose and had urged U1e Governor to do peal of Section 129 of the state con­ deal with the problem." nounced that Negroes will be ad­ from $64.80 in 1940 to $184.77 in 1952, nothing to jeopardize the jobs of stitution which requires the General The complete roster of the commis­ mitted to Catholic parochial schools and ln rural districts from $35.70 in Negro teachers. Assembly to maintain a system of sion includes: this fall for the first time. Where 1940 to $109.54 in 1952. Meanwhile, Gov. Stanley had in­ public free schools throughout the From the Senate: Sens. Robert F. there are both white and Negro ~ lf.lS ttr Two hours after the Supreme Court vited the governors of all other State. Baldwin Jr., Norfolk; Robert Y. But­ Catholic schools, segregation will Southern states to meet here on June r frcl. announced its decision on May 17, Said the Govornor: ton, Culpeper; Curry Carter, Au­ continue, but where there are no Gov. Stanley issued a statement in 10. gusta; W. C. Caudill, Giles; Charles ::.3oft While thla provision bas been In lhe schools for Negroes, Negro children which be expressed confidence that On May 27 the State Board of Edu­ R. Femvick, Arlington; Earl A. Fitz­ will be permitted to attend Lhe white :u~ constitution a loog Ume, 1t Is apparent to the people of Virginia would receive cation advised city and county school me that the matl~r now belon&s more patrick, Roanoke; Mills E. Godwin ~t' schools, it was explained. l•.h:t dr school children. Negroes numbered ThboG child "shall be entitled to be enrolled students hns steadily increased, as fol­ 37.9 per cent of the total school child to enter into a public school until he lows: te~­ population. This was a nine per cent has been assigned thereto by the su­ No. Negro n•t increase in the number of white perintendent" However, a system of T~m1 Graduate :!.e fltl Louisiana Students children since 1940, and a 17.1 per administrative appeal from the su­ 7.;."tli:. Summer Session, 1951. . . . 1 cent increase in number of Negro perintendent's assignment is pro­ pet)~'! NEW ORLEANS, La. operating the public schools is borne 1st Semester, 1951-52.... 5 by the state, through a per educable children. vided. nb!e pr LOUISIANA, a Deep South state, 2nd Semester, 1951-52 .... ll has not accepted the Supreme child fund, an equalization fund, and There is no breakdown showing These bills, as finally passed, were Summel' Session, 1952 .... 38 ~cor.. a teachers pay fund. expenditure of funds for white and lst Semester, 1952-53 .... 19 gore: Court's ruling that segregation in the Negro schools, since both are handled watered down from the original ver­ public schools is UDconstitutional. At present, the sum of $48 is paid sions introduced alter discussions led 2nd Semester, 1952-53 .... 26 from the same general funds, both on Prior to the court's opinion of May to each local school board for each by Gov. Robert Kennon. Summer Session, 1953 ....108 ~r c!' a statewide and local basis. 1st Semester, 1953-54 ...•. 51 17, Ulere was a general feelmg that child of educable age (7 to 17) within The Catholic Church, too, was in­ .!! fe<:( Louisiana was one of the few south­ 2nd Semester, 1953-54. . . 58 nothing would bc changed. That feel­ the board's area. This figure is ar­ ern states that had its legislature in fluential in attempting to soften the 'appro· .rived at by dividing the number of Swnmer Session, 19M .... 230 1!oS': ing continues. session at Ute time of the Supreme biUs. For instance, one section of one The issue has not come up in any educable age children as of each Jan. Court ruling. bill provided that attorneys who Immediately after the Supreme ""lll £! 1 into the amount appropriated by the Court ruling, five Negroes registered )pztlt political campaign. Indeed, it would All was quiet for three days. and handled eases protesting the new seem that the Supreme Court opinion legislature for the fund. then a resolution was introduced in laws would be automatically con­ and were admitted as undergraduates never really happened. The equalization fund is allocated the 100-man House of Representa­ sidered for disbarment. That section in summer school at Southwestern fc~ll! . on the basis of actual need as shown was amended out of the bill. Louisiana Institute, a small, previous­ to hr• In 1950-51, the city of New Orleans tives censuring the Supreme Court began an extensive school building by a comparison of school income for what was described as a "usurp­ ly all-white college at LaFayette, La. q.ool• from all sources in a given parish with Prima.rily through pressure fl'om Loyola University