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Reaction
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a] Continued From Page 2
’■ cautiously, carefully, and within the
i, Experience of our public,
i ''Personally, I see the Supreme
£ 0lIT t decision opening the way to
’ e aC hievement in full segregation in an
ly nrderly, intelligent manner.”
CIVIC GROUPS
Louis Redding, the Wilmington
it NAACP attorney for the group of
of >'egro children whose cause he ad
it located through the state courts and
Hi U p to the U. S. Supreme Court:
ts “The U. S. Supreme Court has
stated that a prompt and reasonable
k. beginning must be made. I don’t
* ^ow that the court could have used
at any more specific language.”
ol Bryant Bowles, president of the
id National Association for the Ad-
in vancement of White People:
re “I also think that the ruling was a
id little better than saying integrate
i- over a certain period of time, because
id I think that is letting them (the Ne
gro students) in the back door.”
i District Of
Columbia
>r SSN Correspondent Jeanne Rogers
le wrote from Washington:
“The Supreme Court said the
District has made substantial progress
in integrating its public schools.
“This specific reference to the na-
5 tion’s capital in the high tribunal’s
final, formal opinion on the end of
racial school segregation was taken
by some city officials as a compliment
to progress made—and by others as a
caution that the job of integration has
not been completed.
“Conceivably the District Court in
the near future could issue a simple
o order closing the books on the five-
year-old case of Bolling vs. Sharpe,
_ barring a claim that this procedure
violates the wishes of the Supreme
^ Court. The District Court also will be
available to petitioners who might
n challenge the board of education’s
. Program of integration.
n “The District case, assured of top
,f hilling in Constitutional law books of
j the future, was brought by parents of
,/ Spottswood Thomas Bolling and five
other Negro students who in 1950
e were denied admittance to then all-
■t w hite Sousa junior high school.
What They Said
it OFFICIALS
Milton D. Korman, assistant corp
oration counsel who represented the
e Cendant school board in the Wash-
m 8ton segregation case, called the
court decision “all right . . . but I’m
sorry the case wasn’t declared moot,
g w ? u P reme Court said just what
it j 6 a year ago, that the May 17
oeision struck down all laws re-
x , ’’‘'fing separate schools, leaving the
"tjog and method up to local school
au thorities.”
'*111 j?° nt k e ^ eve the District Court
tin > Ve muc h problem in winding
jh.me local case,” Korman said. He
' deo' • * enor °f the Supreme Court
' int IS1 ° n . p l ace d the responsibility of
E thaMv** 011 0n t ^ le sc h°°l board and
* : ess “ e eourt would not step in un-
’ thn a .' CaSe were made that these au-
C Sri! Ies , were “doing nothing.”
0 "j-i a °i Supt. Hobart M. Corning:
'Supremo Court opinion . . . has
f ^“^ediate an< i direct effect on the
Diji*. °n of the public schools of the
11 based this feeling on the
Pr 0 s statement that “substanial
■■ ess is being made here.
E ba Ve ' ' in °ur opinion, therefore we
! Court 3 rea dy accomplished what the
j the o 6x P ec ted.” Corning added that
e Pp wW Feme ^ourt opinion “points
the seh ^ oar d °i education and
advi ce °°} a dministration, upon the
^idea °* t * le corporation counsel,
,t Th ° a year ago.”
ity for'+vE 11 ^ now says responsibil-
n khoQi ,” e transition steps rests with
r Coming said. “This,
, decided a year ago,” Corning
it V * M - ^ba r Pc, school board
- ^^ion ( be wanted to read the
iN that << ore commenting. He ad-
u Sug a second-hand reports sound
n jjkee Margaret J. Butcher, one of
There srn° sc b°°i board members:
Djj* . are manifest inequities in
■ct integration which could
SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—June 8, 1955—PAGE 3
be remedied.” (Mrs. Butcher re
peatedly has said integration has not
moved fast enough here.)
“We’re making progress in Wash
ington, integration is improving, but
we’re not perfect yet. Ill work to see
the board of education gets the job
finished.”
Walter N. Tobriner, chairman of
the school board personnel commit-
te: “I don’t think it likely the school
board will be ordered to do anything
it hasn’t already done by the District
Court.”
