Evening star., 1951-07-18
Secrecy Maintained
After Meeting on
Filling School Post
By Colt Hendley, j..

~1AS ASNosAo " Va 4j4uNGoAO4A Z CA oO1l-
incl Committee met yesterday fol
three hours behind closed doors
but refused to comment on devel-
opments in the fight over who will
be the new assistant superintend-
lent of colored schools.
Tt was the committees second
attempt to settle on which Of two
top candidates for the position
should be recommended to the
whole Board of Education. All
members OF the board sat in on
the committee meeting.
The board members appeared
much concerned over the fact that
| it became public knowledge last
week that the two top candidates
for the position are Francis A.
Gregory principal of Armstrong
High School. and. DR.. Ellis o.
Knox of the Howard University
faculty. Mr.. Gregory is School
|Supt. Hobart NJ. Corning's choice
for the vacancy created by the
retirement of DR.. Garnet c. Viii
kinSon.
Silent ON Action.
Personnel Committee meetings,
under the law, are held In secret
when considering the appointment
|or promotion of school personnel.
When the members came from
the board room after the meeting,
they kept their hands clamped
over their mouths as reporters
asked If there had been any ac-
ton taken.
mo comment" commented Adel-
bert w. Lee. vice president of the
Board of Education and chairman
|of the Personnel Committee.
The board members would not
say If the committee had acted.
They would not say if another
|meeing is planned. They would
not say whether the School Board
will meet in special session soon to
consider the appointment.
"If anybody leaks this time, we
will know who it is," Mr.. Lee
cracked. but he would say nothing
else.
DR.. Corning also had no COM
ment.
Returns for Meeting.
The superintendent went to Re-
hoboth Beach, Del, last Friday to
begin his month long vacation.
But he returned to Washington
for the Personnel Committee
meeting. He had been ordered
by the previous meeting of the
Personnel Committee to restudy
and resubmit further information
on the II candidates for the Job.
Presumably he did this at yes
terday's meeting.
DR.. Corning said he planned to
return to Rehoboth Beach today
to finish his interrupted vacation.
Before the Personnel Commit
tee met yesterday, several board
members indicated they would
seek to hold over the appointment
OF a new assistant superintendent
until September, when the Board
of Education resumes its regular
meetings.
Corning Must Nominate.
Under the rules of the Board of
Education, DR.. Corning must rec
ommend a candidate for posi-
ton such as that of assistant
superintendent. The boards Per-
sonnel Committee gets first crack
at his recommendation. It may
reject or approve, but it may not
name its own candidate.
After the Personnel Committee
has acted, the committee then
recommends to the whole Board of
Education, which again must re-
ject or approve the nomination
made by DR.. Corning.
The School Board held it's last
regular meeting Of the summer
on July 2. Last week it held a
special session to consider the ap-
pointment, but it hit a snag when
|at least one board member gave
all out support to DR.. Knox, op-
posing DR.. Corning's selection.
If the Personnel Committee did
reach a decision yesterday, it must
submit it to the full Board of Edu-
cation. either at a meeting of the
full board or in a poll of the
members. A poll must be unani-
nous or it is void.