of t.he South, a 1mi In furLher dellberallon, no qucsUon was not properly on issuC' in official reaction in Tennessee was the scholastic population between 6 change Is nnUclpntcd In our school !Q'S· the Senate race. "The only thing the On .July 23, 11 t·onunittce teprcsen1• temperate and rel;erved. The reaction and 18 years. lcm In Lhe near future. Senate can do i!: to rc:;olvc that an ing LhC' NAACP petittoned the David. amend m c n t to lhc ConsliLULion was notable for the luck o£ inflam­ The statistics cited above are sun ply Ft·om mid-June until August 5, the son county sd10ol boanl to open i~ matory statements and for the sudden for the purpoJ;e of illustrating the subject was thrashed out in the poll­ ordering segreg:~tion be mudc." Sen. schools on u non-.;cgJ~egaled basis thU genesis of a "let's wait and see" atti­ imbalance in the distribution of the tical arena as the three candidates fot· Kefauver Sc studit'tl first by a COflllllit. situation and history the slate lends Control of the state's public scllools non-segregated basis this fall. At least t·aces. lee o! profcssion:Jl educators - bolh itseU to two well defined regions of rests wiili Ule school boards of 95 one county school board bas ordered Sen. Kefauver's opponent, flt•p. Pat while and Negro-and later in COil· tradition. county scllool systems and 57 munic­ the creation of a special oommiUee to Sutton, said he was for separate but junc!ion w1lh a committee oi whitt ll is a stMe, for instance, where Ipal and special school systems. Eacll study its own system with a view to equal schools, and added "I am a Jef­ and Negro p:Jrcnlo:; whose children at. U\e.re are counties in which the Civil system is fimmcially supported by iu­ drafting a plan fo1· deseg1·egation to fersonian Democrat believing that the lend the coun~y ~;chools War dead are memorialized by monu­ comc received from county, city, fed­ be considered at a later date. I•'ederal government should wkc a On Aut!ust 18, it was announced ments to both Confederate and Union eral and state governments, the bulk Here is a chronology of events: back seat to states r1ghts nnd U1e lltc slate would file a brief at the Su. soldiers; and where there are coun­ of the funds being received from the rights of inOLITJCS ties in which llwt cataclysmic event state. I am opposed to t11e Sutm.!mc Court and thnt the l•ricf would include • On June 5, Gov. Frank Clement, the -which did so much to set the mores There are more than 3,000 white ruling on segregation." concr('te plnn Cor gradual dese~rega. mcumbent, reiterated in his opening of the region - is memorialized by schools and 3pproximately 800 Negro Unofficial returns of U1e Sen,\te race tion. The plan, accordinll' to the rt­ monuments to the Confederate soldier camprugn address at Lebanon, the were: schools, although there are 31 coun­ port, WH:. th:1t desegregation wouh! ll is stand he had taken w1ili regard to Kefauver , ...... 389,878 alone. a state, in Simplification, ties in the state wiU1out Negro high begin in lhl' first grade, and then !..loth southern and eastern. the court decision as noted above. ..J65,l65 schools. Teaching in the systems are Sutton . each suc:<:e ~ivc yewr, he extended to This variation expresses itself not Gordon Browning, a former gover­ 20,827 white men and women and ~· hi~hcr gradC'. only in the individual's approach to 3,725 Negro teachers. Their pay scales nor, stated early in the campaign his EDUCATIONAL problems such as the one now facing are equal. opposition to desegregatiOn of the On June 10, U1c Nash\'illc c1ty LEGAL Tennessee, but also in real and im­ state's public schools. The clearest ex­ scltool board wns peUUoncd by pa­ portant differences, such as the un­ pression of his stand on the issue on rents of three white children to admit Fotu· days aflc1· the high court LEGAL PROVISIONS ruled on segregation, Tennessee's even distribution of U1e Ne!,'l'O school As a final point for background, July 31, when he said, "There will be their children to a Negro elementary population between East and Middle no mixing of the races in the public school this fall. The fatl1ers of U1e state attorney general, Roy H. Beeler segregation ln the public schools is said: "It looks as Uwu~th the and West Tennessee. This disparity is based on Tennessee's constitution and schools of this state wllile I am gov­ children involved a1·e pro!e~rs in court Illustrated by the following figures­ ernor . and I shall use the full in­ the mathematics dep;u iment rnor's 1·ace (ilie final vote canvass Advancement of Colored People Re sion.

