Evening star., 1936-06-27
EDUCATION BOARD
PICKS ASSISTANT
HEADS OF SCHOOLS
Miss Bertie Backus Given
Post at Alice DeaI-Cen-
trail Untitled.
FURTHER JUNIOR HIGH
CHANGES ARE FORECAST
Personnel Committee Schedules
Session for Tuesday - Home
Work Experiment Left in Air.

DR.. Harvey A. Smith, principal OF
Central High School, and DR.. Chester
w. Holmes, principal of Anacostia
Junior-Senior High School, were ap-
pointed assistant superintendents oi
schools late yesterday by the Board
of Education.
DR.. Smith was named to supervise
the teachers college and senior high
schools, and DR.. Holmes was selected
to direct the Junior high schools and
vocational schools.
Miss Bertis Backus, who for the
past two years has been assistant su-
perintendent in charge Of the char
acter education experiment. was re-
turned to Alice Deal Junior High
School as principal at her own re-
quest.
Her reassignment neceSsitated the
transfer of Mrs. M. r. Merritt from
Deal to the Langley Junior High
School.
John Paul Collins, principal at
Langley, was reassigned to Anacostia,
succeeding Holmes.
Central Post Left Open.
The series of transfers and promo
&ionS left vacant the post Of principal
of Central High School, one Of the
most coveted positions in the Wash
tngton school system. Just who will
succeed to that post was not mdi-
Gated, but the personnel committee OF
the Board of Education has called
another special meeting for Tuesday
at 2 pm, when it is expected that
further changes will be made.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintend-
ent, told the board that further
changes" may be made in the princi-
palshipS of junior high schools, but
he did not indicate what they may be,
other than to add after conferences
with Mrs. Merritt and others con-
cerned"
The promotion of Smith, who has
been principal Of Central since 1929
came as something of a surprise in
asmuch as his name had not been
mentioned publicly in advance of the
boards action yesterday.
It was known, however, that he
was held in high regard by both
school administrative officers and
members Of the board.
He is a native of Pennsylvania and
q graduate of Franklin g. Marshall
College. He was made a master OF
arts at the University of Penhsyl-
vania in 1921, and in 1929 he re-
ceived the degree of doctor Of phi
losophy in school administration from
Teachers College, Columbia Univer-
sity. He was made superintendent
of schools in Millville, N. j., in 1925,
and came to Central from that posi-
ton. He is a member of Phi Beta
Kappa and Phi Delta Kappa.
Holmes G. w. U. AIumnus.
DR.. Holmes received his doctorate
from George Washington University
earlier this month. He was graduated
from Harvard in 1915 with a B. S.
degree, and received his masters de-
gree from Harvard's School Of Educa-
ton in 1924. He came to Washing
ton as principal Of Langley Junior
High School in 1928. From Langley he
went TO Anacostia last FAN.
His elevation leaves IN allegiance
the experiment in mo home work"
which he and his staff at AnacoStia
undertook about two months ago. He
has already asked for a year in which
to continue the study.
CoIlirs became widely known IN
Washington through his interests and
coaching at Eastern High School
where he was successfully teacher Of
physical training and then assistant
principal before succeeding Holmes al
Langley.
He is a graduate Of both George
Washington University and Catholic
University.
Miss Backus, who was regarded as
y leading candidate for one Of the
assistant superintendent's positions
eliminated herself Wednesday when
she applied to DR.. Ballou for her old
place as principal of Alice Deal Junior
High and said that Mrs. Merritt was
willing to make a change.
Prior to the boards action yester-
day, DR.. Ellis Haworth, head of the
science department of the high
schools, and Francis A. Woodward
principal of Gordon Junior High
School, had received public indorse-
ment for one Of the two assistant
superintendencies.