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SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—MAY I960—PAGE 3
ALABAMA
Negro Applicants Too Late
For Enrollment Deadline
MONTGOMERY, Ala.
T he 13 Negroes who applied for
admission in March to the
University of Alabama’s Exten
sion Service Center in Mont
gomery will not be enrolled for
the spring quarter, university au
thorities said.
Only five provided the required
transcripts, the Center director
said, and these were received
after the April 4 deadline. (See
“In the Colleges.”)
Two Negroes have made a new
attempt to enter the state voca
tional training school in Mobile.
Their application forms were for
warded to the State Department
of Education; no immediate action
was taken. (See “School Boards
and Schoolmen.”)
The 13 Negroes who applied for en
rollment March 22-24 (Southern
School News, April 1960) at the Uni
versity of Alabama’s Extension Service
Center in Montgomery did not com
plete their applications by the April 4
deadline for the spring quarter.
This was the reason given by uni
versity authorities in announcing the
Negroes would not be enrolled this
quarter.
Only five of them provided tran
scripts of previous school records and
these were not received until after the
deadline, according to Dr. W. W.
Kaempfer, Center director. Therefore,
Kaempfer said, “none of the (Negro)
applicants could be considered for the
current quarter.” He had no comment
about their possible acceptance later.
Among the applicants was a former
Alabama State College student expelled
along with eight others for taking part
in a Feb. 25 sit-in attempt at the Mont
gomery County courthouse snack bar
(SSN, March and April 1960).
NO RULING
Kaempfer said the Center had re
ceived no ruling as to whether expelled
students could be enrolled there, but
added:
“As far as I am aware, expelled stu
dents are not accepted as students
anywhere.”
The only Negro ever to attend the
university was Autherine Lucy, who
was driven from the main campus in
Tuscaloosa by riots in 1956. Ordered
admitted by the U.S. District Court in
Birmingham, she was subsequently ex
pelled for publicly accusing university
officials of conspiring in the demonstra
tions. The expulsion was upheld by the
same court that had ordered her ad
mitted.
ENTER LIBRARY
A small group of young Negroes, be
lieved to have been students or for
mer students of Alabama State Col
lege in Montgomery, appeared at the
Montgomery library and then the
newly completed city museum April 22.
The group, said to number about 10,
entered the library in the afternoon
when a large number of white students
were using reference facilities. Two
stood at the desk, the rest entered the
main reading room and sat down. An
attendant asked if they had library
cards; they said they did not.
Asked to leave, they complied. Li
brarians told them they could obtain
service at the Negro branch library,
also operated by the city.
The group then walked four blocks
to the newly completed city museum-
library (the library has not yet moved
in). Museum attendants ignored them
as they walked around the art galleries.
STUDENTS PROTEST
In Tuskegee April 9 a small group
of students paraded and picketed in
protest to the Institute’s decision not to
renew the contract of an assistant pro
fessor of political science.
The professor, Charles V. Hamilton,
said he was notified April 2 that his
contract would not be renewed. He
said the action was in reprisal for his
participation in student demonstrations
against segregation, but the letter of
notification from Dr. C. G. Gomillion,
chairman of the division of social sci
ence, did not mention this and Institute
President L. H. Foster denied it.
About 50 students picketed the
homes of Dr. Foster and Dr. Gomillion
with placards reading “Are There Un
cle Toms Among Us?” Later they pick
eted a building where the Institute’s
board of trustees was meeting.
Negroes have applied again for ad
mission to the all-white state voca
tional technical school in Mobile.
Clay Knight, school director, said
two Negro men—Richard H. Kennedy,
40, and Alvin H. Langster, 46—filled
out information forms which were for
warded to the State Education Depart
ment in Montgomery.
Five Negroes applied for admission
at the school in April 1959, later re
asserting their request. No action has
been taken on these applications. How
ever, the State Board of Education is
now seeking a site for a new trade
school for Negroes (see below).
Including the Mobile school, six trade
schools are now operated in the state,
but only one of them—near Birming
ham—is a Negro facility.