On June 9, the State Board of Ed­ Supt. Trent also told Tlte Gazette by tht hoard of education to integra~ ucation threw open the doors of nine that "by and large, the reception has state colleges to Negroes. A day later all schools. The latest word is that, been favorable to de-segregation in more gradual changeover is planned West Virginia West Liberty State College ne~ West Vu·ginia." Some of the complainants now sa!' ';nt:s Wheeling admitted a Negro student NAACP leaders applauded Kana­ for the first time in its 116-year his­ Lhcir objection was more toward tht CHARLESTON, W.VA. $2,115,000,000, with $69.7 million ear­ tory. wha County's plan for complete in­ bo!IJ·d's dictatorial policies than to· } CNORING crystal balls and prophets tegration by the fall of 1955-56. marked for schools. In other words, Th<' state board acted upon a June wa1·d integration, but this may bt' of doom, most West Virginians 3.3 pet· cent of the West Virginia's in­ 1 opinion from West Virginia's at­ "I am highly pleased wiU1 lhe way taken with a J:train of salt. waited patiently Cor the Supreme come was spent on schools. torney general, which said in part: Mr. Flynn has pt·oceeded," said T. G. Wood County, wiU1 a total 13,9H Court's May 17 decision outlawing Nutter, president of the NAACP's There were 420,577 white and 26.- It Is our considered opinion that West pupil r~~istralion last vear. has de­ set,'Tegated schools. West Virginia ConiN·ence (Virgil L. 133 Negro pupils (5.85 per cent) en­ VIrginia Unlvenlty must now ndmll any cided on n partial plat llel"SCTl who npplles for admission re­ int~ation Educators adopted an attitude of: t-olled in state schools in 1952-53. And Flynn is superintendent of Kanawha under which Negro and whtte schoob !Jf.l. "Let's cross thl' segregation bridge gard!~ of race; provided, however. that County Schools.) ;:d Tf U1er<: has been litUe change since auc:h applicant shall !ullill all of the re­ will h<' mixed in the first and nintl when we come to il." 1949-50 when 5.82 per cent of the quirements then prescribed by entry No "Mr. Flynn is to be complimented grades. ':cr~ And most citizen~ awaited the rul­ school population was Negro. prospective student may be refused ad­ upon thus far taking the right steps ~ mission be<:ause ol his race. ing with an attitude the president of Figures on current expenditures towa1·d de-segre~nting the schools " Rnndolph County, which is report· ~~~· the State Board of Education de­ per pupil, broken down for white and When school superintendents met sa1d WillArd L. Bronn, president ~£ ed to Jun-e 90 N~gro pupils, is re­ ': lSS3 scl'ibed as "a wise calmness." Negro childt·cn, aren't available. But fm· their annu:tl conference at the end the Charleston branch. t>Orted rnovmg ohcad wiU1 a new one­ of July, Supt. Trent said: school systcm thb fall. Other coun· On Sept. 20, 1953, scvet·al leading on a net enrollment basis, $154.72 was Nutter urged "everybody lo co­ In spite of prejudices, desegregation Is ti~, with oven Ccwer Negroes, plan­ state educators told The Charletston spent j)CJ' pupil (white and Negro) in operat~ in helping Mr. Flynn to put moving forward tn West Vlrglnln. nmg lo do the same include Pendle­ Gazette that a gradual integration of 1951-52. For the same year, $171.87 over Ius mtegration program." In the majorJty of counties, some action ton Hardy, Monroe and Brooke. All white and Negro students could be was spent per pupil on an average hnt bt>en taken. "There i!: a general ((•cling that de­ told, the last four have less than 250 worked out peacefully in West Vir­ daily attendance basis. ... Complete desegregation will com!' segr.cgation should be carril"d out in ginia. !n West Vlrginia's public: schools In a Negroes attending public schools. Immediately after the Supreme reasonnble time without force Md In the sp1r1t as well ns in letter in West Vir­ The state's public school are or­ Court outlawed segregation in public absence of legal action. !tinia," he added. SEYERAL U:\"DECIDED ganized on a county- unit basis, with schools, Go\', William C. Marland and A survey of school officials dlScloses Counlic~ t'cported still undecided 55 non-partisan boards or education W. W. Trent, state superintendent of FOUR INTEGRATION PATTERNS that approximately 25 countv boo.nls mclude Cabell, :\.!organ, Marion, Me­ (clected by the pe-ople) directing the free schools, said West Virginia in­ He oul.lincd four patterns of in­ ?I educ~tion have at least discussed Do\\ ell, .JefTct·son, Hancock, Ohio scllools. Under the couJity-unit sys­ tended to abide by the court's deci­ tegration under way in West