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PAGE 4—FEBRUARY—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
TEXAS
Dallas School Board Left in Dilemma
As State Supreme Court Refuses to Rule
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.
Published monthly by Southern Education Reporting Service at 1109 19th Ave.,
S., Nashville, Tenn.
Second class mail privileges authorized at Nashville, Tenn., under the authority
of the act of March 3, 1879.
OFFICERS
Frank Ahlgren Chairman
Thomas R. Waring Vice Chairman
Marvin D. Wall Acting Executive Director
Jim Leeson, Assistant to the Executive Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frank Ahlgren, Editor, Memphis Com- Charles Moss, Executive Editor, Nash-
mercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn. ville Banner, Nashville, Tenn.
Edward D. Ball, Editor, Nashville Ten- George N. Redd, Dean, Fisk Univer-
nessean, Nashville, Tenn. sity, Nashville, Tenn.
Harvie Branscomb, Chancellor, Van- Don Shoemaker, Editorial Page Editor,
derbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. Miami Herald, Miami, Fla.
Luther H. Foster, President, Tuskegee Bert Struby, General Manager, Macon
Institute, Tuskegee, Ala. Telegraph and News, Macon, Ga.
Henry H. Hill, President, George Pea- Thomas R. Waring, Editor, Charleston
body College, Nashville, Tenn. News & Courier, Charleston, S.C.
C. A. McKnight, Editor, Charlotte Ob- Henry I. Willett, Superintendent of
server, Charlotte, N.C. Schools, Richmond, Va.
CORRESPONDENTS
ALABAMA MISSOURI
William H. McDonald, Assistant Edi- William K. Wyant Jr., Staff Writer,
tor, Montgomery Advertiser St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A ^, NSAS t cu u c . t, * NORTH CAROLINA
William T. Shelton, City Eidtor, Ar- L M Wr ; ht j r „ Assistant C!t Edi .
DELAWARE" tor ' Charlotte Observer
James E. Miller, Managing Editor, OKLAHOMA
Delaware State News Leonard Jackson, Staff Writer, Okla-
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA homa City Oklahoman-Times
Erwin Knoll, Staff Writer, Washing- SOUTH CAROLINA
ton Post & Times Herald \a/ n \a/ l i c • i r*
FLORIDA ™ or ' cman Special Corre-
Bert Collier, Editorial Writer, Miami pendent, Columbia, S.C.
Herald TENNESSEE
GEORGIA Tom Flake, Staff Writer, Nashville
Joseph B. Parham, Editor, The Ma- Banner
con News Garry Fullerton, Education Editor,
KENTUCKY # Nashville Tennessean
Weldon James, Editorial Writer,
Louisville Courier-Journal ,
LOUISIANA Richard M. Morehead, Austin Bu-
Emile Comar, Staff Writer, New Or- '■eau, Dallas News
leans States & Item VIRGINIA
MARYLAND . ... Overton Jones, Associate Editor,
Edgar L. Jones, Editorial Writer, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Baltimore Sun
MISSISSIPPI WEST VIRGINIA
Kenneth Toler, Mississippi Bureau, Thomas F. Stafford, Assistant to the
Memphis Commercial Appeal Editor, Charleston Gazette
MAIL ADDRESS
P.O. Box 6156, Acklen Station, Nashville 12, Tenn.
AUSTIN, Texas
he Dallas School Board re
mained in a dilemma over de
segregation after the Texas Su
preme Court refused to rule on
how the district stands under a
state referendum law. (See “Legal
Action.”)
Children of Negroes stationed
at Reese Air Force Base, near
Lubbock, were plaintiffs in a new
suit to integrate Friendship School
District there. (See “Legal Ac
tion.”)
Negroes asked for full integra
tion at partially integrated Brown-
wood schools. (See “School Boards
and Schoolmen.”)
Gov. Price Daniel announced
for re-election to a third term with
public school improvement as his
main platform. (See “Political Ac
tivity.”)
