Evening star., 1943-04-13
History Survey Leader
Says Agency Planned
To Abolish His Job
Fraser Asserts He Got
Notice Few Hours After
Revealing Poper's Project

NSVSu1ilS oPSi I'OJ~Se
Hugh Russell Fraser, who as
chairman of the Committee on
American History helped prepare
the New York Times survey on lack
of history knowledge among college
freshmen, disclosed yesterday that
the Office of Education, where he
holds a writing job, planned to
abolish his post May l.
He said he was informed of this
by William D. Boutwell,, chief of the
information service in which Mr.
Fraser is employed, a few hours
after he had notified Commissioner
John w. Studebaker's Office that
the history survey was about to be
published in the newspaper.
Mr.. Fraser pointed out. that 1t
night have been just coincidence
that the two occurred in the same
day. He announced his resignation
from the Office of Education Satur-
day. 1t will become effective April "a
Issues Statement.
In a statement issued late yes
terday, Mr.. Fraser declared:
Il am a permanent civil service
employe and civil service repre-
sentatives informed me that nothing
was official until and unless I was
given something in writing. This
was never done and has net been
done to this day.
However, my campaign for in
vestigation of American history in
our schools has embarrassed Com
missioner Studebaker In fact we
were working at such cross purposes
on the matterethat I4Saw no point
in continuing the struggle and
therefore resigned.
The Office of Education was
founded in 1867 to make studies of
American education. Certainly the
status of American history in
schools of the Nation is a pertinent
subject of inquiry. Indeed, in the
whole Senate debate preceding the
establishment of the Office, Senator
Trumbull, floor leader, emphasized
over and over again that one of the
many purposes of establishing such
an office was to promote an under
standing of American tradition"
Told Job Would End.
Commissioner Studebaker in q
statement pointed out that Mr.
Fraser had been employed with
emergency funds in the information
service, and that. because of the re-
quired reduction of the personnel In
the various Government agencies he
was notified some time ago that his
position would be discontinued as of
May /. Mr.. Fraser has no official
responsibility for making studies of
or announcements in connection
with the teaching of American his
tory" Mr.. Studebaker added:
II understand that his activities
in this field have been confined en-
tirely to time outside his working
hours in this Office, and as men,
ber of what is called the Committee
On American History. This COM
mittee has no connection with the
Office of Education"
DR.. Studebaker pointed out that it
was mot the responsibility" of the
Federal Government to determine
the content of the various curricula
of the schools in the States, nor to
attempt to impose any particular
methods of instruction"
Call Statement Erroneous.
Meanwhile the National Council
for Social Studies termed erroneous
a statement of Mr.. Fraser printed
in Sundays Star in which he said
the council has social science out
look on American history and
mainly discusses present-day events
with only a casual introduction OF
actual history" b.
Wilbur F. Murra, executive secre.
tary of the council, asserted that the
organization is "pre-eminently con-
cerned with school instruction in
American history" OF all the SUBJ
jects in the social studies field, he
added, the one most frequently and
universally taught in the schools is
american history. 3
Most of the members and officers
of the National Council for Social
Studies are now teachers of Amert-
can history in elementary and sec
ondary schools or have been trained
to teach that subject. The i'm
provement of the teaching of Amer
lean history has been a major aim
and principal activity of the coun-
Gil since it was founded in 1921
Mr.. Murra said.
The story in the Sunday Star said
that Mr.. Fraser opposes the Coun-
Gil of Social Studies at teachers
college, Columbia University" The
Star was in error in printing the
word "and" as "at" The council
is not connected with the college
but is department Of the National
Education Association.
McKeIfor Sees President
On Planning Funds