Virglnla. mteg~ating pupils this fall. Some Lo~an. Minoo and Raleigl1, with a tem, actual control of the schools Hes sion. l In counties where no Negro tcac:hera counties are awaiting a "clarification" total cnrollmcnt of 108.000 wilh no on the local level. On June 1, Supt. Trent w1·ote a wero employed la.sl yenr. Negro pupils have been or will be a&slgned to loc:nl o£ ~he U.S. Suprem<' Court decision division available. The :state superintendent o£ free letter to county school supexintend­ schools nlung with whites. while o~l.ers have delayed any defi­ Taylor County is toying with a schools, who acts as a supervisor, ls en ts, which in part said: 2. Negro schools have been abolished rutc action. elected for a four-yeat· tenn. The In 'a rew counties.' "right of choice" policy for the timt As segregation Is unconsllluUonal 3 Negro students, who have been Best estimates are tl1ai 30,000 white bcmg, whik MC'n·er, Berkely and West Virginia Doard of Education. of boards should, In my opinion, begin tm­ transJ>orted to other c:oun tie5 to attend medlotely to reorganize and readjust a~d Nt;~o pupils will step over West MJJ:eral Count it-s have suspended any which ilie supet·intendent is an ex segregated schools. will be absorbed In ~Jrguua s 91-year-old color line to sit theu schools to compl.y with the Supreme their toea I schools act1on until the hi~h court hands officio member, determines the educa­ Court declsle>n stdc by side. The first real test will tional policies of the state. ot Counties In which school5 will lJt' down a decree. As both race=- ore Indicating a willing­ resumed as lhc~· were last yc>ar will tMke­ come tn MonongaHa county were 274 The board, appointed by the gover­ ness _to cooperate, to prove their patience \'Olunlnry adjustments during the school Negro pu~ils will be mtcgr3tcd Sept. Kannwha and Fayette Counties. by gJving time for relldjustment, and to yt'ar as conditions J>('m11t•• nor, also makes rules lor carrying into 1 I.t aiS? 1S the site o£ Wc:;t Virginia tot.a.l t•nrolhm·nt 69,52·1 and 5.678 Ne­ respect 'l<:hool nuthoriUea, neither force Kanawha County. Wes~ Virginla'li dfect laws and policies of the state nor lrgnJ oc:Uon should bf1' necessary to Um~crstty in Morg:mtown which will groes last teJ'Tn. have delayed integra­ relating to education. It controls all effect compliance wltlt the decision of the largest county where Cl1arleston, the offiCially accept undet·graduate stu­ tion until 1!>55-56, although Charles· state colleges, except West Virginia Supreme Cou.rt. capital city, is located. will follow lon, in Kannwha County, accepted path No.4. deJ_lts. although the practice was University and Potomac State Col­ Trent stressed that integration must qtuetly :;tartcd several years ago after Negroes du1·ing the :; umm~r school lege, which are run by a separate Separated buses and a few isolated, Negroes were permitted lo do grad­ te1·m. St. Albans High, also in Kana­ be worked out on the county level probably will be WVU Board of ~vcrno rs. with each school system adopting de~ o~e-.room ~hools uate work. wha, has had four Negroes apply In 1950, West Virgmia's per capita chnunatcd m September, with com­ for admittance but County Supt.. segregation techniques to cope with plete integration scheduled for the Uppor~ the operations of the from Mrs. D. B. Wieland, secl'etel'y, local and slate leaders in the southern that "we do not consider it approp­ area, a1ld particularly school admin­ SERS. At tins time I would like to ~ Origin of School System indicate the willingness of Peobody riate at lhis time to disclose full de­ Istrators, in developing practical and tails as to our procedures and ac­ Tlte Negro und t/u? SchooL~ sharply coru;tructive solutions to their own College to occcpt this grant in bchali t il£ S'&GRO AND TJIE SCJI OOLS. By complishments." define:. lhe ma)or problems now £ac­ particular school problems by sup­ of U1e SERS and to render the Jiscal u.arn' s. Ashmore. Universil) of 1\.orlh services described in Mr. Dabney's As part of U1e readjustment init­ CarOiiJla Press. Chapel 0111 , l\, C. S27S ing the SouU1em states-whether plying them with objective facts iated by lhe Supr·eme Court decision, • a11d $J.50. they choose to move towru·d inte­ about the developments ln other letter. I believe you have on file a copy the Housmg Authority of Baltimore · T he Negro und tlte Sl'llools, pub- gration of their traditionally separnte communitles. We also understand City decided on June 26 to ellminute lished by lhe University of Norlh schools, or attempt to maintain seg­ thut Mr. C. A. McKnight, editor of