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TENNESSEE SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—FEBRUARY, 1964—PAGE 5 Marshall Says Rights Bill Will Not "End the Problem* NASHVILLE urke Marshall, U.S. assist ant attorney general who het»ds the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in Nashville on Jan. 23 that the pending civil-rights bill will not “end the problem of segregation.” Addressing about 300 delegates to the annual meeting of the Tennessee Coun cil on Human Relations, which included school desegregation in its discussions, Marshall declared: “We must keep in mind that the civil-rights bill. . . does not deal with all the effects of segregation.” Marshall explained provisions of the bill and said its passage this year is “the major problem we have to deal with.” Earlier in the day he told a press conference that the measure faces “pretty determined opposition by some senators.” Efforts to Mislead “Its failure to be passed would have serious and grave consequences all over the world,” the official said. “We must keep in mind the national interest,” he continued. “Part of the crisis our country faces is the lack of faith of the citizens in their ability to meet its problems.” Marshall said there were “deliberate efforts already started. . . to mislead the public on what it (the bill) does.” Next September, he said, “we will start a new generation of school chil dren in a segregated school system,” citing figures which he said showed that about 2,000 school districts in 15 states are “totally segregated.” Expects Approval Marshall said he believes the bill will be approved. But he added: “The job that follows will be more difficult and will be more lasting.” School desegregation also was dis cussed by Dr. Herman Long, president of Talladega College in Alabama and former head of the race relations de partment at Fisk University. Addressing a luncheon meeting, Dr. Long urged the delegates to work for complete desegregation of Tennessee public schools as its goal during 1964. Local Leadership “The Role of Local Leadership” in handling race relations was the subject of a panel discussion including Mayor Beverly Briley of Nashville and David son County, Mayor Ralph Kelley of Chattanooga, Vice Mayor E. N. Backus of Johnson City, Dr. Paul T. Jones of Memphis and Jack Day of Oak Ridge. William Willis of Nashville was named president of the council, suc ceeding George Barrett of Nashville. Members of the newly formed Ten nessee Commission on Human Rela tions attended some of the council ses- Oklahoma (Continued From Page 4) Portunities to all boys and girls, re gardless of race. . Me said the board has nothing else * mind than to try to carry out the order of the federal court (see Legal etion) to desegregate the schools “as ast as we can without creating any g^at commotion for either Negroes or whites.” Qualification Alone Me said the court’s order definitely e ans there will be more Negro pupils white schools and that teachers will assigned to schools on qualification ° ne , regardless of race, th ^ ter an applicant is cleared by q P? rsor mel office, approved as to his h e . ca hon for becoming a teacher, ^i .^“Srdected by the principal,” Estes ' But this won’t work against Ne- packers getting assigned to white Prin ■ ^ e re n »t going to say to the hut C *^’ 'You cannot hire a Negro,’ hh-o ^ther will we say, ‘You have to ^ Negroes.’ ” ttit Q e that, if a Negro family moves Scho-i e Northwest Classen High ^ w Capitol Hill High School ^°ol Tu 1 " c hBdren will go to that ipg • Whe same applies to whites liv- b* sakl 6 Douglass High School area, j>Hly ^ 0r . Jiis personal feelings, “The . sition I take serving on the W” r-’” attempting to carry out the ’ ^tes declared. Tennessee U.S. assistant attorney general Burke Marshall said in Nashville that the proposed civil-rights bill will not “end the problem of segre gation.” Miss Earline Lavernia Houston of Memphis has been accepted by the University of Tennessee School of Medicine at Memphis and is sched uled to become the first Negro woman enrolled there next Septem ber. The Chattanooga Board of Educa tion has issued a statement declaring that “the best qualified” person will be chosen as the board’s nominee to fill a vacancy on the board. Dr. Stephen J. Wright of Nash ville was elected to membership on the board of directors of the Asso ciation of American Colleges, becom- sions and held their own organizational meeting on Jan. 23. (See Miscellan eous.) In addition to the remarks by Mar shall and Dr. Long, school desegrega tion was discussed by others during the two-day council meeting. Dr. Vasco Smith of Memphis told a panel discussion audience that Negroes in that city are being subjected to “double shifts” at some schools and that there are reports that other schools may be brought under the plan next fall. U.S. Rep. Ross Bass addressed the delegates briefly, pledging his support for passage of the civil-rights bill. Among other participants in the council's sessions were Amon C. Evans, publisher of the Nashville Tennessean, and John Seigenthaler, editor of the Tennessean. Evans presided over the panel dis cussion of local leadership and Seigen thaler introduced Marshall for his ban quet address. ★ ★ ★ The Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission on Jan. 20 issued a report which declared “it is virtually impossible for Negro youths or adults in Tennessee to re ceive training” in other than “tradi tional Negro jobs.” Noted in the report was the fact that some schools offer vocational training to Negroes. “The number of Negro journeymen in the crafts, trades and unions is so small that opportunities for Negro youths to enter apprenticeship pro grams are extremely limited,” the re port said. Schoolmen Deaf School Names Negro As Teacher In White Division The Tennessee School for the Deaf at Knoxville has its first Negro teacher to serve on the faculty of the school’s white division. She is Mrs. Elaine Williamson of Knoxville, who received her master’s degree from the University of Tennes see along with specialized training for teaching the deaf. The state-supported special school operates separate divisions for white and Negro students. Officials said no desegregation had occurred among stu dents, but that Mrs. Williamson was employed in the white division at the beginning of the school year. ★ ★ ★ Board Will Nominate On Qualification Basis The Chattanooga Board of Education on Jan. 8 said that it will nominate “the best qualified” person for membership on the board in February. In a formal statement, the board said it expected to receive from a special citizens’ screening committee the names of three persons to be con sidered in filling the vacancy of Vice Chairman Raymond B. Witt Jr., whose term expires on Feb. 15. - - - ✓ - , Highlights ing the first Negro to serve in that capacity. “Discriminatory” practices against Negroes attending Memphis State University were criticized by the Memphis branch of the NAACP. Briefs were filed by the school board and the plaintiffs in the Franklin County school desegrega tion suit. A ruling was expected soon frm U.S. District Judge Charles G. Neese. An appeal of district court ap proval of a gradual desegregation plan in Jackson was withdrawn by Negro plaintiffs. Five additional members were named by Gov. Frank G. Clement to the new Tennessee Commission on Human Relations. “If the best qualified nominee in the opinion of the board happens to be a member of the Negro race, such person will be nominated,” the statement said, “but the board does not propose to give undue weight or discriminatory preference to a member of any race...” The board’s statement said it was “fully aware of the fact that discrim inations can be positive or negative, helpful or harmful and that discrimna- tion by a public body in any form is clearly unconstitutional.” Negroes Want Member Negro leaders have suggested that at least one member of the board should be a Negro, contending that more than 40 per cent of the school population are members of their race and that they are entitled to board representa tion. The nominee selected by the board will be presented to the City Commis sion for its consideration in electing a member to the six-year term. Witt, who also has served as counsel for the board during the Chattanooga school desegregation litigation, has asked that he not be considered for another term. In The Colleges College Association Names Dr. Wright New Board Member Dr. Stephen J. Wright, president of Fisk University at Nashville, on Jan. 16 became the first Negro to be elected to membership on the board of direc tors of the Association of American Colleges. His election to the four-year term came during the association’s 50th an nual conference in Washington. The association has more than 800 in stitutions among its membership and is Both sides in the Franklin County school desegregation suit filed briefs at the end of January with U.S. District Judge Charles G. Neese. A ruling was expected from the court soon. Neese on Jan. 2 ordered the Frank lin County Board of Education, which had proposed a gradual desegregation plan based on geographical areas be ginning in September, to desegregate two Sewanee elementary schools by March 2. (Hill et al v. Franklin County Board of Education, SSN, January and previous.) The judge allowed both sides until Jan. 31 to file briefs in support of their arguments. ★ ★ ★ Negro plaintiffs have withdrawn their appeal of U.S. District Judge Bailey Brown’s decision in the Jackson school desegregation case. Nashville attorney Avon N. Williams designed to promote advancement of higher education, especially in the lib eral arts field. Roger Savain, Fisk public relations director, quoted association officials as saying Dr. Wright was the first Negro to be elected to the board although Ne groes have served previously on the association’s committees. Dr. Wright is a member of the board of directors of Southern Education Re porting Service. ★ ★ ★ Negro Woman Accepted By UT Medical School The University of Tennessee School of Medicine at Memphis has accepted Miss Earline Lavernia Houston as its first Negro woman student. Miss Houston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl J. Houston of Memphis, is scheduled to enter the school in Sep tember. A spokesman for the school on Jan. 8 said “two or three” Negro men have been enrolled previously. Miss Houston now is a senior at Le- Moyne College, which she entered af ter completing the 11th grade at Ma nassas High School. She is a member