Richmond planet., 1923-03-03
TELLS WHY MISS H. @.
BROWN WAS REMOVED.
Upreston News Service,

Cleveland, Ohio. Feb. 2S.-"Tho
effort of Miss Halle Q. Brown. former
Wilberforce teacher, to retard the on
ward march of Wilberforce University
through the publication of unwarrant-
ed attacks, reminds one forcibiy of
the 'Fly'-of Aesop fcme that alighy-
ing upon the wheel OF a moving chart
ot exclaimed: see the dust / am rails
ing " declared Ormond A. Forte score
tary of the Combined Normal anu LII
dustrial Board Of Trustees of Wi.ber
force University, last Friday after
noon.
Continuing Mr.. Forte said, Miss
Brown was recently removed froE.
the faculty of the Combined Normal
and Industrial Department cf Wilber-
force because OF lnaompeiJfcy. The
action was taken by the Board of Trus-
tees of the Department after the State
Inspector of Normal Schools had re-
Ported to the Board that Miss Brown
lad not the slightest conception of the
subjects she was assigned to teach
And now the veteran teacher, graft
uatcd fifty years ago from Wilberforce
turns against her alma mater anu
seeks to see her discomfited. 1t would
have been wise if the veteran teacher
had not sought to prove herself a
martyr to the cause of square-dealing
but on the contrary. she has sought
to make the public believe that she was
let out because of influence Bishop
Joshua H. Jones is supposed to have
in the affairs of the school, Miss
Brown might have done this with
some degree of success. if she had been
removed from the College or Academy
faculty. but it was no SO.
'"The whole painful truth is that
Miss Brown tried to fill a position in
the Normal Department for which
she was entirely untitled by training
and experience. The man. who mshn
now attempts to discredit, was the in
dividual who, by reason of his ei.,
quent and impassioned plea to the
Board Of Trustees. secured the posi-
tion for Miss Brown. But he was power
less to save her scalp when it became
imperative-for the sake of scholastic
standing Of the Normal Department
to remove Miss Brown.
Previous to 1921 Miss Brown taught
English in the Academy. and SO far as
can be learned her work was satisfac-
tory. But when the position of Teach
er of the History of Education and
Normal English became vacant, with
a larger salary, she sought the posi-
tion, unmindful of her lack of qualifi-
cations. 1t is needless to enter into
a discussion as to why Miss Brown
was untitled for the post. Let it SUI
flee to say that since her graduation
from the College Department of Will
berforce fifty years ago. she has not
taken any training preparatory to
teaching in the Normal School AMI
consequently could not be expected to
understand Methods such as are de
manded of modern teachers
''It was felt by the Board of Trus.
tees that Miss Brown would gracefully
announce that she had resigned from
the faculty, and consequently no an
nouncement was made. Hence 1t was
comparatively easy matter to at
tempt to fasten the burden upon Bish-
op Jones' who of course, is one OF thu
moving spirits at Wilberforce and no
doubt better known as an official OF
the School. However, the Board OF
Trustees assumes the full responsible
ity OF removing Miss Brown from the
faculty and 1t regrets that unpleasant
publicity should have been resorted
to by the able Club leader.
"The National Federation OF Wo-
mems Clubs ought to get the facts and
not permit itself to he used In the mat
ter. unless sure OF its ground
"The need for Wilberforce is far
more compelling than the unfolding
of the whims and fancies OF well.
meaning but antiquated teacher, who
has served her day and now refuses
to be shelved to make room ior the
newer and mere competent elemen
Surely there is enough examples In
the retiremen- of such able AT r.,
nowned educators as Charles w. Eli
OFT OF Harvard; Henry c. King of
Obtrlin and Charles F.. Thwing Of
Western Reserve to give Miss Halle
Q. abiding comfort In her enforced
id'eness from a position for which she
was entirely unified"