Evening star., 1950-02-16
Central Shift
Again Studied
By School Board
Whole Controversy
Considered Further
After Delay in Action
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

on the proposed transfer OF Cen
tral High School to colored stu
dents, the Board of Education to-
day embarked on further con-
sideration" of the whole contro-
verSy.
At yesterdays board meeting
the buildings and grounds COM
mittee refused to present to the
full board the committee unani-
nous report recommending that
Central be transferred to relieve
crowded conditions at Cardozo
High School.
The school board then decided
to settle the whole controversy
at its next meeting on March 8,
after the committee had time to
consider these new factors in
jected into the situation yester-
day:
l. Whether the white Eliot
Junior High School, Eighteenth
and B streets NE, could be used
as temporary annex for Cardozo.
Eliot has capacity of 900 stu
dents. This suggestion was made
by Board Member Albert E.
Steinem. School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning was aksed to study this
possibility.
2. Whether a transfer of Cen
trail would disrupt recreational
programs now carried on at Cen
tral. This point was raised by
Mrs. Edward C. Madgeburger, a
member of the committee, who
already has voted in favor of the
transfer.
DR.. Phillip T. Johnson, colored
board member. staunchly opposed
any delay in voting on the issue.
He pointed out the committee had
the signed report recommending
the transfer of Central and that
the full board should have a
chance to vote on it.
C. Melvin Sharpe, board presi-
dent, explained that, in view of
the requests of Mr.. Steinem and
Mrs. Madgeburger, the buildings
and grounds committee had a
right to hold further meetings to
consider new facts" He said
that, if these new facts caused
committee members to change
their minds. it would be legal for
them to rescind their recommen-
dation.
Mrs. Philip Sidney Smith,
chairman of the committee which
has approved the transfer of Gen.
tral, had Mr.. Sharpe repeat this
to make sure she understood him
to say new facts" could be justif1-
cation for a change of mind.
Deadline on Final Report.
eve must come to decision
promptly" Mr.. Sharpe declared.
All board members then agreed
that the committee must report
final recommendation at the
March meeting so the full board
could take a vote.
John H. Wilson, another colored
board member, commented: I'VE
three colored members will vote
together. I thought we had two
white members with US. Racism
IS deeper than you concede.
Name-call will not get the
white votes necessary to make the
transfer"
This comment came shortly
after Dr.. Johnson had questioned
Mr.. Steinem's sincerity" in sug-
gesting that Eliot be studied as a
CardoZo annex.
DR.. johnson was not present
when the committee began its
deliberation, before the full board
meeting. He did not arrive until
after the decision to postpone the
vote was taken by other commit
tee memberships. Smith, Mrs
Madgeburger and Mr.. Sharpe
who was sitting in on the commit
tee for DR.. Johnson.
Vacancies Mentioned.
Mrs. James w. Williams, the
third colored board member, saio
she had become "diSillusioned'
during the discussions about the
transfer. She explained she felt
there would be no question about
the transfer, since I'VE have al
those vacancies in the white high
schools"
After the board disposed of the
Central issue for the day, it lis.
tened to Is speakers from variou.
citizens and civic groups debate
the matter again. Most of thu
speakers had appeared at the pub.
lie hearing last Friday, when more
than 40 speakers addressed tht
board.
Speakers yesterday in favor O
the transfer of Central to coloret
students were:
The Rev. Stephen Gill SPOTS
wood, president of the Distric
branch of the National Associa
ton for the Advancement of Col
ored People; Mrs. Alice C. Hunter
secretary of the District Recrea
ton Board, but speaking as rep
resentative of the United Citizens
Association for the Educationa
Adequacy of All Children of tn
District; Mrs. Way Fortune of tn
Mothers Club of Park View Ele
mentary School; Don B. Goodloe
president of the Washington
Senior High School Teachers
Association; Woolsey w. Hall
president of the Federation o
Civic Associations; Mrs. Edit
Portal of the Central Northeas
Civic Association; 1t. Col. Rober
L. Pollard, president of the Mot
PTA, and Wesley S. Williams o
the Park View PTA.
Opposing the transfer of Cen
tral were:
Herbert P. Leeman, president o
the Federation of Citizens Asso
Citations; Walter M. Bastian, Cen
tral alumnus; James Reilly, presi