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PAGE 4—May 4, 1955—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.
^"YKLAHOMANS spoke out by a
nearly three-to-one majority
April 5 in favor of sweeping new
school finance measures, including a
provision merging the previously-
divorced white and Negro school
budgets. However, at month’s end,
the legislature remained bogged
down in committee arguments over
vitalizing the omnibus constitutional
amendment.
The “better schools amendment”
had been publicized as a financial
overhaul rather than a move toward
outright school integration, and went
to the voters without overt opposi
tion. The final election tally: 231,097
for and 73,021 against.
Only seven of the 77 counties
turned down the package proposal.
These were Texas (voicing strongest
opposition at 2,136 to 832), Beaver,
Cimarron, Harper, Love, Major and
Roger Mills Counties. All ar north
western ranching and wheat counties
having few or no Negro residents,
except for Love County, on the
southern border, which showed 115
Negroes of school age in the last state
school census.
GARY CALLS FOR ACTION
Gov. Raymond Gary, who openly
staked his political prestige on the
amendment, called for quick vitali-
zation action. But legislative infight
ing has prompted doubts as to wheth
er a new school code can be ham
mered out by May 15, when the
$105-per-week legislative pay period
ends. Events occurred in roughly this
order:
1. The House Education Committee
presented a complete new version of
the state school code, incorporating
vitalization of all the new amend
ments.
2. While this was being pulled and
hauled through the House, Rep. Bill
Langley, Stillwell, House Revenue &
Taxation chairman, introduced a
separate bill merely vitalizing the
new provisions. This bill slipped
through the House almost unnoticed,
with no debate, and was sent to the
Senate.
3. The Senate, thus given a starting
point for its own work, promptly be
gan revamping the Langley bill, and
lifting out portions of the bulky re
vised code to wrap into it. Fathered
by the Senate Education Committee,
this was fashioned as a 93-page sub
stitute for the Langley bill.
4. House members, frankly peevish,
realized they had forfeited further
decisive share in a major legislative
job, and quit work on their own new
code. After only 25 pages had been
considered, they advanced it out of
the committee of the whole without
reading the remainder. Only third
reading and final passage remained
pending.
Meanwhile, Bill Shipley of Okmul
gee, House education chairman who
has consistently opposed immediate
integration, washed his hands of the
whole job. “I’m sick and tired of
fighting,” Shipley told reporters. “I’ve
worked night and day for the school
people of this state, and all I hear is
blame for the things I’ve done
wrong.”
Neither in Shipley’s case nor in the
House impasse was integration the
prime controversy. Legislators ar
gued myriad problems, including
teachers’ salaries, county superin
tendents’ qualifications and what to
do about the newly-approved 15
million dollar bond issue for colleges
and universities and other state in
stitutions.
Both the House-revised code and
the Senate’s Langley bill substitute
specifically leave the state constitu
tion in shape to meet desegregation,
but do nothing to encourage school
mergers.
“We are preparing the bill so we
can go either way on segregation,”
said Oliver Walker, Dale, Senate
education chairman. “We are fixing it
so the local board can determine.”
A liberal transfer plan, with dual
bus systems where necessary, seemed
assured in the final version. Both
measures would retain “separate”
schools for children of the minority
race in each district. County superin
tendents would have authority to
designate which schools were sep
arate, and would have wide latitude
in authorizing transfers.
The original House revision fur
ther would permit parent groups to
vote or petition transfers en masse if
they so desired. In both measures,
transfers are possible without par
ents’ consent, provided the affected
child lives within one and a half
miles of the receiving school or is
provided with transportation. (It
should be noted that sections relat
ing to separate schools start on page
35 of the House revision, which means
that none of those portions were read
before the bulky bill was shoved
through the committee of the whole.)
The Senate’s Langley substitute
rather frankly anticipates that the
separate school plan will become ob
solete in light of new U. S. Supreme
Court rulings. Section 42 provides:
“If any of the provisions of this act
shall be adjudged to be invalid or
unconstitutional, such adjudication
shall not affect the validity or con
stitutionality of any of the other
provisions of this act.”
BUDGETS COMBINED
The only integration spelled out in
either bill is budgetary. Both versions
direct school boards to operate sep
arate white and Negro schools on one
budget. Oklahoma schools previously
had two entirely separate budgets.
Negro schools were financed by a
countywide four-mill levy, which
under the April 5 voters’ mandate
now becomes an unrestricted four-
mill levy to be doled out to all schools
on a per capita basis.
School forces outside the Senate
and House education blocs remained
silent on all the issues, and there was
no official protest from Negro or in
terracial groups on the apparent
trend toward discouraging integra
tion. Education leaders who mar
shalled unprecedented agency and
individual support for the better
schools amendment had publicly
stressed before the election that their
prime mission was a new and more
efficient financing system for all
schools.
as yet. Our Negro people seem satis
fied with their schools and the exist
ing system. The matter hasn’t been
pushed in the county, but it could be
a knotty problem.”
Berkeley County, Supt. James L.
Creasy: “We have no plans for inte
gration at present. We’re waiting for
final Supreme Court action since we
don’t think we have adequate infor
mation as yet.