A University of Texas student group
attempted to penalize off-campus res
taurants that maintain racial segrega
tion. (See “In the Colleges.”)
Dr. Logan Wilson, president of the
University of Texas, asked the Nation
al Collegiate Athletic Assn, for a full
investigation of alleged racial slurs in
the Texas-Syracuse Cotton Bowl foot
ball game in Dallas. Wilson called the
charges against Texas players “irre
sponsible, false and slanderous.” (See
“In the Colleges”)
The Dallas School District was left
wi:hout a clear course of action after
the State Supreme Court refused a re
quest for interpretation of a new refer
endum law (Dallas ISD v. Edgar,
Southern School News, December 1959
and previous.)
Both state and federal courts have de
clined to pass upon the district’s status
under a conflict between a U.S. District
Court order for desegregation “with de
liberate speed” (Borders v. Rippy) and
a state law (HB 65) penalizing the dis
trict if it abolishes segregation without
consent of its voters. No referendum has
been held, but the school board plans to
sponsor petitions for one.
If desegregation is started without
voter approval, the district will lose ap
proximately 2 million dollars in state
funds annually and its officials will be
subject to fines up to $1,000 each.
“We’U have to wait and see if the
state cuts off the funds,” said Henry
Strasburger, the board’s attorney. A
motion for rehearing will be filed in the
State Supreme Court, but Strasburger
expressed doubt that it would succeed.
The board has attempted both in feder
al and state courts to get a “declaratory
judgment” ruling on its legal position,
but without success.
The courts have held that the ques
tion has not yet advanced far enough
to justify making any legal decisions.
“If, as and when Dallas schools inte
grate and the state cuts off school funds
under the terms of state law,” Stras
burger said, the Dallas district prob
ably would file a mandamus suit to
force the state to continue its funds.
BOARD PRESIDENT TO RETIRE
Dr. George L. Rippy, president of the
Dallas Board of Education and key man
in its desegregation case, announced
that he will not seek re-election when
his present term expires in April.
The physician has served on the Dal
las board since 1950 and as its presi
dent since 1953. A year ago, Rippy hint
ed that he wished to retire from the
board but disliked leaving while its race
problems were in suspense.
Now, he said, he must retire from the
board because of professional duties that
“are now such that I can no longer do
full justice to the requirements of school
board membership.”
“This, to me, is a personally regret
table but realistic decision,” he added.
“From a personal and selfish stand
point, it is disconcerting to leave unre
solved problems in which I have had a
long-term vital interest, but I know that
they will be worked out by the con
tinued cooperation of the school system
and the community.”
Franklin Spafford, an attorney and
board member, was the person immedi
ately mentioned as most likely to suc
ceed Rippy as president.
INTEGRATION SUIT
Another integration suit (Sandra Sim
mons v. G. A. Edwards) was filed in
U.S. District Court at Lubbock against
officials of the Friendship School Dis
trict. Parents of 17 Negro children, who
live in integrated housing at Reese Air
Force Base near Lubbock, say they have
been denied admission to the all-white
school across the street from the hous
ing project.
Instead, they are transported approx
imately seven miles by bus to Lubbock.
The Lubbock schools are officially de
segregated but with relatively little ac
tual integration of races because of
residence. Plaintiffs in the Friendship
case say their children are forced to
attend all-Negro schools in Lubbock.
The children all have fathers who are
Air Force sergeants. Attorneys for the
National Assn, for Advancement of Col
ored People filed the petition.
Defendants include G. A. Edwards,
president of the Friendship District
trustees; other members of the board;
and Roy Boyd, Lubbock county super
intendent of schools.
The Brownwood Independent School
District in Central Texas received a re
quest for complete integration. Negroes
are being admitted to the formerly all-
white high schools and junior high. The
board has announced plans to build two
new elementary schools, one for whites
and the other for Negroes.
The Rev. William Smith and the Rev.
William Orton urged the board instead
to abolish segregation at the elementary
level also, which they claimed would
eliminate the need for one of the two
new buildings.
