Evening star., 1950-11-02
Negro Member!
HurIRace Issue
Al School Chief
Ask if Segregation
Rule Bors Corning
From CIussrooms

Colored members of the Board
of Education have raised the ques-
ton of whether School Supt. Ho-
bart M. Corning may appear in a
colored school under the boards
policy of no mingling of the races
during school hours.
The question came up yesterday
at the school boards regular
meeting. as attempts were made
to get the board to reconsider the
policy. The attempt failed and
the policy stands.
Three groups in communica-
tions to the school board, had
urged reconsideration of the rul-
ing. They were the Third Bap-
tist Church, the District Branch
Of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored Peo-
pie and the Washington Fellow
ship.
DR.. Phillip T. Johnson, colored
member. moved that committee
be appointed to consider the rec
concentrations of the three or
ganizations.
Lee Rejects Plea.
Adelbert w. Lee, board vice
president, said the board could
not reconsider its action at that
time and moved that the organi-
cations be informed of the boards S
previous action.
Woolsey Hall, colored member,
then said that, under a strict in
depreciation of the rule, white
construction workers may not go
In a colored school Mrs. James
w. Williams, the third colored
member. added: ,.
"Dr. Corning is superintendent
OF schools. He is white man. He
IS paid to administer the white
and colored schools. But, has he
the right to put foot in a colored
school under the rules?"
She also pointed out that even
school board members may not go
into school, if it is used by a
different race, under strict in
depreciation of the policy.
Sharpe Utters Defiance.
That's most unfortunate
thought, c. Melvin Sharpe, presi-
dent of the board, exclaimed. "I
would defy anyone to stop me
from entering any of the schools"
Mr.. Lees motion passed with
the three colored members voting
against it.
Later Mr.. Hall, who is president
of the Federation of Civic Asso-
Citations, said in response to a
question by a reporter that he
and other colored board members
do not intend to carry the policy
to an absurd" point and make
an issue Of DR.. Corning entering
a colored school. He added, how
ever, that he feels the issue will be
IN court in the near future.
In another action, the Board of
Education approved a leave of
absence for DR.. Walter Hager
president of Wilson Teachers Col
lege, to attend an International
conference in France.
Report Asked.
The approval came after Mr..
Lee objected to DR.. Hager leaving
his post at the college and raised
the question of whether the COL
lege is being administered proper
ly. Mr.. Lee revealed that DR..
Corning has been asked for a re-
port on DR.. Hager's administra-
ton of the college.
DR.. Hager has not been in the
good graces of some board men,
berS since he recommended that
Wilson and Miner Teachers Col
lege for colored students be merged
into one biracial institution.
In other actions, the board:
Named Miss Lettie E. Stewart,
an English teacher at Mckinley
High School, to be assistant prin-
cipal at Roosevelt High School.
She has been in the school sys-
tenn since 1920.
Told DR.. Corning to 60 ahead
with preparation of a manual to
be used, eventually. in the public
and parochial schools for instruc-
tion Of the students in what to
do in case of an atom bomb at
tack. The project was begun at
the direction of the Commission
ers.
Asked the Commissioners to
raze the Reno Elementary School,
abandoned as school building
several weeks ago when the en-
rollment dropped to six colored
children.
Approved a list of 35 prominent
educators as speakers at the in
service training courses held for
teachers and school officers.
Approved establishment of the
post OF assistant principal at the
vocational high schools and the
Americanization School. The as
sistant principals would be in
charge of night classes at the
buildings and would eliminate the
necessity of appointing special
principals for the night classes.