State Supt. of Education Frank Stew
art had no comment on the new chal
lenge. Both applicants said they were
employed at Brookley Air Force Base,
one as a packer, the other a crate car
penter. Kennedy asked for training in
radio and television. Langster request
ed a course in upholstery work.
SEARCH FOR FUNDS
Faced with early closing or teacher
salary reductions because of a shortage
in state school funds, local systems
were busily scrounging for emergency
money in April.
Although educators had warned of
school closings, State School Supt.
Frank Stewart said he had no idea how
many would be forced to cut short
their school year. He said he has called
for complete reports on their respec
tive situations from all city and county
superintendents.
The situation was created when reve
nues earmarked for school funds failed
to reach the expected totals (SSN,
March 1960) which had been used in
preparing the record school budget au
thorized by the Legislature last year.
Gov. John Patterson proposed that
funds be prorated, which would have
entailed a 10 per cent cut in teacher
salaries. Educators objected and the
State Board of Education rejected the
plan, instead authorizing schools to
spend at the budgeted rate until the
money runs out. The board also urged
local boards to make every effort to
supplement their funds from local
sources.
SOME HAVE TROUBLE
Some school systems reported in
April that they had been able to raise
the extra money. Others were still hav
ing trouble even borrowing funds. In
Butler County, for instance, the county
board ordered the 38 schools in the
county to find ways on their own to
pay for lights, water, heat and main
tenance.
Despite the frantic efforts, Mrs. Mar
garet Vines, president of the Alabama
Education Assn., said teachers are re
signing in wholesale numbers in the
(See ALABAMA, Page 4)
‘Dearie, Dear ... IE!
Dear-ree!’
South Carolina
(Continued From Page 1)
point of view had not been adequately
presented in Congress. (See “Political
Activity.”)
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LEGAL ACTION
A new suit seeking desegregation of
the Summerton schools of Clarendon
County was filed April 13 in federal
district court at Charleston. This action
is distinct (except in general purpose)
from the litigation that commenced 10
years ago and which eventually, as
Briggs v. Elliott, reached the U.S. Su
preme Court.
The Briggs v. Elliott case was one of
five that brought about the 1954 Su
preme Court decision ruling segrega
tion in public schools unconstitutional.
There has been no integration, how
ever, in the schools of Summerton,
Clarendon County or South Carolina,
since that decision.
The current case involves 43 Negro
school children and was brought by 15
parents. It seeks an injunction against
the operation of a dual school system,
against pupil assignment on a basis of
race or color and against the applica
tion to Negro students of assignment
criteria not applied to white students.
AN ALTERNATIVE
As an alternative relief, the parents
seek a complete reorganization of the
local school system on a “unitary, non-
racial basis eliminating any discrimina
tions.”
Representing the plaintiffs are three
Negro lawyers — Thurgood Marshall,
general counsel for the National Assn,
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, Matthew J. Perry of Spartanburg
and Lincoln C. Jenkins Jr. of Columbia
—and a white attorney affiliated with
the NAACP, Jack Greenberg of New
York City.
The pending suit admits that admin
istrative remedies have not been ex
hausted since efforts were initiated last
August for admission of Negro students
to white schools. Plaintiffs contend,
however, that under state school laws
inadequate remedies are provided.
ANOTHER SUIT
Another lawsuit was filed at Flor
ence in behalf of three Negro students
expelled from the Mayo (Negro) High
School at Darlington.
Their expulsion stemmed from partic
ipation in a student demonstration
against a brand of milk being served
in the school cafeteria. The particular
milk was distributed by a firm listed
among those being boycotted by certain
Negro groups.
The suit contended that the students
have been denied their constitutional
rights since state law makes no pro
vision for granting hearings to expelled
students.
In late April, Judge J. Woodrow
Lewis dismissed the suit, ruling that
state law provided “a plain and ade
quate remedy.”
ATTENTION SWITCHES
The lunch counter demonstrations of
Negro students lessened in number
during April. Attention switched to the
trial of the students arrested for those
and other demonstrations during the
last few weeks.