of Kappa Chi, national honorary scientific society; Alpha Kappa Mu, national honor society; and LeMoyne’s honor society. She is a biology major. ★ ★ ★ East Tennessee State University at Johnson City has awarded an athletic scholarship to its first Negro foootball player. Receiving the scholarship was Johnny Russaw, star halfback of Langston High School, also located in Johnson City. ETSU also has an Alcoa Negro, Tommy Woods, as a member of its freshman basketball team. Austin Peay State College at Clarks ville also has signed a Negro player to receive a football scholarship. What They Say NAACP Criticizes Memphis State The Memphis branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on Jan. 26 criticized what it called “discriminatory” prac tices against Negroes attending Mem phis State University. Jesse Turner, president of the branch, said: “Memphis State points to itself with pride as to how it has integrated, but we’ve found that Memphis State at the core is very difficult.” The statement came during a meet ing of the NAACP. Some members of the organization expressed the view that the state-sup- ported university is only partially de segregated and contended that Negro students should be allowed to partici pate in all sports, recreational and ex- Jr. said on Feb. 1 that the plaintiffs had decided on the withdrawal and to allow “a little time to see how the board will operate it (the plan).” The plaintiffs had objected to transfer provisions in the plan, which was ap proved last August. (Monroe et al v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Jackson et al, SSN, September, 1963, and previous.) The plan approved by the court had been filed by the commissioners, who also serve as the board of education, and called for desegregation of the first three grades last September with the remainder of the grades to be desegre gated by 1967. About 40 Negroes are attending five predominantly white schools in the West Tennessee district. ★ ★ ★ The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Ap peals at Cincinnati is scheduled to hear arguments on an appeal by Negro plaintiffs in the Knoxville school de- tra-curricular activities without “dis crimination.” An estimated 110 Negroes are among the university’s 8,215 students. Rep. Ross Bass (D-Tenn.) said in Nashville on Jan. 15 that a civil-rights bill “in some form” will be approved by Congress this year. Addressing a Kiwanis Club luncheon in suburban Madison, the Congressman said, however, “no act will be passed which will destroy the free enterprise system.” Bass is on record as favoring passage of the civil-rights measure now pend ing in Congress. ★ ★ ★ Miscellaneous Clement Appoints Five More Members To Biracial Group Gov. Frank G. Clement on Jan. 14 appointed five additional members to the newly-created Tennessee Commis sion on Human Relations. In addition to the 16 members who were named on Jan. 1, the governor announced the appointments of these members: J. Emmett Ballard, Jackson attorney; the Rev. Wayne Dehoney, pastor of First Baptist Church, Jackson; Bennie J. Harris, Chattanooga attorney; the Rev. B. L. Hooks, Memphis minister and attorney; and Bert Ferguson Memphis radio station executive. The commission held an organiza tional session in Nashville on Jan. 23 and adopted what was termed an “ex tremely positive” attitude about its fu ture work. Major Objective The Rev. Sam R. Dodson, Jr. of Nashville, commission chairman, said the first major objective will be a re view of race-relations accomplishments in Tennessee. Committees are expected to be an nounced soon to recommend the com mission’s policies, programs, budgetary requirements and public relations prac tices. The group is considering the pos sibility of employing a full-time exe cutive director. Clement formed the biracial commis sion on Jan. 1 and said it would en courage equal opportunity for all per sons regardless of race, color, creed or national origin. ★ ★ ★ Edward J. Shea, executive vice presi dent of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, was presented an award Jan. 9 by Metropolitan Mayor Beverly Briley for his work in race relations. Briley commended Shea, during a meeting of the chamber’s membership, for his service as chairman of the mayor’s interim human relations com mittee last year. The interim committee was succeeded by a permanent group appointed by the mayor. Awaited segregation suit on Feb. 20. An original grade-a-year desegrega tion plan was ordered into effect by Judge Robert L. Taylor in 1960, but this plan was struck down by the ap peals court in April, 1962. (Goss et al v. Knoxville Board of Education.) The school board filed an amended plan to desegregate the third and fourth grades in September, 1962, and last September desegregation was ex tended to the fifth and sixth grides under the accelerated plan. Plaintiffs appealed the district judge’s approval of the accelerated plan. The appeals court last April, acting on another appeal by the plaintiffs, held that the board’s plan for Negro trans fers to previously all-white vocational high school classes was “too compli cated” and directed that these pro visions be simplified. The district now has about 229 Ne groes attending biracial classes in 13 schools. Legal Action Franklin County Decision