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PAGE 12—June 8, 1955—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS Kentucky LOUISVILLE, KY. M AY found Kentucky waiting, as as it had for a year, for the Su preme Court’s expected ruling on schools. But it became apparent that even a June ruling would find many school systems unprepared to begin integration next September, because at such a late date, as one official put it, “we couldn’t work out the me chanics of the thing.” There remained “a possibility,” however, that the Louisville schools might begin inte gration this fall, and at least one other large system was reported ready to do so “if the Court ruling clears the way.” Jefferson County Supt. Richard Van Hoose said that nothing was be ing done toward integration in Sep tember, 1955, because “it would be imposible to work out the mechanics of the thing. And Morton Walker, president of the Louisville Board of Education, recently expressed the opinion that integration will not get underway until 1956. Public discussion of integration problems kept its usual pace before church groups, civic clubs, P-TA’s and other organizations. Mr. Van Hoose’s remarks, for instance, were made as a panelist at a meeting of the Kentucky Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers. Typical com ments from other panelists follow: “Integration is a community-wide problem and has to be solved on a community-wide basis,” said Sam V. Noe, administrative assistant to Louisville School Superintendent Omer Carmichael. “We know that we will have integration in the schools, but what about the churches, the picture shows, the hotels, the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A.?” “I hope,” said Mrs. James Tate, president of Youth Speaks, an or ganization of high school students, “that integration will be accom plished not only as integration but as integration with friendship.” “As young people,” said Miss Anita Taylor, a University of Louisville stu dent, “we can influence older people by letting them know we have the true spirit of brotherhood. Students are not interested in the color of your skin but whether you are good in mathematics.” Eleven Negro parents of Louisville school children filed suit in federal court during May asking that Louis ville be ordered to open all city parks to Negroes. A similar suit, filed in 1953 in Jefferson County circuit court, is before the Kentucky Court of Ap peals now. The federal suit asks that Louis ville’s officials be prevented from en forcing park-segregation regulations, in effect since 1924. The rules were adopted, after a group of white and Negro children had clashed in one of the city’s largest parks, in the form of a resolution stating that “it is neither desirable nor safe that white and colored people of the City should take their pleasures together.” MOST PARKS CLOSED In 1951 Federal Court ordered the city to permit Negroes to use mu nicipal golf course. Until Mayor An drew Broaddus modified the park regulations to some extent last month (as reported in Southern School News’ May issue), however, virtually all of the city’s parks were segregated—though not its univer sity, its 82 tot-lots and play-lots, two municipal playgrounds, five public golf courses, and its outdoor theater in Iroquois park. Under present con ditions, plaintiffs in the latest suit charge, Negroes “are denied the right to use any parks of the city except the smallst and most inadequate.” On May 18 Sen. Earl C. Clements announced appointment of a 17-year- old Louisville Negro to be a cadet at the United States Military Academy. He is Julius Elliott Price—first Ken tucky Negro appointed to West Point by a Kentucky member of Congress. One other Kentucky Negro at the Academy, who graduates in June, was appointed by the New York Ne gro congressman, Adam Clayton Powell. Young Price’s grades at Central High School averaged 93.9 per cent. He ranked fourth among contestants in the congressional regional ex aminations for the West Point ap pointment last January, but the top qualifier accepted a presidential ap pointment instead, the second-place candidate failed to take the second rounds of exams, and the remaining alternate was disqualified physical ly, leaving the appointment to Price. Delaware WILMINGTON, DELA. ^N INDICATION that the state de partment of public instruction— which is officially committed to inte gration on a gradual basis—is inter ested in a program of stimulating community thinking along the lines of integration, is a conference called for the early part of June. This is a conference of P-TA lead ers, school officials and class room teachers, and other interested citi zens, for a review of the problems of integration. This is not intended to be an action group but rather a discussion meeting, with the hope that the press will not be around to quote any one and thus allow these leaders to speak more freely. By the middle of June—after school officials have tapped public opinion and digested the U. S. Supreme Court decision—a clearer pattern of what can be expected in Delaware next school year will begin to develop. However, Wilmington, the largest city in the state, and a special school district that is not really under the jurisdiction of the state department of public instruction, is proceeding with an expansion integration plan for September, 1955. NEW CASTLE TO EXPAND The town of New Castle, six miles below Wilmington, is expected to ex pand its partial integration plan. In the town of Newark, 14 miles south of Wilmnigton, the school officials have not yet publicized any plan they may have for expansion of their pres ent partial integration policy. Dover, the state capital—and the southernmost community in Dela ware that has anything resembling a desegregation policy, is not expect ed to make any change in its current