Florida
SSN Correspondent Bert Collier
wrote from Miami:
“Florida’s first reaction to the Su
preme Court’s order of May 31 was
one of relief. Several bills pending in
the legislature were abandoned. So
was a move to extend the legislative
session, due to end June 4, so that
legislators could deal with the prob
lem.
“As the text of the Supreme Court’s
order moved over the teletypes of the
wire services, bulletins were read to
both House and Senate. They were
greeted with cheers.
“Speaker Ted David told House
members: ‘I think this is pretty good.’
“Rep. Farris Bryant of Marion
County, who had opposed segregation
legislation previously on grounds that
it was premature, and Rep. Prentice
Pruitt of Jefferson County, sponsor of
a series of anti-integration bills, im
mediately asked permission to with
draw their resolution asking auto
matic recall of the legislature when
the Supreme Court ruled.
“Both said no extra session is
needed at this time and their col
leagues generally agreed.
“Judge Emett C. Choate of the
South Florida district said he believed
the decision gives him authority to
order compliance, even though no
suits are filed in behalf of a Negro
child. He added that he is sure school
boards in his jurisdiction would work
the problem out so that it would not
be necessary for him to intervene.”
What They Said
STATE OFFICIALS
Gov. LeRoy Collins: “The Supreme
Court decision indicates that local
problems will be taken into con
sideration. We can continue to deal
with the matter soundly and sensibly
without furore or hysteria.”
He said he saw no need for further
legislative action “at this time.”
Atty. Gen. Richard W. Ervin, who
presented an “amicus curiae” brief
which contained suggestions closely
paralleling the Supreme Court order:
“No one can say how long it will take
to knock out the traditional separa
tion of the races in Florida schools
because it must be worked out on a
local basis, county by county.
“Conditions and attitudes vary so
greatly in different communities you
just can’t be sure how long it will
take. In some counties there may not
be any requests for admissions to
white schools, while other counties
may have serious problems. Ulti
mately it will be up to each county
school board.
“I hope the Negroes won’t be too
aggressive and that the whites won’t
be too defiant. The thing will have to
be worked out eventually, but it will
take time.”
Rep. Prentice Pruitt, the House’s
chief advocate of continued segrega
tion: “It (integration) may be feas
ible in Florida in the next 50 or 100
years. No one will say it is feasible
now.”
Sen. Edward G. Fraser, MacClenny:
“I definitely think it means an extra
session. I hope we can make some
provision to keep the schools segre
gated.”
Rep. Henry Land, Orange County:
“I think the decision was very reason
able and will give us adequate time to
work out integration in a sensible
manner on a local basis.”
Rep. J. W. McAlpin, Hamilton
County: “I am utterly opposed to any
form of mixing the races, now and
forever. I’ll be glad to come back to
the legislature at any time at my own
expense to keep Negroes out of white
schools.”
Rep. John B. Orr, Dade County: “A
reasonable approach.”
SCHOOLMEN
J. Crockett Farnell, school super
intendent of Hillsborough (Tampa)
County: “It will take time to work
out problems connected with the Su
preme Court order.” He said he and
his staff will make a thorough study
and recommend steps to the school
board. “I doubt the wisdom of trying
to make a beginning this fall,” he
added.
Rayburn T. Milwee, Seminole
County superintendent: “We’ve been
waiting for this. Now we’ll start dis
cussions at our next board meeting
on how to meet this order.”
W. R. Thomas, school superinten
dent, Dade County: “When I assumed
office I took an oath to uphold the
Constitution of the State of Florida
and the Constitution of the United
States. I hope state officials will take
immediate action to clear away some
of the confusion that now confronts
us. I do have some definite ideas on
the problem but I will not present
them until some action is taken on the
state level.”
Comment by local school board
members:
Dr. C. Raymond Van Dusen, Dade
chairman: “There is a lot of confusion
at present that will have to be
straightened out before we can move
smoothly in any direction. It will take
a gradual solution. There are many
administrative problems involved. I
don’t anticipate any added changes.”
Mrs. Anna Brenner Meyers, Dade
member: “I attended the hearings in
Washington when the briefs were
presented. I think the Supreme Court
is cooperating with states faced with
this problem. It is up to local boards
to take up the problem. We will
probably wait for some state direc
tive. We will have a plan to comply
with the ruling as soon as we reason
ably can.”