RAISE STANDARDS
Administrators of Texas public
schools met at Austin to discuss cur
riculum standards, which are steadily
being raised.
A proposed general revision, now be
ing tested in about 300 districts, will be
offered to the State Board of Education
by its study committees this year for
adoption as graduation requirements in
all 1,581 districts of the state.
The upgrading is drawing criticism
from some patrons and school personnel.
“One of our English teachers was ac
cused of being too tough—so other foot
ball teams beat us,” said Leonard H.
Menn, curriculum coordinator for Mc
Allen public schools. He charged that
Texas curriculum requirements now are
“in chaos.”
This drew quick defense of the Texas
Education Agency by administrators
from other districts. They reported gen
eral progress toward establishing a 20-
credit standard for high school gradua
tion, compared to the present 16. The
new standard would require more
“solid” subjects and leave less time for
electives.
Gov. Price Daniel, who signed the
1957 school referendum act (See “Le
gal Action”) and a never-used pupil
assignment law, announced he will seek
a third term. Daniel said he decided to
ran mainly because the Legislature had
failed to adopt his proposals for school
improvement.
Jack Cox, a conservative young ex
legislator from Breckenridge, was Dan
iel’s only opponent for the Democratic
nomination as the Feb. 1 deadline for
filing approached. Daniel is a heavy fa
vorite to win the nomination, which in
Texas is tantamount to election.
The governor’s decision to seek an
other two years in the office prompted
Atty. Gen. Will Wilson, who had been
campaigning for governor, to announce
for re-election also. Wilson’s opponent
in the attorney general’s race is Speak
er of the House Waggoner Carr.
Gov. Daniel remained undecided
about calling the Legislature into spe
cial session in an effort to adopt and
finance a pay raise for teachers. Their
state association seeks a basic increase
of $405 annually for teachers, whose
minimum now is $3,204 a year.
The state’s 80,000 teachers also were
reported to be paying poll taxes to vote
in unprecedented numbers. Their inter
est is primarily in the choice of 150 state
representatives and 31 senators. A
change in the political calendar of Texas
will make the teachers’ vote more po
tent than before. The primary elections
will be held in May and early June,
while teachers are at home; formerly
the primaries were in July and August,
when many of teachers missed voting
because they were away.
Gov. Daniel said there is a “50-50
chance” that a pay-raise special session
will be called this year, seeking 35 mil
lion dollars a year of new revenue. Both
the teachers’ association officials and the
governor believe th?t the pay problem
is more likely to be solved in a 30-day
special session than at the longer reg
ular session in 1961, when other legisla
tion and rules favor blocking the teach
ers’ program.
The U.S. Dept, of Health, Education
and Welfare estimated that Texas has a
teacher shortage totaling 5,716, while
4,299 others are teaching under creden
tials that the state accrediting agency
considers inadequate. Other surveys
show the teacher shortage exists in low-
pay areas, and that districts supple
menting state funds with local “enrich
ment” generally have a good supply of
teachers.
There is a large surplus of Negro
teachers in Texas.
TEACHER TENURE
The president of the American Fed
eration of Teachers, AFL-CIO, called
for a state teacher tenure law, which he
said is needed to prevent political fir
ings.
Legislators and school officials have
generally taken a dim view of this pro
posal in the past. They claim that it
would protect mainly the inferior
teacher and cause fast turnover among
newer teachers by districts that would
not want to keep them so long as to
guarantee tenure.
A student “Steer Here” Committee at
the University of Texas sought to en
courage off-campus eating places to
serve all races. Twenty-five restaurants
are involved and only five now serve
meals on an integrated basis. Campus
cafeterias and other dining facilities
have been integrated since the Univer
sity of Texas first started accepting Ne
gro students in 1951. These do not serve
the public, however.
