Arizona sun., 1950-05-19
A Tall Man In
Public Service
By l.. w. PITTMAN

The sage recounts how one Dio-
gienes, Greek, was observed car
rying lantern wherever he went.
Questioned as to his odd behaviour
he replied, IT am looking for an
honest man."
Long since that day, the world
has searched for men with a light.
"Tall men" find no fault in doing
right. Men whose ideals immune
them from the low. way because
high men must go the high way.
L. F. Coor, superintendent of Av-
ondale Public Schools, is indeed a
"tall man." If, in seeking man
lof this description at Avondale,
one singles out one whose perpen-
dicular proportions are beyond
compassionate will have failed
dismally.
To find L. F. Coor, here is
tip. Look for man of imperturb-
able calmness and placid good
sense; look for a man of deeds,
measured by that golden rule-the
worlds Oldest yard stick. Look for
man who BELTS the poets suppli-
cation who prayed-God, give us
men, a time like this demands
great hearts, true faith, and ready
hands. Men who love honor-men
wit h will; m IN who the
spoils of office cannot. buy, men
who the lust for office cannot kill
men who will not lie. Men who
can stand before demagogue and
brave his treacherous batteries
without winking, tall men, SUM-
burned, who live above the fog,
in public duty and private think
ing, man losing theirs and blam-
! ing it on him. Men who place JUS
criticisms. A man who places JUS
| tice before selfish iSmS and many
criticisms. A man whose deeds are
high-as such he cannot fail-then
Coor must be the man unsung and
yet so tall!
To verify the timely appraisal of
Mr.. Coor, your writer feels that
the reading public should know a
few unprecedented facts about his
gestures accommodating the Colored
school at Avondale. For four years,
yours truly has worked as head of
the Colored school and for four
years, Mr.. Coor has continued to
do his best to bring the two schools
harmoniously closer in race rela-
tions and community interests.
He has practiced democracy in
all instances through the years in
| the district track meet. The two
schools have combined and entered
as a single school. The record will
show that Avondale was always
victorious. We teamed together un-
! til other schools could endure it
no longer. Attempting to break up
the close harmony between the Av-
ondale schools s-s"neceSSity" was
the mother of invention. Two 9TH
er Colored schools were marshalled
by track officials and thereby halt
the Avondale stampere of suprem-
acy. The officials stipulated that
Negroes could compete against Ne
groes only. This invention failed
to segregate the Avondale track
team. It failed because L. F. Coor,
saw more good in student unity, ir-
respective of race, than in pointing
a scorning finger. He informed his
teachers to make no substitution
of white student for any Colored
student who had qualified to rep
resent both schools. That day be-
cause of Mr.. Coor's momentous
decision, greater victory in keep
ing with democracy was his reward
"a victory over segregation, where
segregation was the order of the
day.
Pressing Mr.. Coor's point of ra-
cial good will still farther at the
request Of number of the eighth
graders of the white school. Mr..
Coor readily yielded and for the
first time in the history of the
school, Negro graduates as well as
whites had their banquet together.
Before the banquet, faculty mem
bers and graduates of the white
school spared no effort in helping
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