OTHER COMMENTS
W. Hayden Hamilton, president of
Florida States Rights, Inc., an organ
ization dedicated to “non-violent”
opposition to segregation: “I feel that
the Supreme Court realized it made
a mistake in May and is getting out
of it the best way it can. The people
of Florida will never desegregate.
They will find a way to circumvent
the decision.”
Sheriff Willis V. McCall, Lake
County, who has opposed desegrega
tion in speeches under the banner of
the National Association for the Ad
vancement of White People: “I feel
everyone knows how I stand. The Su
preme Court made the decision—let
them enforce it.”
Georgia
SSN Correspondent Joe Parham
wrote from Macon:
“Georgia reaction to the U. S. Su
preme Court integration ruling of
May 31 ranged from defiance to
hopeful acceptance.
“Official action by the state gov
ernment in any way on the integra
tion issue is considered unlikely at
this time however, since Georgia was
not a party to the suits. A special ses
sion of the state legislature is sched
uled in June, but it is to be called for
the revenue-raising purposes only.”
What They Said
STATE OFFICIALS
Gov. Marvin Griffin: “No matter
matter how much the Supreme
Court seeks to sugarcoat its bitter
pill of hyranny, the people of Geor
gia and the South will not swallow
it.
“The people of Georgia and the
present administration are deter
mined irrevocably that we are not
going to mix the races in the class
rooms of our schools and colleges in
Georgia. As long as I am governor,
and as long as the state of Georgia
operates its schools, that precept will
stand, the federal court to the contra
ry, nothwithstanding.”
Lt. Gov. Ernest Vandiver: “I think
the Supreme Court in some small
measure attempted to correct an ob
noxious decision.”
Atty. Gen. Eugene Cook said that
Georgia is not affected by the decree.
“I pledge that, so long as there is any
legal recourse remaining to us, she
will not be,” he added.
House Speaker Marvin Moate: No
more than we expected (but) we are
going to use all means possible to put
it (desegration) off in Georgia.”
House Floor Leader Demark
Groover, Jr.: “(The decision was) less
vicious than it could have been, but
that decision is not presently binding
on the state of Georgia.”
CONGRESSMEN
Sen. Walter F. George: “They (the
court) are saying to go slow, but to
go; to proceed with care. It is a cau
tionary order, very cautious in tone.
It is intended to appeal to the states
to help work out this problem.”
OTHER COMMENT
Marion A. Wright, president of the
pro-integration Southern Regional
Council: “Generous allowance has
been made for the wide variety of
conditions found in Southern com
munities; opportunity has been pro
vided for every community to work
out plans and preparations for or
derly compliance.
“The choices now to be made by
the Southern states are too impor
tant to our region, the nation, and
the world to be left solely to the
judgment of political leaders.”
Dr. J. S. Williams, president of the
Macon Chapter of the National Asso
ciation for the Advancement of Col-
orred People: “Every locality will
get at least one test. Any single vic
tory in Georgia would be a ‘good vic
tory’ because it would show that no
state can successfully and indefinite
ly defy the supreme law of the land.”
C. A. Scott, editor of the Atlanta
Daily World: “It (the decision) sat
isfies me all right. If they had set a
definite date, everybody probably
would have waited until the dead
line. A definite date would have been
a handicap. Local communities may
now be able to speed thiugs up.”
Dr. William M. Boyd, Georgia
president of the NAACP “(The de
cree) has given even the most recal
citrant southern states an honorable
way to conform to the decision.”
Dr. Rufus E. Clement, the only
Negro member of the Atlanta Board
of Education and president of Atlan
ta University: “(The ruling) offers
the people of the South an opportu
nity to work together constructive
ly.”
Educators differed in their views
on the implications of the decree, and
many school officials preferred not
to comment pending study of the
full text of the decision and consul
tation with legal advisers.
Dr. M. D. Collins, Georgia superin
tendent of schools: “The court has,
in effect, closed up the schools in
Georgia.” Dr. Collins said that un
less state laws are changed, taxes for
mixed schools can’t be levied.
William H. Shaw of Columbus,
president of the Georgia Education
Association, a statewide organization
of white teachers: “The court has
acted wisely in leaving wide discre
tion for a final determination of this
problem. The schools are closer to
the people than any other branch of
government. For this reason, if this
problem is solved it must be done on
a local basis ... It is my sincere belief
that both races will find a way to
solve this particular problem in
Georgia.”
