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PAGE 12—JUNE, 1965—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
LOUISIANA
HEW Approves ‘Statement Of Policy’
In Place Of Regular Compliance Form
NEW ORLEANS
T ouisiana’s “statement of
policy,” issued in lieu of com
pliance with federal nonsegrega
tion requirements, was accepted
by the U.S. Department of
Health, Education and Welfare in
mid-May, permitting continued
federal financial aid to state col
leges, trades and special schools,
and to local school districts com
plying with the federal regula
tions.
Exact date of HEW’s approval is un
known here. First word of it was an
nounced May 17 by U.S. Rep. Hale
Boggs (D-La.). The U.S. Office of
Education released its announcement
May 20. Louisiana’s was the 44th state
education agency whose document
pertaining to compliance with the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 was accepted
by the federal authorities.
Approval of the Louisiana statement
followed by some two weeks a clarifi
cation of the original statement issued
by the State Board of Education March
1. At that earlier date, the board said
it would administer without regard to
race federal funds allocated to any
local school district or state education
program which met the federal re
quirements.
Supplementary Statement
In a supplementary statement May
6, issued after a round of conferences
with federal education officials, the
State Board of Education said:
“This addendum is required for the
purpose of clarifying the legal rela
tionship between the State Board of
Education and the educational insti
tutions under its control and jurisdic
tion. Most of the colleges and univer
sities, vocation-technical schools and
special schools are created by special
acts of the Louisiona legislature desig
nating each as a Negro or white insti
tution. The Louisiana State Board of
Education does not possess the legal
authority to supersede or alter the acts
of the legislature, nor does it wish to
imply that such can be done.
“In keeping with Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the rules
and regulations of the Department of
Health, Education and Welfare, the
Louisiana State Board of Education
will receive and distribute federal aid
and-or funds to state colleges and uni
versities, parish and city school boards,
vocational-technical schools and spe
cial schools that qualify for federally-
financially assisted programs.”
The addendum indicated the status
of segregation-desegregation at insti
tutions under its jurisdiction as fol
lows:
Desegregated colleges and universi
ties, all of which have submitted com
pliance documents to HEW—Louisiana
Polytechnic Institute, McNeese State
College, Nicholls State College, North
east Louisiana State College, North
western Louisiana State College,
Southeastern Louisiana College, Uni
versity of Southwestern Louisiana,
Southern University (main campus at
Scotlandville and branch at New Or
leans) . Subsequently Grambling Col
lege (for Negroes) was ordered de
segregated by a federal court clearing
the way for it to comply, which was
promptly done and acknowledgement
received from HEW. (See In the Col
leges.)
Vocation-Technical Schools
Desegregated vocation - technical
schools: Florida Parish Vocational
School at Greensburg, T. H. Harris
School at Opelousas, Jefferson Parish
Trade School at Gretna, Jefferson Da
vis Vocational-Technical School at
Jennings, Natchitoches Trade School,
Shreveport Trade School, Southwest
Louisiana Vocational-Technical School
at Crowley, Sowela Technical Institute
at Lake Charles, Sullivan Memorial
Trade School at Bogalusa, Teche Area
Vocational-Technical School at Lafay
ette.
Vocational-technical schools with de
segregation cases pending in federal
court: Avoyelles Vocational-Techni
cal School at Cottonport, Baton Rouge
Vocation-Technical school, Bienville
Trades School at Ringgold, Capital
Area Vocational School (for Negroes)
at Baton Rouge, Central Area Trade
School (for Negroes) at Natchitoches,
Concordia Parish Trade School at Fer-
riday, Delta Area Vocational School
(for Negroes) at Monroe, Gulf Area
Vocational-Technical School at Abbe
ville, Huey P. Long Memorial Trade
School at Winnfield, Memorial Area
Vocational School at New Roads, North
Louisiana Highlights
The U.S. Department of Health,
Education and Welfare approved
Louisiana’s statement of policy on
compliance with the Civil Rights
Act.
