Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-10
Problem Posed
By Recreation
High
Transfer to CoIored
Raises Question on
Center for Whites
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

~S's
The District Recreation Board
today was faced with the question
of what to do with the big recrea-
ton program at Central High
School for white residents.
The school has been ordered
transferred to colored students on
or before August l by the Board
of Education.
The Recreation Board will be
presented with these possibilities:
/. Central could be operated as
an open center" with both white
and colored using the facilities
jointly.
2. 1t could be turned into a
major recreation center for COL
ored citizens, with present activ-
tiles for whites shifted to otner
high schools.
8. It could be retained as a
white recreation center after
school hours.
Special Committee Urged.
! Milo Christensen, recreation
superintendent. said he would
recommend that the Recreation
Board appoint a special commit
tee to work with the department
staff on the problem. The Rec
reation Board is scheduled to
meet next Tuesday.
1.-The staff has worked up a
plan to present to such a special
committee" Mr.. Christensen said.
He said he could not reveal the
nature of the recommendation
because it would have to be pre-
sented first to the board men,
bers. But, Central definitely will
be continued as a major recrea-
ton center, he stated, adding that
it's facilities were too good to be
discarded.
However, the possibility that
Central would be continued as a
white recreation center was con-
sidered extremely remote.
The creation of an open unit
for bi-racial use would be in line
with the policy adopted by the
Recreation Board last year. This
new policy eliminated any ban on
bi-racial programs and promised
the elimination of segregation in
recreation as soon and as rapidly
as possible.
The present Cardozo High
School-whose students will trans
fer to Central next falls not a
major recreation center. The
only activities carried on there
at night by the Recreation De-
partment are a few athletic COM
petitions involving only several
hundred people.
Has Extensive Program.
Central, on the other hand, has
an extensive program which at
tracted 10000 participants from
last July l through last January.
Recreation officials admit it would
be difficult to fit these activities
into other centers.
The activities include 80 basket
ball teams, gymnastics, drill
teams, archery, exercise classes,
badminton. waistline club social
and folk dancing, Red Cross in.
struction in the swimming pool,
rifle craftsmanship, the Wash
ington Civic Orchestra, the Wash
ington Choral Group, first aid,
speech and drama classes.
Under the arrangement made
between the Board of Education
and the Recreation Board, the
recreational use of school build
ings after school hours is con-
trolled by the Recreation Board.
Meanwhile, school officials be-
gan making plans for the transfer
OF Cardozo students into Central
High School by next fall.
The best possibility at present
seemed to be the transfer of Gen.
trail students in the senior high
division to Roosevelt High School,
The school then would be re-.
named Central-Roosevelt to pre-
serve some of the many traditions
connected with the oldest high
school in the city.
School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing will present a preliminary
plan for the transfer at the next
Board OF Education meeting.