“We have made no tests of public
sentiment on the matter, so we don’t
know what might develop—but I have
unbounded faith in the people of
Berkeley County. They would be ca
pable and willing to take the proper
actions when necessary.”
Braxton County, Supt. Roy B. Cart
wright: “Yes, we have integrated our
Negro and white students. We don’t
have too many Negro students, but
they are now attending Sutton high
school and two or three county ele
mentary schools.
“We have one Negro school that is
going ahead this year, but that is be
cause the students and parents
wanted to continue it. Its teacher,
incidentally, is an outstanding man
who has worked well to get things
done smoothly. We have never had a
word of protest on the issue, and the
Negro children have been accepted
without question.”
Harrison County: An assistant su
perintendent says that “we have one
Negro school still operating, but Ne
gro students are attending other
schools. Future problems haven’t been
weighed thoroughly enough to make
any statement about them.
“We had no trouble with partial in
tegration, but that’s about as far as
we can discuss the matter now. The
youngsters had their choice in what
schools to attend last fall and every
thing has been quite satisfactory.”
Cabell County, Supt. Olin Nutter:
“We have partial integration. Negro
and white children ride together to
and from school, and first and second
grade children have entered schools
most convenient for them. Regardless
of grade, if any hardship has pre
sented itself, other Negro students
have enrolled at white schools.
“We do not anticipate any problems
West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W. Va.
^7EST VIRGINIA, traditionally a
“border” state, remains in that
indefinite category in its actions to
ward segregation in public schools.
Last September, five months after
the original Supreme Court ruling
declaring the old doctrine of “separate
but equal” school facilities for white
and Negro children invalid, a survey
conducted by reporters for the
Charleston Gazette, found this picture
in West Virginia’s integration efforts:
Integration had been effected com
pletely in 12 counties; partially in 13
other counties. Eighteen counties had
taken no action on the issue; 11 had
no Negro pupils; and integration in
one county had been delayed by pro
test actions.
Now, nearly a year after the con
troversial decision by the Supreme
Court—and only days after the mat
ter was again debated before the same
high court in an effort to settle how
the first ruling should be carried out
—the picture remains generally the
same.
MORE INTEGRATION SEEN
There are prospects, though, that
with the opening of a new school year
next September more counties will
join the list of the “integrated.”
Studies toward this consolidation
are being made in several counties at
present, and in others school officials
report that integration should proceed
without difficulty or protests when
the Supreme Court makes a final def
inite decision on its implementation.
A fresh survey by the Gazette, in
which the superintendents of schools
in 19 counties were checked—more or
less at random—concerning their
present status and prospects for the
future, was conducted between April
14-16.
They were questioned directly on
their county’s present status regard
ing integration; what plans were be
ing made for the months to come; and
if they thought any public protests
might develop over integration.
The check brought replies like
these:
Kanawha County, Supt. Virgil L.
Flinn: “Our board has gone on record
that it will wait until the Supreme
Court issues its final decrees on the
matter before proceeding. I believe
that the Supreme Court will give
ample time for integration to be ef
fected if the states face the problems
in a sensible way.
“We’re not expecting any trouble
at all with our students when we do
proceed in Kanawha County, al
though protests might come from
some parents.”
Lafayette County, Supt. A. L. Walk
er: “Our county hasn’t attempted in
tegration yet, but we are studying the
issue at present. I couldn’t answer
anything concerning the possibility of
protests since I don’t know what will
develop.”
Mercer County: An assistant super
intendent reports that “we are wait
ing to see what the Supreme Court
does before taking further steps on
integration.”
McDowell County: According to an
assistant superintendent, “There has
been no desire, demand or interest in
the integration issue. It’s awfully hard
to answer about possible problems of
integration protests, though. They
could come.”
Mingo County: An assistant super
intendent reports that integration
action hasn’t been taken as yet. How
ever, “a committee was named earlier
in the year—and it is studying what
can be done to cope with the integra
tion issue when some decision is made
on it. So far they’ve aired the problem
at PTA and civic meetings. We hope
to move into integration smoothly.
“I think we’ll move into it without
trouble; of course, there might be a
few protests, just as there are to any
thing new, but we’re not expecting
any major difficulties.”
Logan County, Supt. Paul C. Win
ter: “We have no students integrated
Southern School News
Southern School News is the official publication of the Southern Education
Reporting Service, an objective, fact-finding agency established by southern
newspaper editors and educators with the aim of providing accurate,
unbiased information to school administrators, public officials and interested
lay citizens on developments in education arising from the U. S. Supreme
Court opinion of May 17, 1954 declaring segregation in the public schools
unconstitutional. SERS is not an advocate, is neither pro-segregation nor
anti-segregation, but simply reports the facts as it finds them, state by state.
OFFICERS
Virginius Dabney Chairman
Thomas R. Waring Vice-Chairman
C. A. McKnight Executive Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frank Ahlgren, Editor, Memphis
Commercial Appeal, Memphis,
Tenn.
Gordon Blackwell, Director, Institute
for Research in Social Science,
University of N.C.
Harvie Branscomb, Chancellor, Van
derbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
Virginius Dabney, Editor, Richmond
Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Va.