“Operation Head Start” in New
Orleans was narrowly approved
after a controversy over federal re
quirements for teacher and pupil
desegregation.
Two school systems will have new
superintendents to cope with their
desegregation problems.
Grambling College (for Negroes)
will accept its first white students in
June and the Louisiana State Uni
versity medical school at New Or
leans will enroll its first Negro stu
dent in the fall.
Legal attacks on segregation in
state trade schools and in 10 school
districts were pressed in federal
court.
Central Area Vocational-Technical
School at Farmerville and Northeast
Louisiana Vocational School at Winns-
boro, Northwest Louisiana Vocational-
Technical School at Minden, Opelousas
Area Vocational School, Orleans Area
Vocational School (for Negroes) at
New Orleans, Ouachita Valley Voca
tional-Technical School at West Mon
roe, Sabine Parish Trade School at
Many and South Louisiana Trade
School at Houma. The court subse
quently ordered all 18 trade schools
desegregated. (See Legal Action.)
Special schools with desegregation
suits now pending in federal courts:
Louisiana State School for the Blind at
Baton Rouge, Louisiana State School
for the Deaf at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
State School for Spastic Children at
Alexandria, Louisiana State School for
Blind Negroes and Louisiana State
School for Deaf Negroes at Baton
Rouge.
Louisiana also joined in the effort by
Southern governors to counter rules
laid down in May by the U.S. Office
of Education requiring acceleration of
school desegregation processes. Gov.
John McKeithen met in Washington
with chief executives of other South
ern states to protest the “confusion”
created by the requirement that local
schools, to qualify for federal aid,
must desegregate at least four grades
by next fall and complete the process
by 1967. The governors protested that
HEW was exceeding its authority un
der the civil rights act, which sets no
such minimum requirements.
The governors planned to work
through their congressional delegations
to secure a revision of the HEW re
quirement. Gov. McKeithen named
U.S. Rep. Joe Waggoner to serve as his
liaison man in this approach to HEW.
★ ★ ★
The Orleans Parish School Board
gave “Operation Head Start” a 43-2
vote of approval after the U.S. Office
of Economic Opportunity demanded
In the Colleges
supplementary assurance against seg
regation, which some members of the
board said exceeded federal court re
quirements under which the local
schools desegregated.
Board President Louis G. Riecke re
fused to sign the supplemental contract
with Total Community Action Inc., the
local poverty program agency, saying:
“This is a step in future dictation on
how to conduct a school system. The
more dependent we get on federal
funds . . . the more Washington will
tell us what to do.”
The contract was signed at the board
majority’s direction by Vice President
Matthew B. Sutherland, who stressed
he was doing so “only in a ministerial
capacity, because I am going to vote
against the signing of the contract.”
At stake was the Orleans Parish pro
ram designed to give pre-school train
ing to some 43,500 culturally deprived
children who will enroll in kinder
garten this fall. The program is fi
nanced by a $385,555 federal grant and
$46,000 worth of local services and fa
cilities.
School Board attorney Samuel I.
Rosenberg said he had discussed the
contract with the Washington office of
OEO and was told there would be no
waiving of the requirement that “there
shall be no recruitment, selection or
assignment of children or staff, result
ing in segregation or discrimination.”
No ‘Forcible Segregation’
However, Rosenberg said, OEO chief
counsel James Heller had said he did
not interpret that provision as requir
ing “cross busing” of children to
achieve a racial mix, only that the pro
gram would not be conducted in such
a way as to result in “forcible segrega
tion” or “in actions intended to achieve
segregation.”
Board President Ricke said, “With
80 per cent of the participants in
‘Project Head Start’ being Negro’ I
don’t see how we can possibly hire and
recruit on an exact integrated basis.”
In support of the contract, board
member Lloyd Rittner said that during
his eight years of service on the board,
the schools here have always been short
of money.
“I intend to make use of every dollar
we can get from a legitimate source
for the public education of the chil
dren in this parish, Negro or what
ever.”
