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PAGE 2—DECEMBER, 1962—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS ALABAMA Leaders Call for Order In Event of Desegregation (Continued From Page 1) dents—transfers and freshmen—“ap plicants are being told that their appli cations are being held for processing for any subsequent semester specified by the applicant,” the university an nounced. Complete credentials required in clude transcripts and other informa tion, the university said. The an nouncement continued: “The university’s program of selec tive admissions requires the careful evaluation of each applicant’s potential ability to succeed in his academic pro gram, processing applications on this basis led five years ago to the inclu sion of a statement in the university’s catalog that reads, applications for ad mission should be made well in ad vance of the date of proposed en trance.” Dr. Rose said “pressure of enroll ment” dictated the move. Miss Malone, one of the Negro ap plicants, said she had not been notified of the university closing of admissions, adding that she would have no further comment until she had heard from uni versity officials. ★ ★ ★ Editor of Student Newspaper Protected The editor of the university’s student newspaper, Crimson-White, was being protected by private detectives, it was revealed Nov. 13. He had received threatening calls about his editorials on desegregation. The student editor, Mel Meyer of Starkville, Miss., had written, “By all legal rights, a Negro is entitled to at tend a Southern University.” Meyer, son of a former publisher of the Starkville News, Henry Meyer, re ported receiving threatening phone calls. A cross was burned in front of his fraternity house. University President Frank Rose con firmed the assignment of private de tectives. In a prepared statement, Rose said: President’s Statement “With a campus community which includes some 9,000 students, the Uni versity of Alabama has long main tained a small, but efficient, police force. On special occasions we also often make temporary, special appoint ments to this department for specific duty. “This institution has the duty to pro tect every student from harrassment or from being subjected to any experience that might tend to place him in danger. “The threatening phone calls led us to the conclusion that such action was Vivian Malone Among the applicants. warranted in this incident. “We would, of course, have preferred that our precautions had gone unpub licized. “On the other hand, we will con tinue to use every resource at our dis posal and which we consider appro priate to the maintenance of order and the protection of the students on this campus.” Schoolmen Impacted Areas Put on Notice By Government Letters were reported sent in No vember to school superintendents in all Alabama school districts receiving “impacted areas” assistance from the federal government, indicating aid may be cut off after next June 30 unless the school systems are desegregated. In Alabama, the reminders from the Department of Health, Education & Welfare were reported from Washing ton to have gone to school officials in Huntsville and Madison County, Anniston and Calhoun County, Ozark and Dale County, Selma and Dallas County, Mobile and Mobile County, Montgomery and Montgomery County, Macon County and possibly others. The major military and space instal lations in Alabama are: Redstone Ar senal and the Marshall Space Flight Center at Huntsville; Ft. McClellan at Anniston; Craig Air Force Base at Sel ma; the Air University and other Air Force facilities at Maxwell and Gunter Air Force Bases at Montgomery; the Army Aviation Center at Ozark; and Brookley Air Force Base at Mobile. Officials Reminded The notices, from James M. Quigley, assistant secretary of HEW, reminded school officials in the respective areas that they “cannot rely” on impacted area funds after the end of the current school year, pursuant to the announce ment of former HEW Secretary Abra ham Ribicoff. (SSN, April.) “It is our hope,” Quigley wrote, “that local educational agencies will proceed to arrange for the provision of deseg regated schools in accord with this policy . . Montgomery City-County Superin tendent of Education Walter T. McKee pointed out, however, that there won’t be any impacted area funds after June 30 unless Congress renews the law. None of Alabama’s schools, in 114 districts, is desegregated. Two suits to desegregate Birmingham schools are pending there and Negro parents pe titioned the Mobile City-County School Board Nov. 14 to desegregate. Legal Action Petition Asks Mobile School Desegregation A petition requesting desegregation of Mobile public schools was presented to the Mobile City-County School Board Nov. 14 by J. L. LeFlore, local Negro leader. The petition, bearing the signatures of 27 Negro residents who aver they have children in Mobile’s segregated school system, was given to Dr. Cran ford H. Bums, superintendent o f schools. The petitioners asked the board “to present to the community, within the next 60 days, a plan for such de segregation which shall include provi sion for a prompt and reasonable start toward such desegregation.” The petition further requested the board to eliminate all racial distinc tions from the school system, “includ ing the assignment of pupils and pro fessional school personnel on a non- racial basis, with all deliberate speed.” Letter with Petition LeFlore, a postal employe, also sub mitted a letter supporting the peti tion. The letter was signed by LeFlore as director of case work for the Mobile Citizens Committee. The petition said that a similar peti tion had been submitted in 1955 and that no reply was received. (Petitions were also submitted to city and county boards in many parts of the state about the same time.) Only one public school desegregation action is pending in Alabama—in Bir mingham, where U.S. District Judge Seyboum Lynne concluded hearings on Alabama Faced with new desegregation at tempts, the University of Alabama went on record in Novembajt. in''sup port of law andr • drier 'and against mob violencV Two moreV applicatwhl'jsppe'l-e- ceived from !