An all-Negro sorority and all-Negro
fraternity were organized at the Uni
versity of Texas. The two groups will be
represented on the University Panhel-
Backers Ask
State Status
For College
HOUSTON, Tex.
ackers of the University of
Houston, with a student body
of approximately 11,500, are ask
ing that it be made a fully state-
supported institution.
The former municipal junior
college already receives some state
aid for its freshman and sopho
more students.
The University of Houston, however,
charges $675 a year tuition in order
to meet its needs, while students can
attend 19 state colleges in other cities
for $100 annual tuition. Enrollment
dropped more than 15 per cent at
Houston after a tuition increase be
tween 1958 and 1959.
Three other state colleges were ele
vated to senior college rank by the
Legislature in 1959. Two formerly were
state-supported junior colleges at Ar
lington and Stephenville and the third,
a one-time Wichita Falls municipal
junior college, is now Midwestern Uni
versity.
The Council of State College Presi
dents voiced opposition to taking on
any more colleges for state operation.
The presidents declared expansion
would be “a grave mistake” and “fi
nancial folly.” # # #
lenic Council. Segregation remains the
rule in traditional fraternities and so
rorities at Texas, however.
An estimated 150 Negroes are en
rolled in the student body of 18,500.
DEFENDS FOOTBALL SQUAD
The University of Texas was angered
over charges—called “unfair and un
founded” by its president—of alleged
“dirty play” employed by Texans
against Negroes on the Syracuse Uni
versity football team.
Syracuse defeated Texas in the 1960
Cotton Bowl football game at Dallas,
23-14. After the game, players on the
New York team charged that Texas
played “dirty football” and had directed
racial slurs at its Negro players.
Texas officials studied the game films
and conferred with Texas players con
cerning the Syracuse charges. Then
President Logan Wilson demanded an
investigation by the National Collegiate
Athletic Assn. New York sportswriters,
some national magazines, and the Dave
Garroway television show circulated the
charges against Texas players.
NCAA President H. J. Darricott of
Gunnison, Colo., said Wilson’s request
for an investigation will be taken under
advisement.
Texas Coach Darrell Royall, who
suggested that at least one Negro coach
be put on the NCAA investigating com
mittee, said his team did nothing more
than play hard football. Royall termed
“absurd” a charge by Syracuse players
that Texans spat in their faces.
The coach also said that Texas players
assured him there we no “dirty nig
ger” epithets hurled during the game.
A Negro organizer for a “black su
premacy” group in Dallas was arrested
on a check pilfering charge.
Willie Bert Thompkins, formerly of
California, also is an ex-convict with
narcotics and burglary convictions.
Thompkins recently had led the “Mu
hammad’s Temple of Islam,” a racist
group with two branches in Dallas.
Thompkins and a companion were
charged with attempting to cash a check
taken from a woman’s purse.
NAACP MAKES COMPLAINT
The president of Houston chapter,
National Assn, for Advancement of Col
ored People, complained to the City
Council about the killing of an unarmed
Negro by a city policeman. Willie Par
ker, the Negro, was shot as he tried to
run away from Patrolman J. D. Vlad-
mides, who sought to question him
about a possible theft.
The case against Vladmides was
turned over to the district attorney for
submission to the grand jury.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
warned Texas counties that Negroes
should be appointed to grand juries
when offenses by members of that race
are being investigated. It reversed a 99-
year sentence against Isiah Stoker in
Harrison County for raping a white
woman. The court noted that more than
half of the county population is Negro
and that members of the race are reg
ularly excluded from grand juries.
# # #
Negro Index
Lists SSN
BOSTON, Mass.
outhern School News and Race
Relations Law Reporter have
been added to the enlarged edition
of The Negro Index, an index of
periodical literature by and about
Negroes.
G. K. Hall & Co. of Boston has
taken over publication of the index,
formerly the Index to Selected Peri
odicals, under an arrangement with
the Hallie Q. Brown Library at
Central State College, Wilberforce,
Ohio.
Under another agreement with the
New York Public Library, the peri
odicals indexed will be increased to
21 - # # #