Board member Victor Hess said that
while the school board must control
the policies of the public schools, this
program was entirely voluntary. “As I
read the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” said
Hess, “the congress made a policy that
no federal funds be given to a state
where the funds would be distributed
on a discriminatory basis ... I feel
we will not have to engage in activities
we have not planned for.”
Dr. Andrew Rinker said, “We must
stop thinking in legal innuendos and
think of the children. Remember, every
fourth adult in the state is illiterate.”
★ ★ ★
Two new Louisiana school superin
tendents will begin coping with school
desegregation problems next fall. They
Orleans Board as Nondiscrimination Document Is Signed
Supt. O. Perry Walker, Dr. Andrew Rinker, Matthew Sutherland (holding pen in
air), Chairman Louis Riecke (who refused to sign supplement to contract for “Op
eration Head Start”), Lloyd Rittner, Victor Hess Jr. (See Schoolmen.)
are Dr. Carl J. Dolce, who will become
superintendent of Orleans Parish
schools, and Dr. Alfred T. Little, who
was named superintendent of Jefferson
Parish schools. Both men assume office
July 1.
Orleans Parish schools have been
desegregated since 1960 with the
process moving along at two grades
per year henceforth. Jefferson Parish
LITTLE DOLCE
schools, under court order, will begin
the desegregation process in Septem
ber.
Dr. Dolce will succeed Supt. O. Perry
Walker who will retire June 30 after
having headed the Orleans public
schools during four years of transition
from segregated to desegregated schools.
Supt. Walker has served the Orleans
Parish schools for some 30 years.
Dr. Little will replace Supt. Paul J.
Solis who, upon the death of the pre
vious superintendent, accepted the po
sition on an interim basis until June 30.
Dr. Dolce, 36, is a native New Or
leanian, educated in the Orleans public
schools and at two local universities.
He taught in the public school system
here from 1948 to 1955; was principal
of local schools from 1955 to 1963 when
he went to the Harvard University
Graduate School of Education as a re
search associate and lecturer. He holds
a bachelor’s degree from Tulane Uni-
bersity, a master’s degree in education
from Loyola University and the doc
torate degree in education administra
tion from Harvard. Dr. Dolce was se
lected for the post by a school board
committee from among 23 applicants
for the job, 12 of them local men.
Dr. Little will come to Jefferson
Parish from Borger, Texas, where he
has served as superintendent for the
past 10 years.
★ ★ ★
Desegregation of workshops for
principals and teachers is expected to
Two More Colleges To Desegregate
Two of Louisiana’s three remaining
“one race” institutions of higher learn
ing will be desegregated in subsequent
school terms.
The Louisiana State University Medi
cal School at New Orleans disclosed
May 20 that it had accepted a Negro
student for enrollment in September.
Grambling College, a Negro institution,
has been ordered by a federal district
court to accept white students. Gram
bling President Ralph Jones told
Southern School News about eight
white persons had applied to enroll
for the summer term beginning June
10.
Of the 14 separate campuses oper
ated by the state, only Louisiana State
University at Alexandria has not en
rolled pupils on a desegregated basis
thus far.
Dr. Robert L. Simmons, associate
dean of the LSU medical school and
chairman of the admissions committee,
said the 20-year-old Negro male stu
dent accepted for fall enrollment was
one of eight Negro applicants. The
medical school will enroll 140 first-
year students, chosen from more than
500 applicants.
The Negro applicant was accepted,
Dr. Simmons said, after going through
the same application routine that ap
plies to all students. This means that
the Negro student, presently a senior
at another Louisiana university, has
maintained a B-minus grade average,
has passed standardized national tests,
and was personally interviewed by
medical school enrollment personnel.
Dr. Simmons said the other Negro
applicants were not accepted and some
were not even called for interviews,
because their grades did not come up
to minimum requirements. He stressed
that the Negro applicants were judged
on the same basis as all other appli
cants.
