The Athenaeum. (Atlanta, GA) 1898-1925, February 01, 1924, Image 17

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113 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.