of a letter from the Bureau of In­ ternal Revenue ce•·tifying the tax­ segregation in its thi•·teen low-rent • CarOlina Press on the eve or the regation in lhc face of the Cou1·t deci­ Tlte Clun·lotte News bas agreed to public housing pl'ojects. Several • United States Supreme Court I'Uling sion. The book also contains charts serve as executive director of this exempt status o{ Peabody College un­ der Section 101-6 of the U.S. Internal months will be required to put the • in the school segregation cases, has and tables with the latest figures, program for the coming year, that new policy Into effect, G. Cheston earned general acceptance in both stales by state, that go into the meas­ headquarters have been established Revenue Code. l wish at this time to certify that. this tax-exempt status Carey, clullrman of the authority ex­ the South and non-South as the most urement o£ both the progres:; and m Nashville, Tennessee, and that ar­ plained, but immediate steps will be complete and objective work of its deficiencies of the dual school system rangement:; lwve been made to re­ is still valid. Sincerely, taken toward "eliminating the facto• kind available to educators and lay­ The book lS the first product of cruit a small staff to work with Mr. Henry H. Hill of race in the selection of eligible men who are concerned with the research conducted by some 50 ex­ McKnight. ln addition, we under­ tenants." The change, which some ob­ perts in the various fields involved, stand that eighteen field con·espond­ practical results of the historic new New York, N.Y. servers believe wiU pose more ptob­ legal precedent. most of them staff members of South­ cnts have been selected to provide lems than scl1ool integration, was ern universities. The undertaking the basic information from the Dis­ July 14, 1954 The book, written by Harry S. Ash- Dr. Henry H. Hill, President made in recognition of "a clear lrcnd 1110re, a native of South Carolina and was f!IUU\ced by a grant from the trict of Columbia and tbe :.eventeen toward the abandonment of policies Fund for the Advancement of Ed­ states whose public school laws are George Peabody College for Teachers now executive editor of the Arkunsas Nashville, Tennessee sanctioning segregation." Gazette, traces the history of bi-racial ucation, an independent ag<·ncy es­ affected by the recent Supreme Court 1 education in the United States from tablished by the Ford Foundation. opUllon. Dear Dr. Bill: its inception in the post- Civil War Three subsequent volumes arc sched­ We note from your Letter that the Texas period to the time of the Supreme uled for early publication, developing proposed budget for the coming year ~K you so much for your let- Court decision. the researchers' findings in more de­ is an initlal estimate and that you of July 6 to Mr. Faust. We ap­ Continued Ft·om Page 11 tail in the fields of public school ad­ preciate your willlngness to acc..-ept Here are set forth the major legal propose Lo review the whole question compulsory segregation. Local boards ministration and finance, the actual the gt·ant in behalf of the Southem have taken these requests under ad­ ' trends under which the states were of the future of the SERS after the experience of non-Southern com­ first six or nine months o[ operat1on Education Reporting Service, and 1 visement. According to one view, allowed to maintain "separate but murutics that have made the transi­ have written to Mr. Dabney that we there will be no effort made in court equal" public schools under the and that at an earlier date you will tion from segregation to integration, review the adequacy of the estimated are making the grant to George Pea­ to admit a Negro to public school m Ple1s11 doctrine enunciated by th<· and the experience of Southern uni­ budget. We shall, of course, be body College for Teachers. A copy Texas until the U.S. Supreme Court Supreme Court in 1896, and over­ versit~s with integration. These will pleased to discuss these questions of my letter is enclosed. writes its decree. The appearances turned by the Court in May. But the also be published by the University with you whenever you feel it ap­ Thank you also for the vel"ification before locnl boards, according to thl'> • legal history is developed in the con­ of North Carolina Pres. propriate. We note that in your let­ of your lax-exempt status. You will v'iew, arc mainly efforts o! Neg1·o text of the continuing change in 1·ace Thc Ne{tro and the Schools was ex­ tCJ' you emphasize that the Fund be receiving a check in a few days. leaders to get on record and lo con­ relations in