Evening star., 1939-03-12
CentraI's Auditorium
Accepted for Concert
By Marian Anderson
Howard U. Concert Body
Declines to Pledge No
More Such Requests

The Howard University Concert
Series Committee has notified the
Board of Education of its acceptance
of Central High School auditorium
for concert by Marian Anderson,
famed colored contralto, here Eas-
ter Sunday.
The committee declared, however,
that it wished it plainly under
stood that it in noWise by acceptance
of the use of the building agrees to
the conditions or implications" con-
tanned in the statement of the board
on March 3.
In its action of that date the
board reversed its earlier refusal TO
allow Miss Anderson to sing in the
auditorium. The rule of the board
in connection with the use of school
buildings for profit making enter
prlses was waived, but only with
positive and complete understand
ing and agreement between all in
terested parties and the Board of
Education that this request or SINH
lar requests will not again be pressed
on the board for its approval"
The board statement also insisted
the action must not be taken as a
precedent and that the board not
be asked again to depart from the
principle Of dual school system
and school facilities"
Position Of Concert Committee.
In its letter to the board, how
ever, the Concert Committee took
the following position:
/. The concert is not a private
profit venture since the series op-
crates at loss and therefore the
financial interest is not of signifi-
cance.
2. The board has repeatedly al
lowed athletic and other profit max
ing ventures to use the building
without eXacting any such promises
or agreements.
3. Though the request for use Of
Central auditorium was made in an
emergency, the university cannot
become surety to the board that an
other emergency will not occur
again. The word emergency. it
was stated, implies unexpectedness
and the hope that a condition will
not recur.
In keeping with this position. the
Concert Committee said it was COM
pleting formal application for the
auditorium to be filed with the Com
munity Center Department.
Informed sources indicated last
night, however, that the board S &C
ton would have to be accepted or
not in its entirety. This was
strengthened by the fact the men,
/ Der who cast the deciding vote in the
action to waive the rules and permit
/ the concert voiced opposition to the
proposal until assured by colored
members of the board that the con-
dltions were acceptable.
Houston Praises Board.
! Meanwhile the Marian ANDERSEN
/ Citizens Committee, headed by
Charles H. Houston, a former mem
! Der of the board filed letter with
the board expressing appreciation Of
the granting of permission to use the
auditorium but taking issue also
with the conditions attached to the
permission.
The citizens committee denied
that departure from the dual
school system is involved in the
question, but rather one of COM
munity use of buildings.
Although admitting the high
school has been assigned to the
education of white students. the citi-
zens committee declared these
students would be on vacation three
days before the concert and would
not return until seven days after it.
The Marian Anderson concert"
SAID Mr.. Houston, cannot possibly
conflict with any use Of the building
for the education of white children"
1 Mr.. Houstons group also thought
the board went beyond its province
in trying to bind citizens of the
District never to make a similar re-
/ quest in the future"
| In refusing to recognize the con-
| ditions attached to the use of the
auditorium. the two groups repudiate
the colored members of the board
who agreed to the conditions with
out reservation