policy which is to accept Negro stu dents in the Dover high school, after they have passed an academic ex amination—the same that is given white students who are graduated from white elementary schools. This examination is to determine whether the youngsters are suited for the academic, college preparatory courses or would make out better in a voca tional school. In the meantime, school trustee elections held early in May through out Delaware indicated in some areas the determination of the voters in southern Delaware who went to the polls that they would not accept integration. The most interesting school trustee election was in Milford, Del., the scene of hectic, almost violent con troversy in September and October of 1954. The anti-integrationists won out. TWO SLATES OFFER There were two slates of candi dates, one composed chiefly of in cumbent members of the Milford School District Board of Trustees, who took this position on integra tion: “Integration is a national and state issue right now (as of early May) and not a local issue. “We intened to abide by our oath of office, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the state of Dela ware.” This was taken to mean that this slate, if elected, would abide by any decision of the U. S. Supreme Court. The other slate, supported by Bry ant Bowles, president of the National Association for the Advancement of White People, and a resident of Hous ton, Del., took the position that it was for segregation “for under this system in Delaware, both the white and colored children are being af forded an opportunity for the equal privilege of being educated.” SOUGHT PUBLIC MEETING This same slate, supported by Bowles, also declared: “We shall insist upon the observ ance of law and order and we pro propose to use every legal avenue available to protect the rights of the citizens of the Milford school district in the matter of segregation and in every matter vital in making and keeping this community a better place in which to live.” The Milford elementary school P-TA invited both slates to appear at a public meeting and state their views on a number of school ques tions including integration. The first slate appeared but the Bowles-supported slate declined, saying that emotions were already too wild and that the situation would only be more confused. The Bowles-supported candidates (who, incidentally, declared they had not sought support from Bowles) also said that “mounting tension” had been created in the community by their opponents and therefore they would not appear at the P-TA meet ing. The outcome of the election was a three to two victory for the Bowles- supported slate of candidates for the board of the Milford school district. About 3,200 of 5,000 eligible voters went to the polls on the date, May 14, and elected to the board were: Max Corder, a feed dealer; Crerar Bennett, a farmer and plumber; Ernest C. Macklin, an insurance broker, and George Robbins, a farmer. It is important to realize that the Milford school district embraces more than just the town of Milford. It also includes large stretches of farm country, rural areas and smaller towns. RECORD VOTE This was the highest vote ever re corded in a Milford district election for school trustees. In previous elec tions, a 700 tournout was normal. Milford was the only school board election area in Delaware where the integration-segregation issue was an expressed issue. The new board takes office July 1 and among its top major jobs will be the task of finding a new superin tendent for the school district and a principal of the Milford (white) high school. Dr. Raymond C. Cobbs had re signed as superintendent in April and soon after his resignation came that of M. Alexander Glasmire as prin cipal of the Milford high school. Neither man gave any specific rea son for quitting but it was generally accepted in the Milford area that they had decided to leave because of the conflict over the issue of in tegration. They had been verbally attacked by Bryant Bowles and their resig nations were considered added vic tories for Bowles and his influence in the southern section of Delaware. However, both men have received testimonials of good will on the part of many citizens of Milford. Other developments in Delaware: Church groups reaffirmed their po sitions in favor of integration. Delegates to the annual convention of the Episcopal diocese of Delaware, West Virginia CHARLESTON, W. VA. JNTEGRATION in schools pro ceeded on an orderly basis in West Virginia during May with the month’s highlight the admittance of the state’s two former all-Negro colleges to full membership in the West Virginia In tercollegiate Athletic conference. Effective next spring, the basket ball teams of West Virginia State and Bluefield State colleges will be eligi ble for the first time to compete in the state collegiate tournament at Buckhannon. It also means that the two colleges are “acceptable” for inter-team com petition in other sports, notably foot ball, but it is frankly felt it will be several seasons before the former all- white colleges compete with the for mer all-Negro institutions. However, as early as last fall, West Virginia State had both Negro and white play ers on its football team. The action admitting West Virginia State and Bluefield State was taken at Wheeling on May 9 on motion of Dr. Paul N. Elbin, president of West Liberty State college, who said that since segregation was abolished in West Virginia’s state-supported col leges, “It seems applicable that the admission of those two Negro colleges to the conference would follow logi cally.” VOTED EQUAL RIGHTS Three days later in Charleston members of the West Virginia Epis copal diocese “of other than the An glo-Saxon race” were voted equal rights. Then, on May 18, at Jackson’s Mill, the West Virginia Synod of the United