the nation-the univer­ tensively and sympathetically re­ could not or should not commit it­ Sincerely, vince thetr followers that the pressure sal acceptance of legal segregation in viewed by most of the nation's news­ seJ! to additional support beyond John K. Weiss for ending segregation will be kept the Booker T. Washington era in the papers, and has been universally June 30, 1955. Assistant Vice President up. South, the return of the franchise to praised for its objectivity. It is be­ In some counties, particularly West the Negro in the thirties and the un- With lbese understandings, I am ing used as a handbook by many pleased to advise you that the Fund Texas where there are few Negroes. 1 leashing of new political forces, the educators as they carry out. one o{ local authorities might welcome :1 admlsslon of Negroes to Southern is grunting $96,700 to George Peabody Maryland the work's major premises-"in the College for Teachers, in accordance chance to admit all children to the universities m the posl-World War II 7 end the new patterns will have to be to Continued from Page same school. Transporting a few chil­ era, lhe ending of segregation in ~e wilh your l'equest, support. the ac­ hammered out across the table in tivities of the Southern Education cational leaders of Baltimore "for dren. sometimes 50 miles or more anned services, and the new anh­ thousands of scattered school dis­ their immediate implementation of dailv, is inconvenient and expensive. discrunination policies adopted by Reporting Service for the period be­ trict:;, and they will have to be shaped ginning June 6, 1954 through June 30, the Supreme Court decision" and also In s~ch ru·eas, racial prejudice usually 1 both major political parties. the state superintendent of schools to accommodate not only the needs 1955. This grant supplements our is less than in places where Nt>groCS and the State Board of Education "for Here too is a charting of population but the prejudices of whites and Ne­ earlier gt·ant of $2,500, described in live in great numbers. the unequivocal statement o{ intent trends in the periods of great out­ ~oes to whom these problems are my lclt.er addressed to Mr. Herbert Most Texas Negroes live in the migration o! Negroes from the South, not abstractions but the essence of Clru·k of George Peabody College to conform to the mandate of the Su­ eastern third of the state and in cities preme Court." which have pulled down the regional their daHy lives." dated June 23, 1954, thus aggregating like Houston and Dallas. proportion of Negroes to whites and The book is available in both hard­ a total allo!mcnt of $99,200 to this ACTION OF CONFERENCE ONLY ONE INCIDENT altered some of the basic social com­ back and paper editions at all book­ program for the period indicated. putations which bad determined the stores, and also may be ordered in The conference heard reports on The only violence in Texas so far patterns of racial relationships. quantity at discount rates direcUy We have received word from the problems which may arise from attributed to the school segregation from the University of North Care­ President Hill that the George Pea­ integration and adopted a series of occurred on July 18 in Sulphut· While making no attempt to argue body College for Teachers will be "assumptions." Three of these were Ute case for or against segregation, linn Press, Chapel Hill, N.C. Springs, Northeast Texas. happy to render fiscal and accounting as follows: Two shotgun blasts and seven .38 services for the SERS from the pres­ We assume t.hlll In eacll county specific caliber pistol slugs were fired into a!ter Ute first six to nine months of ent time through June 20, 1955. We plans will be made !or preparing teachers the home of Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Ridge Correspondence opera~lon. Naturally, we are not at ru·e delighted with this arrangement and admlnlstrntlve personnel, boU1 white at night, when the couple was away. this time suggesting or requesting and 1 am taking the liberty of send­ and Negro, tor integrated schools. We be­ lieve lhere ore many negallve taetot'll. Ridge is local chairman of the Continued From Page 1 that the Fund for the Advancement ing President lUll a copy of this let­ emotional and attitudinal, which cnn be NAACP and had petitioned the Sul­ onlhe publication of a monthlypubli­ or Education commit itsell ln any ter. We assume that you and Mr. Mc­ ellmJnated throu1h careful planning and phur SprinS$ school board the week c:auon £rom September, 1954, througn way to support beyond June 30, 1955. Knight will submit a report of the preparation. We U$WRC: lhnl there will be ~ltlc before to admit Negt-oes. January, 1955, and a semi-monthly We appreciate the fact that the activities of the SERS shortly follow­ plans for preparing pupils, boU1 Negro The Associated Press reported that publication from February through Fund has already made a deposit of ing June 30, 1955, including an ap­ and whit~. tor Integrated schools. Chll· "For two years, parents of severaJ • June 1955 a total of 15 issues at an $2,500 to the George Peobody College propriate financial acounting for our dren retleel In their personalities the Neg.