In Orangeburg, trials continued in
termittently during April for the 388
Negro students charged with breach of
the peace as the result of a March 15
mass demonstration. All brought to trial
thus far have been sentenced to $50
fines or 30 days in jail. By April 23, a
total of 211 of the defendants had been
convicted.
At Charleston, City Recorder J. Ken
neth Rentiers found 24 young Negroes
guilty of trespassing and of refusing to
obey an order of a police officer. He
sentenced each to 15 days in jail or a
fine of $50 on each of the two charges.
The Negroes were arrested after a
seven-hour lunch counter sit-down in a
Charleston variety store.
SENTENCE 34
Florence Recorder Charles C. Mc
Donald on April 20 sentenced 34 Negro
demonstrators to 30 days in jail or fines
of $30. The defendants were among 47
young Negroes arrested for a lunch
counter demonstration.
At Rock Hill, trials continued for the
70 Negro students arrested March 15
for breach of the peace. Convictions
brought sentences of $35 fines or 30
days in jails.
Complaints of the use of tear gas and
fire hoses by Orangeburg authorities in
breaking up a mass demonstration in
March were brought before the state
advisory committee to the U. S. Civil
Rights Commission. The committee
indicated it would hear further from
spokesmen of the Negro demonstrators
when the committee meets again in
June.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Two other legal developments involve
race relations. One was the return to
federal district court of a civil rights
suit involving racial segregation at the
Greenville Municipal Airport. The
initial suit, brought by a Michigan Ne
gro named Richard B. Henry, was dis
missed by District Judge George Bell
Timmerman. The Fourth Circuit Court
of Appeals ruled on April 20 that the
dismissal was erroneous and that “the
complaint was entitled to more liberal
construction than it received.”
Pending in federal district court at
Aiken is a $15,000 damage suit filed in
late March by a Negro high school
teacher who charges that a state high
way patrolman deprived her of her
civil rights and arrested her without
due process of law.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
The General Assembly took little ac
tion on segregation legislation during
April but a number of bills still are
pending in committees of House and
Senate.
One measure, sponsored by Rep.
John C. Hart of Union, was amended
by the House after having once been
tabled temporarily. The bill was aimed
at requiring disclosure of ownership of
newspapers so that South Carolina
readers may be aware of the proprie
torship of opinion-forming publications.
Initially it would have required the
publication in every issue of all per
sons owning as much as 10 per cent of
the stock.
The measure subsequently was
amended to require publication of the
owners only once a year and in the
same manner as required by federal
postal regulations. The bill was referred
to a Senate committee after adoption
by the House.
ASKS IMPEACHMENT
Also in Senate committee is a resolu
tion calling upon Congress to impeach
the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. John D.
Long, also of Union, sponsored the re
solution, which accuses the Supreme
Court of usurping the rights of the
states and the citizenry through its 1954
desegregation decision.
During the closing days of March,
the House adopted a resolution con
demning the U.S. State Department for
interferring in the internal affairs of
South Africa.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Meanwhile, the Special Segregation
Committee, comprising both legislators
and laymen, recommended in late
March that no further legislation be in
troduced at present on the subject. The
group was concerned particularly with
the sit-down demonstrations as it met
March 30 in executive session. After
wards, this was released by State Sen.
L. Marion Gressette, chairman:
“The committee does not recommend
at this time any further legislation.
Existing laws are clear and they are
adequate for dealing with civil strife of
any sort.”
Dr. Stephen J. Wright, president of
Fisk University, told the Palmetto
(Negro) Education Assn. April 1:
“The hope for changing the pattern
of segregation and discrimination
against the Negro rests upon the
shoulders of the Negro himself. . . . The
key battle for integration has already
been won, and victory is certain. The
battles ahead in the hard core states,
including South Carolina, are going to
be lost by those who practice segrega
tion on the basis of race.”
GENERAL COMMENTS
At Charleston on April 1, retired
Army Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer com-
mented on the integration issue to The
News and Courier:
“I am opposed to the people of one
section of the country attempting to
settle the problems of people in an
other section. I think it is unfortunate
that the federal government has
stepped in, and especially unfortunate
that the Supreme Court has taken the
stand that it has.”
