The Athenaeum. (Atlanta, GA) 1898-1925, February 01, 1924, Image 17
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THE ATHENAEUM
that a stipulation would be made for erecting more public schools for
Negro students also, the Negroes gladly co-operated to put the issue
over. As a result one high school and' four grade schools have been
built for Negroes.
With the coming of the high school the educational system of
Atlanta has made a broad jump and Atlanta now stands preeminent
as an educational center for Negroes.
Possibly there are many influences which the high school will
have upon the Colleges of this city, but I shall name only a few. I
think, in the first place, that it will push them nearer the goal for which
they are striving that is to become Colleges or Universities.. Of
course it would not be expedient to cut the academic departments
suddenly off, but this process could be made so slowly that the shock
would be scarcely felt. As these schools approach nearer their goal,
it will be of two-fold value. First, it will give the schools a higher
rating, for as the academy is slowly stricken from the schools the
College department will gain added strength, and, as a natural se
quence, become more efficient. We all know that the more efficient a
school becomes the higher rating it gets. Second, it will give more
privileges to the College men. * There is no getting around the fact
that a school which has very young as well as older boys must re
strain the older boys possibly more than necessary, in order to safe
guard the younger boys. With the coming of the Colleges these con
ditions will be greatly attenuated. I am sure that if you observe
closely the schools that have no academy, you will find my assertion
to be true.
What about those Colleges that are practically dependent upon
the academy for their sustenance? The high school will, of course
do more immediate harm to these colleges that are dependent upon
their academy than those that are not; but the students that are drawn
from other cities and the smaller towns will offset this. It is highly
probable that the institution with the smallest college department
can so nurture this department that in the course of time, it will
blossom forth into maturity, and take its rightful place beside its
contemporaries. I welcome the day that all of our colleges are made
independent units, for it is my opinion that then, and only then can
they hope to be ranked among the best.
—Frank Proctor, ’26.