Lutheran Church in Amer ica went on record against segrega tion in churches before the adjourn ment of its 43rd annual convention. The equal rights question in the state’s Episcopal diocese represents a constitutional change and must be voted on again at the 1956 council to make it effective. If it is favorable, which is expected, racial distinctions in the diocese will be abolished. The change affecting Negro parishes was supported by newly instituted Bishop Wilburn C. Campbell, who, along with the committee on constitution, recommended that the 10 words “whose members are of other than Anglo-Saxon race” be stricken from the constitution. While all this was going on a 27- year-old plant worker who once was “leery” of going to classes with Ne groes was being graduated on May 30 as the first white student to get a degree from West Virginia State college. He was one of 182 white stu dents who attended the former all- white school during the past term. The new graduate is C. Doyle Kes- ter of Dunbar, a Charleston suburb. Kester is an employee of the Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Co. plant at Institute, home of West Virginia State. “I was leery about enrolling. I had never been in a class with Negro stu dents,” Doyle said. COULD GET DEGREE He learned from Dr. Harrison H. Ferrell, the college’s dean, that he could get a bachelor of science de gree in education which, added to his bachelor of arts degree already ob tained from Davis and Elkins college, would permit him to teach. “I really have no plans for going in teaching,” he said. “It’s sort of an ‘insurance’ degree.” including clergy and laity from all parts of the state, adopted a resolu tion in favor of integration. The reso- ultion stated: “The Supreme Court’s ruling of May 17, 1954, is more than a matter of law and order. It is also a matter of religious faith and demo cratic principles. Judged in the fight of Christian principles, the court’s decision is just, right, and necessary.” The Peninsula Methodist confer ence, which embraces all of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, also adopted a resolution supporting racial integration in the public schools. A somewhat similar resolution was adopted by the Delaware State Bap tist convention. Doyle explained that he didn’t feel that he and other white students got better or worse treatment from the school faculty. “It’s just a classroom of students. The professors don’t see any colors, and neither do I.” This was in agreement with the remark of Dr. William J. L. Wallace, West Virginia State president, be fore delegates to the Southwestern Regional Conference, sponsored by the Southern Conference Education Fund, Inc,, in Houston, Tex., on May 17. Dr. Wallace told the delegates that racial integration at his institution has proceeded “harmoniously and smoothly.” “One of the first decisions of im portance to be made involved recruit ment,” Dr. Wallace said. “We de cided that the wisest policy to fol low would involve no recruitment steps among white high school graduates. It was thought best to wait and see what the acceptance of the college would be.” The attitude of Negro students to ward the influx of 182 white college mates was watched carefully, Dr. Wallace declared, adding that “no doubt there were some persons who resented the appearance of white stu dents on the campus.” But not a single student, the presi dent said, expressed opposition to the integration program during a survey of reaction which he con ducted. Some out-of-state Negro students “weren’t too enthusiastic” about the process, according to Dr. Wallace, but their feeling was partly prompt ed by an increase in out-of-state tui tion fees. Prior to the last term al most 50 percent of the West Virginia State student body had been com prised of registrants from beyond the state’s borders. NO RECRUITMENT The West Virginian took exception to a report published in the Southern School News of December 1, 1954. which he said was “misleading” in saying that a “determined effort seems to have been made by West Virginia State College ... to increase the number of white students . . .” The college made “no effort what soever” to recruit white students, Dr. Wallace said. Other action regarding integration in West Virginia schools involved the decision by the Taylor County board of education to close the one remain ing school in that county. Supt. R- Virgil Rohrbough said Garrison school, located in the Grafton city limits, closed at the end of the school year on May 27. The 127 students and teacher will be sent next fall to other previously all-white schools. This is the last of three Negro schools in the county to be closed in compliance with the U. S. Supreme Court’s ruling on segregation, Rohr bough said. Two other schools were abandoned at the beginning of the year and some 100 students and four teachers integrated into other county schools. Meantime, the board of education in large industrial Kanawha county, which includes the capital city °t Charleston, chose the first Negro to instruct white pupils. She is Katherine Brown Robinson, 43, 0 in large industrial Kanawha County- Institute, who will teach a s P ec , 1 ® “sight saving” class for children with impaired vision. Also in May, the House of Rep re ' sentatives of the Delaware Genera Assembly voted down a propose FEPC bill, the vote cutting across party lines and even zig-zaggi n & across regional lines of Delaware. Rep. Paul Livingston, the only Ne^ gro member of the House, a Demo crat and a resident of Wilmingto- who sponsored the bill, complain, that his fellow Democrats had him down. One interesting note in the vote that Rep. Mildred Tunnell of George town (the seat of the southern e°n g ty of Delaware) and wife °i e j a . former associate justice of the U ware Supreme Court, James M- nell Jr., voted in favor of FEE