Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-16
WOOTEN RETAINED
AS PRINCIPAL OF
HOWARD SCHOOL
Board of Education. However, Ac-
cepted Resignation OF Mrs.
Alice Dunbar Nelson.
ACTION TAKEN AT
SPECIAL MEETING

At spccial meeting of the Board .ot
Educatlon last night. on motion ct lpr
ConwcF Bauton. the secretary WAS IN
stulrted 10 notify II Raw Wooten to re
sumc his duties as principal OF howard
High School on Monday morning, the
vote beirg unanimous
immediately following this action. on
motion of DR. G A. Beck. the board voted
with otiv orc member dissenting, 10
accept the resignation Of Mrs Alice Dun
bar Nelson. teacher of Erglish in the
school. who has been under Suspension
bv Prlrcipal Nootcn for the past two
weeks ''for being absent without leave
from her post The dissenting vote was
cast bv Shermer III Stradlev. who said that
while he had supported the retention oi
Principal Wooten, he could rot reconcle
himself TO dispensing with the services oil
Mrs Nelson, after Is years Of satisfactory
service Mrs Nelson mistake was one
Of the head. said Mr. Stradlcy, Tor
which she merited the censurc voted by
the board. but |. for one cannot bring
mvsef to sec that dismissal, which would
hc the effect OF accepting her resignation,
Is warranted
The vote on the question, however,
showed that Mr. Stradlev was alone IN
4
10 Mrs Nelson a letter of commendatlon
for her pas serves was favorably acted
upon.
The meeting was the occasion of not
able demonstration IN support Of ir'nc'pal
! Wooten. over 60 cOlored citizens, men
+ and women members of the Delaware
i Protest League filing ia, Iust after l1r.
/ Banton had spoken at some length IN
/ explanation Of his attitude and finding
+ seats and standing room outside The
! members railing They had met follow
ing A meeting in the National Theatre,
/ Thursday night where l07 out of llO
present approved n resolution IN favor OF
! the retention OF Principal Wooten, the
/ text of which was printed III Every
Evening YESTERDAY
On the invitation of President George
| RommeI OF the Board, several OF the dele
! fates spoke. including Rev. Ii. \. Arnett,
/ DIR. j Bacon Stubs, Edgar Starting.
! Caleb Lord. Asburv c. Sterling, LOUIS
Redding, w Francis Lee, Mrs Angela
/ Henry and Mrs. NJ. Seltz.
/ PRAISE FoR wooTEN
| The general testimony of the speakers
! was unanimous on the point that the
! discipline Of the pupils Of Howard High
/ School during the short time of Principal
| Wootens incumbencv demonstrated that
he should have an opportunity to prove
| what he can do.
/ DR. Banton, IN summing up the case NJ
| the opening Of the meeting, SAID the board
! had been very patient in regard To tn,
! case, so patient that it might be open tC
/ censure.
! In fact, / am now victim of thE
/ censure, he went on, 'for allowing thu
pupils to be deprived this long of principa
/ and teacher" He reminded the board that
/ during the last meeting it had been hopeo
I the disagreement between principal ant
teacher could be fixed up and that friend
! had undertaken 10 approach Mrs. NelsoI
/ TO try to get her to retract the statement
/ that appeared in heAdvocate of which sh,
! IS an associate editor lie SAID that /
/ Mrs. Nelson would make tins retractioI
| the board was perfectly willing at the las
meeting she should go on and teach ane
that she had said at that meeting tina
she would do the best she could.
There has been no retraction, in th,
current issue of the Advocate out today
said DR. Banton, although friends of her
have begged her foT one.
DIR. Thomas O. Cooper paid tribute {,
| Miss Edwina b. krlIse, principal emeritus
| whose services have been available in thl
emergency.
Floral tributes were agreed upon to b.
sent by the members individually TO DT
John Palmer, Secretary NJ II. Jester an,
| Superintendent Croney of the repair
department who were detained by illness