\egro sfudellfsTthe uni versity confirJ|*!P^ov. 26. With an earlier application Oct. 24 (SSN, November), the total was presum ably three. The university, in keep ing with established policy, declined to identify any of them. However, Miss Vivan Malone, 20-year-old Ala bama A&M student from Mobile, said Nov. 26 she is among the appli cants. President Frank A. Rose, the uni versity board of Trustees, the faculty and the Alumni Council—all issued statements of firm resolve to main tain order should Negro students be admitted to the campus. From over the state, ministers, re ligious groups, businessmen and newspapers pleaded for law and or der in whatever situation faces the state. However, Gov.-elect George C. Wallace, who takes office in January, repeated his intentions to intervene Highlights personally in an effort to block any desegregation of any school in Ala- bama. “If they are sending resold tions to me thinking I will ease of my segregation stand,” Wallace said, “they are wasting paper.” Letters have gone out to school superintendents of “impacted areas” in Alabama, as elsewhere in the South, indicating that federal funds for these districts may be cut oB after next June 30 unless the school systems are desegregated. Several city and county school systems neat federal installations would be af fected. A petition requesting desegrega tion of Mobile public schools was presented Nov. 14 to the Mobile City-County School Board. Alabama’s veteran Senator Lister Hill narrowly escaped defeat in the Nov. 6 general election by a Re publican, James D. Martin of Gads den. The University of Mississippi situation was one reason for Martin’s surprisingly strong showing, obsen- ers believed. Hill himself said: “It came at a bad time, a mighty bad time.” two combined suits Oct. 25 and gave attorneys until Dec. 1 to file additional briefs and until Dec. 31 for filing an swers. (SSN, November.) The state remains segregated throughout the 114-district system. Political Activity Segregation Issue Figures in Vote For U. S. Senator Alabama’s senior senator, Lister Hill, a veteran of 39 years in Congress, was almost unseated by a political new comer Nov. 6. The challenger was James D. Mar tin, Gadsden businessman who led his Republican Party to its strongest bid in the state since Reconstruction. Most political observers agreed that Martin benefited enormously by the government’s intervention at the Uni versity of Mississippi. As the votes were being tabulated election night, Sen. Hill seemed to agree: “It came at a bad time,” he said, “a mighty bad time.” Martin waged a spirited campaign, calling Hill “the biggest national De mocrat I know,” and “Alabama’s Jacob Javits.” He chided Hill for not speak ing out sooner on the use of troops and marshals in Oxford. Said Martin: “We have waited too long for Hill ti fight for Alabama and the South; he should have fought when the troop; marched on Oxford. It’s no hour to send telegrams. I urge you to go to the polls with a Rebel yell. . . .” Official Vote The final, official vote: Hill, 201,931 Martin, 195,092. Hill’s victory margii of 6,845 gave him less than 51 per cei: of the total vote. He piled up hi biggest totals in North Alabama, when the race issue is less explosive. He alst carried the Negro vote solidly, as indi- HILL cated by representative boxes over the state. ! Some Alabama Democrats, though party loyalists, conceded the state might go Republican in 1964—largdf because of the segregation issue. Gov.-elect George Wallace said ha- fore the election: “We must once for all disassociate ourselves from t» (See ALABAMA, Page 3) MARTIN Statements Issued Urging Prevention of Violence In the wake of the Meredith inci dent at the University of Mississippi, the president, Board of Trustees, Alumni Council and faculty of the University of Alabama in separate statements called for the preserva tion of law and order and the pre vention of violence on the Alabama campus. Excerpts from the statements are reprinted below: President Frank A. Rose The times are too serious and edu cation too expensive for the University of Alabama to dissipate her resources on lesser goals than academic and in tellectual accomplishment. ... We have had some people less informed, both in side and outside the university com munity, who have sought to alter our leadership and bring confusion, but the University of Alabama has had too much of this activity in the past to be misled. . . . There have been times of impatience and frustration, and all of us have had to fight these. ... I am fully aware that there are some serious questions on your mind about the immediate future. First, let me say that I do not know when we will be faced with the problem of enrolling a Negro student. Each semester we have several Negro students, along with hundreds of other students, to begin making application; but we have not had