Coleman A. Harwell, Editor, Nash
ville Tennessean, Nashville, Tenn.
Henry H. Hill, President, George
Peabody College, Nashville, Tenn.
Charles S. Johnson, President, Fisk
University, Nashville, Tenn.
C. A. McKnight, Exec. Director Sou.
Education Reporting Service
Charles Moss, Executive Editor,
Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tenn.
Thomas R. Waring, Editor, Charles
ton News & Courier, Charleston,
s. c.
Henry I. Willett, Superintendent of
Schools, Richmond, Va.
P. B. Young Sr., Editor, Norfolk
Journal & Guide, Norfolk, Va.
CORRESPONDENTS
ALABAMA
William H. McDonald, Editorial
Writer, Montgomery Advertiser
ARKANSAS
Thomas D. Davis, Asst. City Editor,
Arkansas Gazette
DELAWARE
William P. Frank, Staff Writer,
Wilmington News
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Jeanne Rogers, Education Writer,
Washington Post & Times Herald
FLORIDA
Bert Collier, Staff Writer, Miami
Herald
GEORGIA
Joseph B. Parham, Editor, The
Macon News
KENTUCKY
Weldon James, Editorial Writer,
Louisville Courier-Journal
LOUISIANA
Mario Fellom, Political Reporter,
New Orleans Item
MARYLAND
Edgar L. Jones, Editorial Writer,
Baltimore Evening Sun
MISSISSIPPI
Kenneth Toler, Mississippi Bureau,
Memphis Commercial-Appeal
MISSOURI
Robert Lasch, Editorial Writer, St.
Louis Post-Dispatch
NORTH CAROLINA
Jay Jenkins, Staff Writer, Raleigh
News & Observer
OKLAHOMA
Mary Goddard, Staff Writer, Ok
lahoma City Oklahoman-Times
SOUTH CAROLINA
W. D. Workman Jr., Special Cor
respondent, Columbia, S. C.
TENNESSEE
James Elliott, Staff Writer, Nash
ville Banner
Wallace Westfeldt, Staff Writer,
Nashville Tennessean
TEXAS
Richard M. Morehead, Austin Bu
reau, Dallas News
VIRGINIA
Overton Jones, Editorial Writer,
Richmond Times-Dispatch
WEST VIRGINIA
Frank A. Knight, Editor, Charles
ton Gazette
MAIL ADDRESS
P.O. Box 6156, Acklen Station, Nashville 5, Tenn.
whatsoever and are going right
ahead.”
Ohio County, Supt. J. P. McHenry:
“We haven’t done too much toward
integration as yet. We invited Ne
groes to attend schools of their choice,
and 12 entered white schools al
though most returned to Negro
schools. We’re really awaiting some
directive on the matter. We plan to
go along with integration and expect
no trouble.”
Monongalia County, Supt. Rex
Smith: “We have completely inte
grated both pupils and teachers. Last
summer we held meetings with Ne
gro groups to work out plans, and
we’re expecting no trouble in the fu
ture unless something completely un
foreseen might develop.” (Monon
galia County was the first in the state
to achieve complete integration).
Wood County, Asst. Supt. W. E.
Lawson: “We have integrated the first
and ninth grades, and intend to pro
ceed by grades on a yearly basis.
Things are working out all right and
we foresee all grades being integrated
on schedule.”
Barbour County, Supt. Bretsel Har
ris: “We faced some difficulties in en
rolling white students in Negro
schools close to their homes, but we
anticipate no trouble in the future.”
Taylor County, Supt. Virgil Rohr-
bough: “We are partially integrated.
Plans for the future haven’t been dis
cussed fully, but we expect speedy
integration. Two of our Negro teach
ers are teaching in formerly white
schools and are working out fine.”
Boone County, Asst. Supt. Wihn2 r
Dawes: “At present things are going
along smoothly, with 18 students at
tending white schools to take course-'
not offered at their schools. No reai
plans have been made for the future-
but we don’t anticipate any trouble
Greenbrier County, Supt. D. D
Harrah: “I have no comment to make
on the matter at present.” (Protest-'
last fall in Greenbrier county broug
postponement of integration actn"
ities.)
Raleigh County, Supt. D. W. Brf
son: “We haven’t gotten into the ma
ter at all as yet. We have no real pi
for the future, as we’re waiting
final Supreme Court action.
Wetzel County, Supt. S. R- y
“We solved the problem even be o
the original Supreme Court d ecl ^‘„■
We polled every family conce
and integrated Negro students
with
a integrated negro ] ^
objections. This affected oriy
Paden city schools—and this wl ? o0 i's
Negro youth was one of the sc
basketball stars and outstanding
letes.” ■ v e
On the state level, counties
been encouraged by the office o (0
Supt. of Free Schools W. W. ™ re
proceed with integration as r^P ^
as possible, but implementator
been left largely to the counties- ^
Among Dr. Trent’s recent ac 1 p ,
this field has been his announc . ^
that henceforth all students ^
examinations on West Virg inl
tory in competition to qualify , qC -
“Knight of the Golden H° TS
honor will be judged withou
to race.