Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-06
K|MBALL TO RETIRE,
BOARD VOTES, As
G. D. Strayer, Jr., Is Appoint
ed First Statistician of
D. c. Schools.

The District of Columbia public
school systems first statistician was APP
pointed TO Office by the Board Of Edu-
cation yesterday, in the formal ap-
proval of the appointment Of George
D. Strayer, jr., decided upon in execu-
tive session Tuesday.
In the same meeting yesterday, the
school board ended the ardent fight
which DR.. E. G. Kimball. supervising
principal of the third division, and his
friends. had made against his retire
ment at the close of the current school
year, when, by a vote OF to 3, 1t de-
cided Dr. Kimball must withdraw from
active service June 80.
The board also approved the assign
mentS of school system officers and its
own members to ofhCiation in the COM
mencement exercises of the various SEN
Tor and junior high schools, the normal
schools and the vocational schools.
Similarly, it approved personnel changes
recommended by DR.. Frank w. Ballou,
superintendent of schools, including APP
pointments and promotions.
The board also formally approved the
appointment of Harvey A. Smith, former
superintendent of schools at Millville,
N. j., as principal of Central High
School and that of Norman j. Nelson,
former assistant principal OF Central,
to be assistant principal of Western
High School Both these appointments
were agreed upon at an executive Ses-
sion of the boards personnel committee
Tuesday afternoon in DR.. Ballou'S office,
at which time seven members OF the
board were present.
In appointing Mr.. Strayer as Statis-
tician of the school system, the board
completed another step in the general
Improvement of the system. The board
had sought a statistician for several
years, but sufficient funds for the SAL
airy of such an official were not made
available until the last session OF Con-
gress. when So 1000 was appropriated for
that specific purpose. The incorpora-
ton of such an Office in the school per-
sonnet was one of the recommendations
Of the Bureau of Efficiency in its report
made last year following a complete
survey of the local school situation.
Trained Statistician.
Mr.. Strayer was graduated from
Princeton University with the degree
Of bachelor of science in 1927. In 1928
he received the master of arts degree
from Teachers College of Columbia
University in New York. At present
he is a candidate for the degree OF doc
tor of philosophy at Teachers College.
Mr.. Strayer comes to the Washing
ton schools from Great Neck, Long
Island, N. Y, where he is assistant to
the superintendent of schools in charge
of research. His training for the position
Of statistician here included courses in
educational administration, educational
statistics, problems in elementary edu-
cation, elementary school supervision,
the psychology of elementary school
subjects and mathematics.
The boards action in retiring DR..
Kimball from active duty on June 80
4AI rNr 1nlEy ut cf -fc
meeting The retirement of the officer
was considered in all its phases at an
executive meeting of board members in
DR.. Ballou's Office Tuesday afternoon,
when the personnel committee OF the
board sought to frame a recommended
ton for presentation at yesterdays pub
lie meeting. At that meeting the COM
mittee, of which Mrs. Philip Sidney
Smith Is chairman. agreed to approve
DR.. Ballou's recommendation Of retire.
ment and present similar recon-
mendation to the board.
Pleas for DIR. KimbaIl.
At yesterdays meeting Mrs. Henry
Grattan Doyle offered substitute mo-
ton for the committees Recommended
ton, in which she would have had DR..
Kimball's retirement become effective
on June 80, 1880 During the discus
sion of the substitute motion, Mr.. Gill;
gan made an eloquent plea for the ex-
tension of DR.. Kimballs time in the
service for another year. He pointed
out that although DR.. Kinball is past
10 years of age, he still is thoroughly
efficient and both physically and men
tally able to continue in Office. lie
pointed out that if such rule as that
Of the Board of Education which re-
quires retirement at the age Of 70 ex-
listed in every field of endeavor, the
United States would have been deprived
Of 10 years of worthy service which
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes of the
Supreme Court had given since he
passed 70. He urged that the Board of
Education look above its rules to regard
the human side Of its administration