BITTERLY ATTACKS
The Rev. H. P. Sharper, Florence Ne
gro minister and president of the S. C.
conference of the NAACP, was quoted
in the Rock Hill Evening Herald of
April 13 as bitterly attacking the press,
Negro school principals, and “spineless”
Negro college presidents. Reporting on
an April 12 address by Sharper at Rock
Hill, the newspaper said the NAACP
official promised:
“If I don’t stay in office but two more
weeks, I am going to give the Negro
principals hell. ... I am just going to
stir up everything.”
The Evening Herald of the following
day carried a statement by the Rev. C.
A. Ivory, head of the NAACP at Rock
Hill, defending the local press and a
number of local Negro school prin
cipals.
LEADER WARNS
Farley Smith, executive secretary of
the South Carolina Citizens’ Councils,
said in early April that continued dem
onstrations by Negroes against segrega
tion were aimed at precipitating vio
lence. He said that members of the
councils had done everything possible
to keep the fight over constitutional
government and states’ rights from
degenerating into a struggle between
the races.
U. S. Sen. Barry Goldwater (R) of
Arizona, prior to his keynote address to
the South Carolina Republican Party on
March 26, had this to say about school
problems:
“The federal government has no right
to go into schools. The federal govern
ment has no right to go into elections
other than federal elections.”
IN THE COLLEGES
Two Negro students from South
Carolina State College (for Negroes)
sought unsuccessfully on April 26 to
obtain application blanks for admis
sion to the University of South Caro
lina. They were turned away and told
the school does not admit Negroes.
This was the first attempt by Ne
groes to register in two years. Several
Negroes applied at the university in
1958 when Allen University was de
nied state accreditation for teacher
training.
CRITICAL REPORT
The spring bulletin of the American
Assn, of University Professors critic
ized the South Carolina Board of Edu
cation, former Gov. George Bell Tim
merman Jr. and the presidents and
trustees of both Allen University and
Benedict College.
The 18-page report covered actions
by the state officials and the adminis
trations of the Negro schools in 1957-
58.
The report charged that the presi
dents and trustees failed to maintain
the principles of academic freedom and
violated academic due process by
not giving hearings to six faculty mem
bers—three at each school—released
under state pressure.
Gov. Timmerman had charged re
peatedly that the faculties at both
schools contained members connected
with Communist movements. The State
Board of Education also removed Al
len’s accreditation for teacher training,
but it later was restored.
The AAUP report stressed that Allen
had admitted a white Hungarian
refugee in 1957, becoming the only bi-
racial college in the state, public or
private. It also noted that the school ad
mitted a student expelled from South
Carolina State College (for Negroes)
for leading a student strike against the
state’s segregation policy.
Two Negroes and an Indian from
New Delhi told the press in Atlanta on
April 4 that they had left a Columbia,
S.C., meeting of the Mathematical Assn,
of America because of racial discrim
ination.
They complained that they were not
allowed to register as guests at the
Wade Hampton Hotel in Columbia,
where the convention was being held.
They acknowledged that the hotel
management offered to seek accommo
dations for them elsewhere but said
such would not be satisfactory.
An association official said there
never had been any racial discrimina
tion at organization meetings but said
the matter of hotel accommodations
was up to the individuals and the ho
tels.
The protesting individuals were Lon
nie Cross, mathematics chairman at At
lanta University; S. C. Saxena of New
Delhi; and William E. Brodie.
POLITICAL ACTIVITY
>. •
R. Beverly Herbert, an 80-year-old
Columbia lawyer, has entered the U.S.
Senate race against Sen. Strom Thur
mond.
In announcing his surprise candidacy
in the Democratic primary, Herbert
acknowledged that he did not expect to
win but that he wanted the opportunity
to have a public platform to declare
views on the segregation issue, which
he felt the public should have.
He paid tribute to Thurmond as a
good governor and a good senator but
said that neither Thurmond nor any
one else in the U.S. Senate had pres
ented anything better than “weak, lame
and inadequate” arguments in behalf of
the southern position. # # #
