The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-03-04
PROF. SHEEP
FINDS HIMSELF
IN A DILEMMA
Wants To Be Superintendent
of Schools Again and Can't
Apply For The Job

Prot. $. l.. Sheep. for 40
wears an educator in Elizabeth
City and superintendent OF the
city graded schools for 70
years will in all probability be
retired by the election of new
superintendent when the Board
OF Trustees OF the Elizabeth
City Graded Schools meet
Tuesday night. Mar. Sth.
And Prof. Sheep is in Il dilemma.
He doesn't want 10 he retired: he
wants To keep right on being super
intendent of the schools: but when
the trustees were after his scalp Il
year ago he told them that if they
wouli reappoiEt him for this year
hr would not apply for tho office
Updlu. .Nlil ~ tut lIhNNNtS "NN
holding him to his word. Prof.
Sheep has put in no application.
but it is generally known that he
wants the rcappointmcnt and he
has said as much Ia members Of
the board of trustees, of which DIR.
Sam W. Gregory is president.
There are 50 many as II ur II
applications for the school $upcrin-
tendency and only one of them Is
n local man. The local applicant
is Prof. \. +. Combs. principal OF
the schools and perhaps the most
popular member of the faculty.
But members of the school board.
whil.. having the highest apprCTia-
tinn and esteem for Mr.. cOmbS. are
not inclined 10 consider his applica
ton seriously. There is Il feeling
that the graded schools in Elizabeth
City are in Il rut and that they can
he reitlvenatcd and brought up 10
date only by bringing in Il new
personality who is familiar by eX-
pcricncc with larger and more eff
cicut schools than We have in Eliz-
abeth City. 1t is pointed out by
members of the board of trustees,
who freely express themselves, that
SIr. Combs experience has been
largely confined 10 the local schools.
They argue that man who has
grown mp with a thing cant get the
perspective that Il new man would
get.
But what to do with Prof. Sheep:
That is 4 knotty puzzle 10 the
trustees. While entertaining the
thar he should step aside
for q Younger man, they know full
well that he deserves every consider
ation because of the years of faith
full service lie has given the city 5
schools. He has given close np"n
half Il century of his life in fact to
the education Of three generations
in the town. And thru all the years
he has given himself without stint
10 the work. If he has fought hard
for his Job from time TO time, that
is about all that he has done for
himself.
The trustees don't want to turn
him ont of the schools entirely:
their desire would be to retire him
with respectable pension. hut that
is out of the question since the
school board has no authority 10
give him Il pension. But how to
make a place for Prof. Sheep under
Il new superintendent Is Il puzZler
To many of the trustees who fear
that one who has been 80 long
supreme in authority in the schools
would not work in harmony with Il
uyw school head. 1T would be- like
having a mOther-in-law in the fam
ily," says one truStecman, who OK
planned that You just can't keep
Il mOther-in-law from trying 10 boss
the works
But the whole question probably
will bc disposed of ut the meeting
of the board next Tuesday night.
Prof. Sheep is paid $500 IL year.
II is not believed that the type Of
superintendent the board of trustees
desires to employ can BE- secured at
that figure. They may have to pay
murr for man big enough to sue
crd Prof. Sheep. But they can
do that: the salary of Superintcn-
dent of schools of Elizabeth City
is not limited to S3.JO0 Il year.