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SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—MARCH 1958—PAGE 7
Corning Labels District Desegregation
WASHINGTON, D. C.
D r. Hobart M. Corning, who
retired Feb. 28 after 12 years
as head of the Washington school
system, declared desegregation in
the schools of the nation’s capital
has been “tremendously success
ful.”
In his final report to the board
of education, Dr. Coming said the
“superintendency of the Washing
ton public schools is a rugged
job” and that desegregation was
“the most significant, far-reaching
and difficult problem” of his ten
ure of office. District schools, he
said, underwent “the most far-
reaching reorganization which any
school system has been required
to undertake at any time.”
He admitted “we have not attained
the goal which was set at the begin
ning of my administration that the
schools of the nation’s capital should be
a model for the nation.”
SYSTEM HAILED
He emphasized that “we have a fine
school system” which has maintained
high standards of achievement. While
citing numerous economic and sociolog
ical factors which cause many children
to achieve below these standards, Dr.
Coming asserted that the schools are
“achieving gratifying results in raising
the level of accomplishment of all stu
dents.”
On the national front, Congress’ first
civil rights dispute this session broke
out in the House on Feb. 10 when it
was discovered the House Appropria
tions Committee failed to provide any
money to finance the new Civil Rights
Commission.
Civil rights advocates on both sides
of the aisle charged the commission was
denied funds without ever receiving a
committee hearing. In an unusual ac
tion, the House in effect ordered its
Dowerful Appropriations Committee to
hold hearings on the money bill.
CALLED ‘MANDATE’
This was interpreted by House Ma
jority Leader John W. McCormack
(D-Mass.) as “sort of a mandate” to the
committee “to take appropriate action
and report back to the House.”
Committee managers described the
fund shut-off as a “deferment” rather
than a denial of money and charged
the White House failed to “justify” the
$750,000 request for the commission. It
was noted the request was prepared by
persons not associated with the com
mission “and, in fact, there is not as
yet a staff director employed.”
Within a week, however, President
Eisenhower had selected Gordon Mac-
Lean Tiffany, former attorney general
of New Hampshire, for the $22,500 post
of commission staff director.
bring in new bill
On the same day that the House was
debating lack of funds for the com
mission, Sen. Paul Douglas (D-Dl.)
and other Democratic and Republican
senators co-sponsored a broad new
civil rights bill. In effect, it revives the
controversial Title III which provides
for enforcement of all constitutional
rights. It was stricken from last year’s
bill.
In addition, the Douglas bill provides
financial aid to school districts seeking
to eliminate segregation in public edu
cation. It specifically would make funds
available to communities that wish to
comply with the Supreme Court’s de
segregation decision but where, as in
Georgia and Virginia, the states threaten
to cut off funds or close the schools.
Former President Truman, speaking
at a Democratic fund-raising dinner
here, placed civil rights near the top
of five “principles” which he said
should guide the Democratic Party. He
declared there must be “full enjoyment
and protection of the civil rights and
liberties of every citizen in the land
regardless of race, creed or national
origin.”
DISTRICT SCHOOLS
The desegregation process in Wash
ington, retiring Supt. Coming told
school board members, was “somewhat
difficult” because since 1906 the public
schools attended by children of the
Negro race were staffed completely by
members of that race.
“This meant that at the time of de
segregation there was practically an
equal number of members of the offi
cers and teaching staffs of both races
to be considered in the over-all reor
ganization plan, a circumstance which
did not exist in any other city in the
United States,” Coming reported.
“In addition to this problem the pub
lic schools of the District of Columbia
were faced with an increased enroll
ment in which the Negro membership
had increased steadily.
SEES ‘COOPERATION’
“During this period, and still in
process, was begun the slower develop
ment of integration as a social change.
Relationships among all the people of
all races and varying economic and
cultural backgrounds in the public
schools are developing with remark
ably good results because of the splen
did cooperation and effective work of
teachers and officers aided by the con
structive efforts of the community.”
At a press conference when his final
report was released, Coming empha
sized that he believed desegregation in
Washington was “tremendously suc
cessful.”
In the conclusion to his report,
Coming also underscored his belief
that high standards of student achieve
ment have not been lowered “in any
degree whatsoever” by integration.
“This is stated positively,” he said,
“because too frequently we hear the
opinion expressed that the standards of
the schools have been lowered. . . .