Name of the accepted Negro student
was not disclosed because, Dr. Sim
mons said, it is the policy of the school
not to release the names of any of the
students accepted prior to their actual
enrollment. Furthermore, he said, “The
young man who has been accepted has
told us he is not interested in public
notice or publicity. He has said that
he wishes to be judged only as a stu
dent. He has further told us that he
has no desire to be leader of any fiery
cause.”
The full term will not mark the first
time Negroes have attended classes at
the LSU medical school.
“In the past,” said Dr. Simmons, “we
have had students studying for their
doctorate, master’s degrees and nurs
ing diplomas attend classes here. How
ever, this will mark the first time we
have ever accepted a Negro student in
our medical degree curriculum.”
★ ★ ★
A. P. Tureaud, New Orleans Negro
attorney and chief counsel in Louisi
ana for the NAACP Legal Defense and
Educational Fund, delivered the com
mencement address and received an
honorary doctor of laws degree from
Notre Dame Seminary at New Orleans
May 27. Spokesmen for the seminary
which trains Catholic priests for the
archdiocese of New Orleans and other
Louisiana dioceses, said Tureaud was
chosen for the honor as exemplifying
the church’s eternal counsels of justice
and charity.
be the result of a resolution passed May
24 by the Orleans Parish School Board.
The resolution authorized the school
staff to conduct meetings and in-service
training programs in any manner
“deemed by them to be in the best in
terest of the school system and the
children it serves.”
The resolution was adopted in re
sponse to a March 22 request of the
Negro Orleans Principals Association
that all professional activities be de
segregated.
The board also adopted a resolution
instructing that “white” and “colored”
signs be removed from all facilities on
school property.
★ ★ ★
Conversion of a white junior high
school to Negro use in face of spread
ing desegregation next fall is under
consideration by the East Baton Rouge
Parish School Board.
The matter was taken up. according
to the Baton Rouge State Times, in a
closed door session May 13. No men
tion of the possible conversion of Baton
Rouge Junior High School to a Negro
junior high was made during the open
meeting of the board.
“Regarding Baton Rouge Junior
High,” the State Times said. “Acting
Supt. Robert Aertker reportedly told
boardmen that ninth grade classes in
junior high schools will be subject to
integration in the 1966-67 school year.
Negro enrollment at Baton Rouge Jun
ior High could run as high as 300 at
that time, he said.”
“Conversion of the facility would re
lieve crowded conditions in Negro
schools in that general area of th e
city,” Aertker reportedly said in the
closed meeting.
“The possibility that the school might
be purchased for use by the city-parish
government is also under consideration,
however, and the future of the school
is apparently still uncertain.”
★ ★ ★
A “co-institutional” senior high
school is planned to replace the Lincoln
Negro High School in Jefferson Parish
school system, which is under court
order to desegregate in the fall. A
“co-institutional” school is described as
one providing separate buildings rot
boys and girls on a common site with
some shared facilities.
The Jefferson Parish School Boar
on May 5 authorized purchase o
14.88 acres of land at the appraised
price of $99,735 for the new school to
be located at Marrero, where Negro
pupils two months ago staged noisy
protests against conditions of the Lm
coin school.
★ ★ ★
The Lafayette Parish School Boart^
under court order to desegregate
schools next fall, began considers
in May of a parish-wide one per c
sales tax proposal to finance a teac
pay raise and capital outlays. ^
“If we do not pass a sales tax.
Acting School Supt. Charles D e
“we will have a very difficult pro
by next year; and after that we
■will not have the room in whic
place our students.”
Earlier this year, the board won *
proval of an $825,000 bond issue, ^
maximum possible under existing
resources. . ir j ce
Also in Lafayette, Bishop n0
Schexnayder said there would ^ ^
immediate announcement of P jfLfls.
desegregation of Catholic sc
Bishop Schexnayder has said dj 1 ^
past that parochial schools wo ^
desegregated when public schoo s
of
★ ★ ★
Catholic schools in the cli° ce ^^. orl
Baton Rouge will begin desegre
(See SEGREGATION. Page l4)