Evening star., 1947-05-09
Western High Students Review
Events Leading Up to Strike
BY Miriom Gutenberg

By Miriom Gutenberg
Four Western High School stu-
dents. whose walkout on lecture
by Russian born Mrs. Shura Lewis,
laid the groundwork for a Con-
gressional inquiry, yesterday re-
vealed additional details of the Incl
dent.
The four students told their
stories as they waited in the office
of Representative OKonski, Repuh-
lican of Wisconsin for the presen-
tation of American flags in recog-
milton of their great and patriotic
deed in helping preserve the Amer
ican way of life"
AS they received the flags, two
Congressional Committees tn e
House Un-American Affairs Com
mittee and the House District Com
mittee-were investigating the In
cident.
Principal Paid Speakers Fee.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel A. Danow-
sky principal of Western High,
said that the $40 paid Mrs. Shura
Lewis for her talk on Russia came
from his own pocket and not from
funds of the school Home and School
Association.
Mr.. Danowsky said Mrs. Lewis
was paid with cashiers check
drawn on the Riggs Bank here. The
first version of where the money
came from had attributed 1t solely
to the association.
One of the four honored students,
Ruthe Pigott, told reporters she and
her two friends decided to walk out
of the assembly because they re-
sented Mrs. Lewis remarks.
Miss Pigott said one of the teach
ers had told her before the lecture
that she had heard Mrs. Lewis pre-
viously and didn't approve of what
she had to say.
The girls, according to Miss Pigott.
planned to go to the library, but
they we're stopped outside the door
by gym teacher and typing
teacher, who told them they were
rude, insolent and impudent."
They literally dragged us to the
principals Office" Miss Pigott said.
81 decided to call my mother be-
fore the principal did. I started to
use the telephone and the tipping
teacher told me I couldn't. But /
pushed her away and used 1t any,
how"
Mother Gets on Phone.
At that point. Mrs. Ruthe Pigott,
mother of the Western student, took
up the story.
"I called the Times Herald and
Drew Pearson (the columnist) i'm
mediately. thought they would be
interested" she said. Il also called
DR.. Corning CDR. Hobart Corning,
superintendent of schools, but he
wasn't there so talked to Norman
Nelson assistant superintendent. !.
I told him he should send some one
out to Western right away"
Meanwhile, Miss Pigott and her
two friends, Virginia Marakle and
Virginia Lanham, said they were
upbraided for walking out Of an
assembly without permission.
It was after they were released
from the principals Office with a
warning to return at pm, they
said, that they borrowed drawing
paper from an art student and made
the posters with which they paraded
outside the school doors.
The fourth honored student,
Richard Smith, said he had listened
to- the whole lecture and was so
disgusted he was going to walk out
of school for the day, but he decided
to call his mother.
Called House Committee. Z
Mrs. J. Robert Smith, who was
also on hand for yesterdays cer-
emony, said that, after her son
called her, she telephoned the Un-
American Activities Committee.
II told them If they didn't send
out an investigator right away 1 was
going to 60 further on Capitol Hill"
she declared. Il also called Fulton
LEWIS tine raQlO commentator Dut
he was out of town"
The students said they would never
have staged the strike" If they
hadn't been upbraided by the
teacher. They called their mothers,
they said, because whenever we get
into trouble, the first thing we think
of is to call our mothers"
The four young people told Rep
OKonsh they had suf-
fered indirect criticism from both
their fellow students and teachers
since the incident.
Students Apologize In Letter.
Two Western High students, it was
learned, visited Mrs. Lewis yesterday
and left the following letter with
her:
I'VE, the undersigned. should like
very much to apologize for the ex-
traordinarily poor manners exhib-
tied by a small group of our fellow
students at Western High School.
Their lack of open -mindedness can