Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-26
Florida Educator
Appointed President
OF Wilson College
D.. Ballard Simmons
Named; School Board
Extends Military Leaves

LII. ". odlldlu oAlllilOllo, oCoi Va
the school of education at the Uni
versity of Florida, will become presi-
dent of the Wilson Teachers COL
lege July /.
His appointment was approved by
the Board of Education yesterday,
almost year after DR.. E. c. Higbie
submitted his resignation volun-
tarily because of i'll health and
asked teacher status. DR.. Higbie
agreed to serve until successor was
found but assumed his teacher post
last February when no appointment
was made during the first semester.
DR.. C. M. Huber has been acting
president since February /, and he
will revert to professor of mathe-
mates when DR.. Simmons arrives.
Appointment to the post. which
pays 5000 at first, eliminates
months of search. At one time it
was thought DR.. Harvey Smith,
former assistant superintendent of
schools here and now superintend-
ent at Lancaster, Pa, might take
the position. Another well-known
educator from New England was
under serious consideration after a
discussion with Supt Frank w.
Ballou in Atlantic City some months
ago, according to reports.
Studied at Johns Hopkins.
DR.. Simmons, who is A, is now
in Florida but is expected here the
first of next month. He received
his degrees of A. B. and M. A. from
the University of Florida and his
Phi. D. from Johns Hopkins Uni
versity. He has taught in both
elementary and secondary schools
in Florida and for five years was
a superintendent OF schools. He
was recently elected president Of
the Florida Education Association.
For Is years he has been assistant
dean of the university school of
education and had been named
dean recently.
In announcing The appointment,
the board also expressed its thanks
to D.. Huber for his operation of
the college since February.
Continuance of national defense
training classes and organization of
additional classes approved by the
ONCE of Production Management
and for which facilities are available
in the public schools were approved
by the board.
A protest by local union No. l02
of the International Union of OPP
Grating Engineers against the re-
cent appointment of Robert E. Rob-
son as superintendent of school Gus
todians was considered by the
boards Personnel Committee and
rejected as mot in accord with the
facts"
Ask Promotion System.
The protest charged the new ap-
pointee was selected because of
anti-union feelings of DR.. Ballou
and that Mr.. Robson had been
chosen for the position before an
nouncements of the vacancy were
sent out. The union believed quail
fed appointment could have been
made within the school service and
asked establishment of an equitable
promotion and transfer setup for
custodial employees.
Board Vice President Robert
Maurer, chairman of the Personnel
Committee, read the committees
answer that the anti-union charge
was not warranted by the facts and
had nothing to do with the ap-
pointment.
Board members voted extension
of military leave to two officers.
Is teachers and IL cuStodians now
in military or national defense
service.
Retirement of Miss F. C. Morti-
mer, principal for many years OF
the Wheatley School. was approved
as of August 81.
Establishment Of post graduate
course of secretarial nature was
approved for Roosevelt High School
next fall and attendance Of junior
high school pupils In the Deal
Junior High School territory at Cor
don junior High was made OPP
tional. Use of several rooms Of the
Jefferson Junior High School by
the Justice Department for special
training courses was voted.
School officials will NEST at 2
pm. tomorrow to discuss proposed
changes in the plan for school
repairs and will take the matter
up with the Commissioners Satur-
day.