Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-02
BOARD DENOTES
HEDR|CK AND HAY
DESPITE PROTEST
Teachers Union Counsel
Sees Merging of Physics and
Biology Departments ILLEGAL.
GREENLEAF BUILDING
TRANSFER is DELAYED
Southwest Citizens Given Until
August l to Amass Addi-
tional Data.

Despite the informal opinion of Paul
Lesh, attorney for the Teachers Union.
! that the merger of the two departments
was in violation of the organic law
under which the schools were organized.
and in the face Of personal plea that
! they be not penalized, Dr. William A.
J Hedrick, head of the Department of
| Physics, and William p Hay, head of
the Department Of Chemistry and
Biology, were denoted to teachers of
( their subjects by the Board of Educa-
ton at its annual reorganization meet
| ing late yesterday.
In the same session, the board re-
elected DR.. H. Barrett Learned presi-
dent, and received further protests
against the transfer of the Greenleaf
School in Southwest Washington from
| the white to the colored divisions. While
it stood by its action of three weeks
! ago to use the Greenleaf School for
colored pupils, the board allowed the
residents of Southwest Washington
until August l to amass additional
| statistical data on the colored and white
| populations of the section affected.
| DR.. Hedrick and Mr.. Hay were made
! teachers in the group B salary grade,
| carrying annual Stipends of $4,000, the
! highest pay given any teachers in the
| system. BY carrying the two deposed
officers on the pay roll until August 81
as directors, at their present $1,000
salary, the School Board. on recon-
mendation of the school officials, is pro-
viding both men with more pay during
! the current fiscal year than either ever
! before received. Each will receive his
| directors pay for July and August and
! then each will receive the full years
| salary as group teachers, by virtue of
/ the fact that these are i0-payment-per-
| year positions. Next year. however,
each man would feel the $500 cut.
Was Pupil Of Hedrick.
In his appeal to the board en- behalf
! of the denoted veterans. Mr.. Lesh plead
! particularly for DR.. Hedrick, in whose
! class he was pupil.
| IF we had little democracy here in
/ the District of Columoia-and you know
I am a little queer on that subject
/ you members of this board would not
! dare to take the action you are taking
I with respect to these men," Mr.. Lesn
declared quietly and with a smile. as he
referred to his views on democracy for
! the District; "a citizenry would rise
up and protest violently against the
merging OF these departments and the
demotion of these veteran teachers.
and they would prevent you from max
| ing this mistake
! He pointed out that directors Of de-
partmentS are advisory" positions anu
mot the driving jobs necessarily requlr-
| ing younger men,
when a company wishes to get rid
of its president because he is getting
old" Mr.. Lesh eaSoned. sit doesn't
throw out his advice and deprive itself
| of his experience. It makes him chair
man of the Executive Committee and
! thus retains that advisory genius which
made the old officer valuable for so
man. years"
Questioning the legality Of the
boards action in merging the two de-
partments last week, Mr.. Lesh pointed
! out that the organic law under which
! the school system has operated
specifically states that there shall be
specific number of departmental heads.
Unable to find any subsequent leglsla-s
ton which would alter the stated NUM-
Der of departments, Mr.. Lesh SAID he
believed it was Illegal to merge the de-
! partment of physics with that OF
| chemistry and biology. He explained,
however, that while that was his PES
ent informal opinion he has not yet
completed his study of legislation ana
! is not yet ready to present his. the
| legal opinion, which the Ieachers
Union requested of him.
Financial Effect Explained
In his recommendation that the two
| deposed officers be made senior grace
| teachers, DR.. Ballou explained tnaI
| there was no desire on the part OF
school officials to 'endanger the tenure"
of teachers as the union, IN its protest,
! had charged He explained how the
| plan of demotion would result in II
! nancial benefit to both men for the hrst
year, despite the fact that in subse-
uuent years they would suffer $5OU
| decrease. In the vote on DR.. Ballou
! recommendation, Henry Gllllgan, poaru
member, who fought vigorously against
| the merger, said he would vote for the
demotion because, while l am Opposed
| to what has been done, belleVe tnis
action is the only thing left that VIII
aid these two fine gentlemen IN the iace
of what the majority OF this Doaiu Is
! determined to do" Likewise, Mrs.
Mary A. Mcneil, explained she would
| vote for the recommendation, "agalnst
my better Judgment and because IL APP
pears the only thing left that Woulo
! favor in any way these men. MIS-.
| Mcneil made it plain that the merging
action, taken in her absence last week;
would have been opposed by her nao
the vote been postponed until she was
present.
At the close of the meeting, Daniel
c. Roper. member, moved tnsC Iiie
superintendent of schools and the presl-
dent of the school board confer AT
their early convenience with one rep
resentative each of the Carnegie IN
stitute; Smithsonian INSTITUTION, Na-
tional Research Council OF the WASH
ington Academy of Sciences ana otner
educational groups and secure ana Sup-
nit suggestions to the Board OF ECU
cation looking to the most eHectVe
way of presenting scientific knowieage
in the schools of the District oi ~
lumbia" This suggestion was as'ee"
to by the board.
Greenleaf School Protest.
Prominent among those who protest.
ed against the transfer OF the Green-
leaf School to the colored divisions. was
, Mrs, Sarah Neleigh of the Nelgnoornooo
House. She presented a petition againSI
the transfer signed by Alb persons iIS
of whom own their own homes. OF
| whom are buying their homes, ana @l@
of whom rent" 80 49,.
Southwest section showed that $50
white children lived in the viclhty VI
/; the school, George Sullivan, announcer
| speaker, contended that the terIitoiy
west of Four and half street Is UNI
yersally white" and that the use OF
the Greenleaf School, located IN tne
midst of that territory, to coloreo CHI ~
dren would be mistake. He citeu tile
Federal building program as paSls aoI
| his assertion that the white popuiatIoi
of Southwest Washington Is oescnieo
for further increase. ,
DR.. Learned pointed OUT nowevSI,