·o school children have been ; •cost of $1,000 per .. mores ot lhe community In which lhey es~nted issu~ for Teachers to be used in defraying records. As is customary in such live. Planning and preparation will pay picketing the town's only school fot· ? Other unknowns include the number t·ost.'i of inllial establishment of the cases, any portion of the !u_nds not large dlvldt'llds In Americanlsm. Negroes on grounds its facilities are or persons other than our regular SERS and we understand that this used for the purposes of this grant The school children are but one popu­ not equal to those for white child1·en correspondents who will be needed, lation of many concerned with lhll prob­ amount will be treated as an advance are to be returned. lem. We assume that each county will Ridge has smd he has nothing to do and the exact cost of printing and payment against the anticipated grant We propose to make payments un­ make spedflc plans to enlist the coopera­ with the picketing." mailing. herein requested. der this grant according to the fol­ tion of parcntt. community leaders and Texas educators, discussing !;~­ Our present budget projections, we Provil;ions have already been made community ngencl~. both N~jp'O and lowing schedule: $25,000 in July, 1954; white. In the development of positive at­ regation. usually point out that believe, are minimum and modest, with the business office of Peabody $25000 in October, 1954; $25,000 in titudes !or Integrated schools. Spanish-speakinf{ students in Texas and we expect to re-examine them College to maintain a full and ac­ Jsr:uary, 1955; and $21,700 in April, add to the difficulty of their problem. after the fmt three months or so of cumle record of all expenditures of Whether the counties will under­ This racial minol'ity, about as numer­ 1955. take any such preparatory program operation. Our Board bas felt lt. wise the SERS and to render a full ac­ is the Fund's policy not to make ous as Negroes, are a social. health It depends on the findings of lhe com­ not. to attempt to look beyond June count.in~ to the Fund for the Ad­ and economic problem also. Most of public announcements of grants, but mittee of school superintendents set 30, 1!155 with respect to the opera­ vancement of Educatlon for the peri­ rather to leave this to the grantee. these children come from Mexican lions of Ute Reporting Service. The od beginning June 6, 1954, and ending up by the State Board of Education to parentage. We would, however, appreciate re­ study the ways and means of bring­ decision on this matter can best be June 30, 1955. It is also understood cehd by the Court. J lhe validity of segregabon m the I ware. They are premised on different. decided shortly after its adoption, the sion." Such considerations apply with facts and cliiTercnt local conditions, Court interpreted it as proscribing all odded Coree to children in grade and public schools of the DistrJct of but a common legal question justifies state~imposed discriminations against high schools. To separate them from Coumbia. The petitioners, nunors of Mississippi 0 their consideration together in this the Negro race. The doctrine of "sep­ others of similar age and qualifica­ the Negro race, allege that such seg­ Continued !rom Page 8 consolidated opinion. arate but equal" did not make its tions solely because of their race gen­ regation deprives them of due process of white students of 238.977 (m 1 ~~ ll appearance in this Court until 1896 erates a feeling of inferiority as to of law under the Fifth Amendment In each o! the cases, minors of tho 51 it was 247,306) out o! an enrol! ~tl· in the case of Plessy v. Fe-rguson, their status in the community that They wc.