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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 - # # #