The bee., 1882-12-23
PU BLIC COLORED SCHOOLS OF
WASHINGTON AND GEORGE
TOWN.

WASHINGTON AND GEORGE
TOWN.
UNDER TIE CONSOLIDATED BOARD
1915.
The first of Board the Consolidation
consisted of the following named gen
tlemen, to wit
George F. Mcclellan, Edmund F.
French, VIM. r. Woodward, George W.
Dyer, Benjamin f. Lloyd, Frederick
Douglass, Sr., Henry Johnson, John H.
Brooks and w. Perry Ryder, of the city
of Washington; Anthony Hyde, w. W.
Curtis, and F. W. Moffatt and John H.
Ferguson, of the city of Georgetown:
c. B. Smith, Professor J. W. CHECKER
ing, Jr., and Solomon G. Brown, of the
county.
The Board was organized August 10,
1874, by the election of Mr.. Mcclellan,
president, and Mr.. John II. Brooks,
secretary. Mr.. Douglass declined the
office, and the commissioners requested
colored schools to allow a representa-
tive for the white city schools. to be ap-
pointed in his stead. AS has been stated
early after the organization most de-
Cided difference of views on school
matters developed among the white
members for the city schools, lead on
the one side by Mr.. Mcclellan, and on
The other by superintendent j. o.
Wilson. This difference of opinion as to
the best method of management OF
school affairs begot very better state
of feeling, and as the president evil
IDENTIFY was attempting through the
Commissioners of the District of Colum-
bia, to centralize all power of admins
tration in himself as president of the
Board. Going so far as to assume con-
troll of the duties of the executive Off
GERS and the committees, it soon
brought matters to the attention of the
appointing power which resulted in the
Board being enlarged and the retire
ment of Messrs. Nc Lellan and Solo
mon q. Brown. The views of super
intendent Wilson and his friends were
supported 10y a majority of the Board
and Commissioners.
The personal relationship of the
white and colored members was very
friendly and mutually respectful, and
with one or two exceptions the white
members were ready and willing to
obey the laws and do justice to the
colored schools; hence, when the esti-
mates were prepared to be submitted
to the commissioners to be by them
sent to Congress through the president
the legal apportionment of the colored
schools was properly and lawfully esti-
mated for and recommended.
1t was early seen, however, by the
representatives of the colored schools
that decided effort would at once
have to he made to secure fair paly and
have the laws Obeyed, because of an
influence felt but not seen, which be-
gan at once to manifest itself in gross
misrepresentation. The first and most
important question arose by the repre-
sentativeS of the cOlored schools de-
manding the lawful apportionment Of
the school fund for the erection of the
Curtis" school building in George
town, which had not been paid, and
which was merely evaded 10y base
clerk in the comptroller's Office failing
to take up the public expenditure upon
the books Of the District Government.
As very important results followed the
action of MeSSrs. Johnson and Brooks,
we will give sufficient of the official
to make the matter clear.
OFFICE SUB BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OF CoLoRED SCHOOLS OF WASH
INGToN AND GEoRGEfowN,
Sumner building,
Washington, august 25, 1874
To the Honorable the Commissioners of
the District Of Columbia -
GENTLEMEN We have the honor
most respectfully to call your attention
to the act of Congress approved July
23d, 1866, which provides that the
cities of Washington and Georgetown
shall pay to the Trustees of Colored
Schools such proportionate part of
all moneys received or expended for
school or educational purposes, includ-
ing the cost of sites, buildings, furni-
-ure, and books, and all other expendi-
lures on account of schools, as the
,olored children between the ages of six
and seventeen years in the respective
titles bear to the whole number of chill
lren. white and colOred, between the
;ame ages; the money shall be payable
N the first day of October of each year,
md, if not then paid, interest at the
ate of 10 per cent. per annum may be
and the act of the Legisla-
i've Assembly Of the District of Colum-
'ia entitled AN act to secure the SIM
lltaneous payment of dues to the white
nd colored schools of Washington and
approved June %, 1873,
or the purpose of informing you that
he sum of fifty-three thousand dollars
as been expended for the erection of
public school building in the city of
georgetown, and that the proportion
lie the colored schools of $4,000 of !