•t·e refused admission to a Netp·o 1-ace, through their legal rep­ ment of 272,549 (m 1950-51 it ,_..... ~" supra, involving not education but may affect their hearts and minds in public school attended by white chil­ resentatives, seek the aid of the courts 2!U,5l0), and 225,399 Negroes r· ~It in obtaining admission to the public transportation. American courts havo a way unlikely ever to be undone. dren solely because of their race. since labored with the doctrine for The effect of this separation on their They sought the aid of tl1e Di:.trict 1950-51 1t wns 247,306), out of an et I ~'~~ schools of th.eir community on a non­ 1 ollment o! 271,856 (m 50-51 it .~ segregated basis. In each instance, over half a century. In this Court, educational opportunities was well Court for the Distnct of Columbia in 274,605). I i:;l they had been denied admission to there have been six cases involving stated by a. finding in the Kansas case obtaining admission. That court dis­ schools attended by white children the "separate but equal" doctrine in by a court which nevertheless felt missed their complainL. We granted The school census o! 1952 of ed11 ~ ¢ under laws requiring or permitting the field of public education. In Cum­ compelled to rule against the Negro a writ of certiorari before judgment cable children. U1o-se between 6 "" • segregation according to race. This ming v. Co-un'y BoaTd of Education, plaintiffs: in the Court of Appeals because of 21 years of age, listed 398,866 wht ' segregation was alleged to deprive 175 U.S. 528, and Go-ng Lu:m v. Rice, "Segregation of white and colored the importance of the consliLutional and 496,913 Negroes. Hence, 55 ¢ the plaintitJs of the equal protection 275 U.S. 78, the validity of the doctrine children in public schools has a question pre::.ented. cent of the eduexplained that the offict11 ~:t. ¥overnmental objective, and thus it filling dual jobs now and in SeptG:l· ~:q: determJned with any degree of cer­ cratic society. It is required ln the parties in formulating decrees the 1mposes on Negro children of the be1· will be needed during the unmc· ":ir:';.;l tainty. performance of our most basis public cases will be restot·ed to the d~cket, Distr~ct of Columbia a burden that and the parties are requested to pre­ diote transition into an integraud •iJl:.-, responsibilities, even service in the consht~tes an arbitrary deprivation SCDOOL SYSTEM THEN school system. As time goes an "~t armed forces. It is the very founda­ sent further argument. on Questions 4 of thetr hberty in violation of the An additional reason for the in~ tion of good citizenship. Today it is ond 5 previously propounded by the Due Process Clause. Corning said, new jobs may be Cl'f" . for this atcd for these officials as the school ~~li conclusive nature of the Amend­ a principal instrument in awakening Court the rea1·gument Term. In view of our decision the that system expands its S<'rvices to chi!· . r~ ment's history, with respect to segre­ tbe chlld to cultural values, in pre­ The Attorney General of the United Constitution prohibits the states !rom gated schools, is the status of public paring him for later professional dren. ~tl:: education at that Ume. In the South, training, and in helping him to adjust the movement toward free common normally to his envil-onment. In these schools, supported by general taxa­ days, it is doubtful that any child may tion, had not yet taken hold. Educa­ reasonably be expected to succeed in tion of white children was largely in I ife if he is denied the opportunity the hands of private groups. Educa­ of an education. Such an opportunity, tion o! Negroes was almost non­ where the state has undertaken to existent., and practically all of the provide it, is a right which must be race were illiterate. In Iact, any ed­ made available to all on equal terms. ucation of Negroes was forbidden by We come then to the question pre­ law in some states. Today, ln con~ sented: Does segregation o{ children trast, many Negroes have achieved in public schools solely on the basis outstanding success ln lhe arts and of race, even though the physical sciences as weU as in the business and facilities and other "tangible" factors professional world. It is true that may be equal, deprive the children public education had already ad­ of the minority group o! equal ed­ vanced further in the North, but the ucation opportunities? We believe effect o( the Amendment on North­ that it does. em States was generally ignored in In Sewatt v. Painte-r, supra, in find­ the congressional debates. Even in ing that a s~o>gregated law school for the North, the conditions of public Negroes could not provide them equal education did not approximate those educational opportunities, this Court existing today. The curriculum was relied in large part on "those qualities usually rudimentary; ungraded which are incapable o.f objective