Devereaux McClatchey, chairman
of the Atlanta Board of Education: “I
don’t think it is possible to say how
this decision is going to work until
we see it in action.”
W. C. Woodall, vice chairman of the
Muscogee County School Board: “I
think our handling of the situation
will be in line with the sentiment of
the white people of Georgia.”
Kentucky
SSN Special Correspondent John
Ed Pearce wrote from Louisville:
“Kentucky received the Supreme
Court decision ordering desegrega
tion of public schools within a rea
sonable time with a general air of
caution, but it is generally believed
that most schools within the state will
begin moves to integrate not later
than the fall of 1956.
“State officials were reluctant to be
quoted on the issue, but the tip-off
on the official attitude came when
Gov. Lawrence Wetherby, who last
year declared the state would abide
by the court’s directive, said he saw
nothing in the court’s recent decision
to make him change his mind or that
required a further statement.
“Superintendent of Public Instruc
tion Wendell P. Butler refused to
comment on the desegregation issue
“until I have time to read the deci
sion carefully.” Other officials fol
lowed suit, including Atty. Gen. J, D.
Buckman.
“There are several reasons for their
reticence. For one thing, Kentucky
is in the midst of a bitter guberna
torial race between Judge Bert
Combs and A. B. “Happy” Chandler,
and though the race issue reportedly
has been a subject for whispering and
campaign gossip, neither side has
been eager to bring the matter into
open discussion.
“Furthermore, all state school au
thorities are waiting for the June 23
meeting of the State Board of Educa
tion at which time it is expected that
the administration will adopt at least
a set of broad principles to guide local
school boards. State Board of Educa
tion officials have asked members of
the Governor’s Advisory Committee
on Desegregation to meet with the
board.
“Local Negro leaders were pleased,
however, by the announcement that
both city and county schools will
continue to use the Negro teachers
they now have after desegregation.
City superintendent Omer Carmi
chael said that faculties as well as
student bodies will be integrated, and
that ‘no teacher will lose her job be
cause she is a Negro.’
“One obvious victim of the court’s
new ruling was Kentucky’s 51-year
old Day Law, forbidding the instruc
tion of Negroes and white people on
the same premises. The law was
passed in 1901 to prevent the further
enrolllment of Negroes by Berea Col
lege which up to that time had taught
all classes on a non-segregated basis.”
What They Said
SCHOOL OFFICIALS
Omer Carmichael, Supt. of Louis
ville Public Schools: “I think we
need more time. A longer period ol
preparation and discussion will be
fruitful. This does mean, however,
that we will delay our plans to de
segregate. We had previously plan
ned to begin desegregation efforts in
the fall of 1956, and we still do.”
Jefferson County Supt. Richard
Van Hoose similarly said that he
regards the decision as “helpful.”
“It would have been absolutely im
possible for us to have integrated our
systems this year, for simple, physi
cal reasons—we didn’t have the class
room space this coming year for our
children, even under the divided
system, and it will be 1956 at the
earliest before we can hope to put
desegregation into practice.”
CIVIC GROUPS
Negro leaders, however, were
sharply critical of the city and county
policy.
“This policy of procrastination and
side-stepping is deplorable and very
discouraging,” said a statement issued
by the Kentucky Bureau of Negro
Affairs. “This organization condemns
the governor for ignoring the opinion
of Negro leaders on school matters
and appointing political hacks to state
boards and committees dealing with
integration and Negro education in
Kentucky.”
The Bureau is headed by Louisville
attorney C. Ewbank Tucker who an
nounced at the time the statement
was made public that a meeting of
Negro leaders was being held to con
sider further action on the state in
tegration issue.
James A. Crumlin, Louisville, state
president of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, said that he saw no reason why
Louisville and Jefferson County
schools should not be integrated at
once.
OTHER COMMENT
The Rt. Rev. Felix N. Pitt, secre
tary of the Catholic School Board of
Kentucky, said that his board has
been trying “to create an atmosphere
conducive to desegregation,” through
education of parents, and added that
he has hopes that integration can be
carried out in the near future in all
parochial schools. Already, he pointed
out, Negro and white students are
integrated in four Kentucky Catholic
schools, and have attended classes to
gether without incident for the past
year.
See REACTION on Page 4