BELOW GRADE LEVEL
“The reason for the comparatively
low average scores is that too many
children are achieving below the stand
ard level of their grade. This condition
should be interpreted in the light of
this explanation:
“The combination of the compulsory
school attendance law and the quirks of
sociology and genetics produce a pub
lic school student body composed of
individuals possessing a wide range of
interests and abilities within each age
group and each grade level. In Wash
ington, this disparity has been further
complicated by the great influx of stu
dents previously instructed under dif
ferent school systems, with different
set of standards and methods of teach
ing.
“The economic and social back
grounds of the students making up the
present integrated student body vary
all the way from the highly privileged
to the destitute. Some students are the
product of family backgrounds rich in
the elements of security, unity, coop
erativeness, culture and material well-
North Carolina
(Continued From Page 6)
Ben L. Smith, superintendent of
Greensboro schools, announced his re-
'rement effective June 30 in conformi
ty with the state retirement law and
^al policy since he became 65 years
°' age this month.
w as under Smith’s direction that
Greensboro city schools inaugurat-
a program of selective integration
°f the races last fall. Smith’s plans for
t^tirement had long been known to the
Greensboro school board and were not
c hanged by the integration develop
ments.
Since last fall when the first inte-
P^tion was accomplished, Smith’s
Wne has been the target of several
mostly rock-throwing inci
dents. Announcing his retirement Smith
praised members of the school board
for loyalty. Philip J. Weaver, assistant
superintendent, will succeed Smith.
MISCELLANEOUS
A witness in the Communist Party
membership trial of Junius Scales has
testified that she was taught at a Com
munist “re-education school” that some
172 American counties had the right to
form an independent Negro nation.
Mrs. Barbara Hartle, a witness for
the government, told the court she was
taught that Communist dogma holds
that these Negroes constitute a nation
with the right to secession from the
Union and the right to “self-determi
nation.”
In another class Mrs. Hartle said she
was taught the role of the American
Negro in the eyes of Communist
teachers was to serve as the peasant
class served in seizure of power in the
revolution.
# # #
being. Others come from broken homes,
environments where there is no par
ental leadership and counsel, inade
quate material provisions and prac
tically no climate for learning....
“At all levels the schools are achiev
ing gratifying results in raising the
level of accomplishment of all students.
These gains are being accomplished by
means of effective grouping of students,
remedial programs, strengthened em
phasis on certain areas of the curricu
lum and just plain good teaching.”
D.C. RANKS 13TH
The District, in spending $340.59 per
pupil in average daily attendance dur
ing fiscal 1956, ranked 13th in total
current expenditure per pupil among
the nation’s 18 largest cities, he said.
The District ranked 44th in compari
son with the per capita education ex
penditure in the 48 states. It tied with
Alabama and only Mississippi, Tennes
see, Kentucky, and Arkansas were be
low Washington’s expenditure of $35
per person. Yet the District ranks sev
enth in comparison with the states in
per capita income, Coming noted.
The Civil Rights Commission’s finan
cial troubles began on Feb. 7 when the
House Appropriations Committee, in
acting on a $14,808,870 appropriation
bill, omitted $750,000 requested for the
commission.
The money was requested for the
fiscal year beginning next July 1. A
separate request to finance the commis
sion until July 1 is pending but the
Appropriations Committee indicated it
would not approve that allotment either
until the commission is more firmly
organized and staffed. Currently, the
commission is being financed out of the
President’s emergency fund.
WANTS DEFERMENT
The decision to take time out while
the Appropriations Committee listens
to “justifications” of the commission’s
budget estimate followed disclosure
that other provisions in the bill could
be interpreted as putting the new com
mission “out of business.” Rep. John
Taber (R-N.Y.) said that a possible
unintentional effect of one provision
would deny the commission any use of
the $195,000 remaining of the $200,000
allocated to the new agency from the
President’s emergency funds.
But Rep. George W. Andrews (D-
Ala.), chairman of the Appropriations
subcommittee handling the bill, denied
this was the intention of his unit. He
said his subcommittee merely recom
mended a “deferment” until the White
House sends up witnesses to justify
commission funds. Many House Demo
crats criticized the administration for
not moving aggressively to get the new
Civil Rights Commission organized.