one to complete his registration since 1956. With our new admissions program requiring higher standards for admission, we have turned away more than 3,000 students during the last four years. All applications are treated in the same manner with the final decision left with the Admissions Committee. The people of his state want a great university; they have confidence in what we are doing here; and they are determined to see us move on to even greater achievements. I have been assured by our authori ties that the state will use every force at its command to see that we do not have mob violence. I am most encour aged by this response from the citizens of the state. This is a great University, with more than 100 million dollars of facilities; and with a distinguished fac ulty it carries on some of the most critical work for the space program and our natonal defense. This University must never become the scene of mob violence, battle troops, or bloodshed. Board of Trustees .... Mindful of its responsibility to manage and control the affair of this University, as provided in the consti tution of the State of Alabama, this board finds it appropriate during this period of tension to issue the following statements to the citizenry of Alabama, to whom the board is responsible: 1. We want to assure the students, their parents, the faculty, the officers of administration, the alumni and the people of this state that we intend to meet any crisis which may face this university in such a manner that will not compromise the intellectual integ rity of the institution. We know the people of Alabama want a great Uni versity, that they have confidence in what we are doing here; and that they are determined to see us move on to even greater achievements. We hope to be able to continue our magnificent institution with the traditions of its founders. 2. We intend to exercise our respon sibilities both to the people of Alabama Dr. Frank A. Rose ‘Most encouraged.’ | and to the University community to the best of our ability, being ever mindful of the trust placed upon us by our election to the governing board of this, one of America’s great state universities. With the help, under- j standing and support of the general | citizenry, the alumni, the faculty and i the students, the increased ability of this University to continue to grow in stature, strength and service is assured. 3. In keeping with the Standard of Excellence which has been attained by this institution and its responsibil ity in representing the highest deals of integrity and honor in our great state, this board feels compelled to publicly express its determination that law and order must be maintained at all times on the University of Alabama campus and that it will not condone, and will take such measures as it may deem necessary to prevent violence, riot or disorder. This Board will stand behind the President in his adminis tration of discipline and order on the campus, and it confidently expects the full cooperation of its faculty and students toward this end. It further solicits the continued support and en couragement of its alumni and the citizens of Alabama in the mainte nance of law and order on the Univer sity campus. Alumni Council ... Be it therefore resolved . . . 1. That the Alumni Council does hereby express to the Board of Trus tees, the president, the administrative staff, the faculty and the students its appreciation for the high standing and the accomplishments of the University of Alabama. 2. That the Alumni Council reaffirms to the Board of Trustees, the president, the administrative staff, faculty and students its confidence in and support of the Board of Trustees in the man agement and control of the University. 3. That the Alumni Council com mends Governor John Patterson and Governor-Elect George Wallace, both alumni of the University of Alabama, for their assurance to the Board of Trustees and to the president of the University that law and order shall and will be maintained at the University of Alabama to insure that the tradi tions, the prestige and the acadeffl 1 integrity of the University shall con tinue untarnished. Also that the °\ ficials and the people of the City ^ Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa County commended for their assurance law and order shall be maintained 1 the University community. . I 4. That the Alumni Council is win ful of the desire of the great major 1 - of our more than 60,000 alumni, so®j and daughters who have posfj through the halls of the Universe and of the desire of the members the Alumni Council, that the tra tions of our great University be m®" tained; and, 5. That the future of our youth u ■ mately depends upon the uninterrup ability of this institution to produce kind of leadership and to provide kind of education they want and serve. To the attainment of these f? we pledge our active support. . . • University Faculty We the faculty of the University Alabama, hereby affirm these truths That this institution must disch^ its duties in a manner consistent the law of the land. $.; That it is the duty and purpos ^ the faculty to teach all students rolled at this institution. . j That learning can flourish onty ^ peaceful atmosphere free from threat of violence. As teachers and scholars, por 5 of these truths, we commend P re ** jj,e Rose, the Board of Trustees, a® alumni on their forthright state. ^ and join with them in a firm r to maintain peace and order campus and to preserve the unhin pursuit of knowledge at this univ ,