It took the Civil Rights Commission
from Jan. 2 when it held its first meet
ing to select a staff director to Feb. 18
to fill the post. Several persons ap
proached for the job turned it down.
REQUIRES CONFIRMATION
The appointment of Tiffany to the
post requires Senate confirmation. He
cannot go on the pay roll until con
firmed and his nomination must clear
the Judiciary Committee headed by
Sen. James O. Eastland (D-Miss.)
On Feb. 24 members of Eastland’s
committee met and questioned the new
Civil Rights Commission but took no
action because of lack of a quorum. A
vote on confirmation was postponed at
least until the following week.
Dr. John A. Hannah, president of
Michigan State University and chair
man of the commission, said the mem
bers did not believe issues involved in
incidents such as Little Rock came
within their purview. Hannah also said,
in respect to subpoena powers which
the commission has, that “we will not
be used as a tool of any agency.”
The session lasted an hour and fif
teen minutes. Tiffany, who was present,
was not questioned—action on his con
firmation will come later. Most queries
were directed to Hannah and other
northern members of the commission.
At the conclusion, Sen. Sam J. Ervin
(D-N.C.) said: “I expect they’ll be
confirmed.”
Tiffany, who was attorney general of
New Hampshire from 1950-1954, is now
a Republican member of the New
Hampshire state legislature and a prac
ticing attorney in Concord.
If confirmed, Tiffany said he will
‘Success’ In Final Report
GORDON M. TIFFANY
Civil Rights Director
bring an “open mind” to the post. Pub
lished reports state he has not hesi
tated in the past to take an unpopular
stand on controversial issues.
He was one of a handful of New
Hampshire legislators who last summer
tried unsuccessfully to prevent the
legislature from criticizing the Supreme
Court for its Sweezy decision which
threw out the contempt conviction of a
University of New Hampshire lecturer.
The court upheld the right of Paul M.
Sweezy to refuse to answer questions
asked by the New Hampshire attorney
general in a Communist probe ordered
by the legislature.
COULD START ACTIONS
In seeking to realize constitutional
rights in the field of public education,
the Douglas bill would empower the at
torney general to start civil actions for
“preventive” relief in cases where states
or communities fail to carry out the
Supreme Court’s desegregation order
or where a citizen was denied equal
protection before the courts.
Other major provisions of the bill in
clude:
Grants of $2.5 million a year for five
years by the Secretary of Health, Edu
cation, and Welfare for “technical as
sistance” to states, local communities
and school districts seeking to eliminate
segregation in public education. Tech
nical assistance would be given for
compilation and distribution of data,
making of surveys, arrangement of
conferences, appointment of advisory
councils, provision of specialists’ serv
ices and the development of community
understanding for desegregation pro
grams.
Appropriations of $40 million a year
for five years to schools in areas where
inadequate school facilities are hinder
ing effective compliance with the Su
preme Court desegregation order. Funds
could go to communities wishing to
comply with the Supreme Court but
where the state threatens to cut off
funds.
SPONSORS LISTED
The bill was introduced in behalf of
Senators Hubert H. Humphrey (D-
Minn.), Irving M. Ives (R-N.Y.), Clif
ford P. Case (R-N.J.), Thomas C.
Hennings Jr. (D-Mo.), Wayne Morse
(D-Ore.), Gordon Allott (R-Colo.),
Richard L. Neuberger (D-Ore.), Ever
ett M. Dirksen (R-Ill.), Pat McNamara
(D-Mich.), Joseph S. Clark (D-Pa.),
John O. Pastore (D-R.I.), J. Glenn
Beal (R-Md.), John A. Carroll (D-
Colo.), Jacob K. Javits (R-N.Y.), and
Douglas.
Outlook for the bipartisan bill ap
pears dim because of the administra
tion’s decision not to submit new civil
rights legislation in Congress this year.
However, in introducing the measure,
Douglas hailed the Feb. 9 statement of
Atty. Gen. William P. Rogers who said
that if Congress should pass a revived
“Title HI” he would recommend that
the President sign it. But Rogers reit
erated that he did not plan to submit
new civil rights legislation, particularly
while the President’s Civil Rights Com
mission is trying to determine whether
any new laws are needed.
Rogers continued the Justice Depart
ment would enforce the new civil rights
law with the same “vigor” it throws
behind other laws but “without a lot
of talk.”
Justice’s new civil rights division al
ready is looking into four voting rights
cases, he said, adding he expected the
complaints to increase during the pri
mary and general elections this year.
Rogers, interviewed over New York
television stations by Rep. Keating, said
he did not foresee “any further action
at the moment” in the Little Rock
school integration controversy. He re
plied “no I don’t” when asked whether
he saw any parallel between the Little
Rock integration dispute and violence
in Brooklyn schools. Southern con
gressmen had suggested such interven
tion.
TWO SENATORS CLASH
Sen. Herman E. Talmadge (D-Ga.)
and Javits clashed in the Senate Feb. 4
over outbreaks of violence in Brooklyn
schools.
Talmadge said the people of Georgia
“are deeply sympathetic with the citi
zens of Brooklyn in the difficulties they
are experiencing in maintaining the in
tegrity and independence of their pub
lic schools.”
Javits said Talmadge was “shedding
crocodile tears.”
“The people of Brooklyn see no rela
tion between the violation of the law of
the land [in the South] and an effort
to suppress disorder [in Brooklyn],” he
said.
SCHOOL AID BILL
Meanwhile, Javits introduced a $2.4
billion school construction bill which
allocates construction funds based up
on both a per pupil and a needs form
ula. In proposing the expenditure of
$600 million a year for four years for
needed school construction, the bill
recognizes the problems illuminated by
Little Rock and specifically provides
that no funds shall go to state, school
or local authorities which are in cur
rent violation of a federal school de
segregation decree. When a state is in
alleged direct defiance of the constitu
tion and the courts, Javits declared
there is no justification for federal
financial contributions.
Both President Eisenhower’s handling
of the Little Rock, Ark., school inte
gration incident and Arkansas Gov.
Orval E. Faubus, by indirection, were
criticized by former President Truman
speaking at the $100-a-plate Democratic
dinner here in his honor Feb. 22.
CRITICAL OF LEADERSHIP
Declaring “firm and foresighted
leadership” might have solved the Little
Rock problem “without calling on the
army for help,” Truman continued:
“Indeed I know that patient and per
sistent action, coupled with firmness,
can work wonders in the field of civil
rights. But unless a President works at
it, day and night, and shows the people
where he stands you can expect the
demagogues to move and make
trouble.”
Faubus, also here for the dinner, said
he had been treated “most graciously”
and did not feel that he had been
snubbed by anyone. Faubus said he
thought all Democrats could pretty well
agree with Truman’s statements on
civil rights. Truman said, “There can
be no compromise which will deny to
any of our people the enjoyment of
their basic rights of citizenship.”
The NAACP, meanwhile, has asked
Congress to prohibit segregation in all
schools aided by federal “impact”
funds. Rep. Lee Metcalf (D-Mont.),
who described himself as a civil rights
advocate, declared such a provision
would destroy the aid program.
GOT $192 MILLION
Clarence Mitchell, Washington direc
tor of the NAACP, said eight southern
“defiant states” that have refused to
move toward compliance with the Su
preme Court’s decision have received
$192 million in aid under the impact
program. The most flagrant case, he
said, is that of Virginia which has re
ceived $71.9 million.
Metcalf declared and Mitchell denied
that the NAACP “cynically and ma
liciously” joined with the Eisenhower
administration last year to defeat a bill
to aid school construction by tying on
an amendment to prohibit segregation.
To repeat this performance would de
stroy the aid program, Metcalf warned.
A nationally-known writer in the
education field, Agnes E. Meyer, de
clared teachers and Negro parents are
keenly aware of psychological problems
involved in school desegregation but
“the leaders of the NAACP ignore them
in deciding their policies.”
FEARS ‘WRECKING’
Writing in the January issue of The
Atlantic, Mrs. Meyer cautioned that
“whether in the North or the South, we
must not allow the process of desegre
gation to wreck our public school sys
tem.”
The education of the white child
must not be sacrificed for the Negro
and that of the Negro for the white, she
said. Mrs. Meyer pleaded that both
northerners and southerners and espe
cially Negro leaders use moderation in
their attitudes and in their interpreta
tion of the Supreme Court’s words,
“deliberate speed.” These words, she
said, “clearly indicate that the Supreme
Court justices did not insist upon im
mediate, drastic enforcement of their
decision.”
# # #