Evening star., 1951-02-08
School Speakers to Be Chosen
By Three Under New Plan
House Group Files
To Be Factor Only
In Doubtful Cases
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

By Colt Hendley, Jr.
The Board of Education has 6
new policy for clearing pros.
pective speakers in the schools
a policy that does not make the
mere appearance of a persons
name in the House Un-Americar
Activities Committee files a rea-
son for being banned.
The policy was adopted yester-
day at a lengthy but relatively
calm meeting on the recon-
mendation of School, Supt. Ho-
bart M. Corning.
In another major policy deci-
sion the school board voted tc
meet only once a month during
the rest of this school year as an
experiment. If business goes
along fine the board will discon-
tinue permanently its longtime
practice of meeting twice month
DR.. Corning entered the board
meeting still smarting from crit
icism of the clearance policy. His
critics have been hoy ling at the
undemocratic implications of the
Corning blacklist" since it was
revealed that Pearl S. Buck
writer who won the Nobel and
Pulitzer prizes, and Marquis
Childs, Washington columnist
were among a number of persons
banned from appearing in the
schools as speakers.
Two-Phase Policy.
DR.. Corning's new clearance
system, now a School Board
policy. is in two sections.
Concerning speakers who will
appear before the students, the
policy now calls for approval on
the combined judgment" of the
school principal, an assistant
school superintendent and DR.
Corning. The principals shall SUBJ
NIT the names of all prospective
speakers to DR.. Corning, certify
ing they are suitable.
The final decision shall be
reached by the committee of
three after consulting all facts
available The House committee
files will be consulted "only if
there is uncertainty or doubt
about an individual.
These names will not be SUBJ
mitted to the Board of Educa-
ton. But, they must be cleared
before the person is approached.
In the case of speakers to ap-
pear before the teachers as part
of the in-service training program,
they will be selected on the basis
of the combined Judgment of DR..
Corning and other school officials
concerned The records of the
House committee will be consulted
and considered only in relation
to all other findings"
Traces History of Practice.
Recommendations for these
speakers. because they are paid
out of school funds, will be
brought to the Boards Personnel
Committee in executive session.
DR.. Corning reviewed the his
tory of the clearance policy, stat
ing it had it's beginning in 1947,
when a Russian-born woman
spoke at Western High School and
caused a walkout of four students
who thought she was too favor
able to the Soviet.
Since that time, all principals
have been clearing speakers with
DR.. Corning. Later, when speakers
had to be obtained for the in
service training program for
teachers, the House n-American
Activities Committee files came
into the picture.
DR.. Corning said he had been
required, "by the insistence of
board members" to obtain from
the committee a report in writing
"Since this process of checking
was required for outside speakers
before adult groups" Dr. Corning
declared, "it seemed even more
important to check with equal
diligence proposed outside speak
ers before student groups"
Records Not Evaluated.
DR.. Corning also said he did not
realize until recently that the re-
ports from the House Un-Ameri-
can Activities Committee are me
chanical," that the committee in
no case clears the material and
that the citations may or may not
be significant.
"Since the records are not eval-
uated and since they are mechan-
ical and may lack significance, any
action based entirely upon them
Is subject to serious question" he
told board members.
After DR.. Corning had made
his recommendations, the schoo.
members revealed they were con-
cerned about what they con-
sidered unfair criticism of them
selves.
Albert E. Steinem declared:
"Any criticism that has been car
ried to the board is not right
THE criticism has been of the
superintendent of schools, not the
board" DR.. Corning stated.
"It's been of the, board, def
nitely," Adelbert w. Lee, board
vice president, put in.
Cannon Backs Corning.
And DR.. James A. Cannon said
"The criticism has been of DR.
Corning and unfairly so. Every
meeting he is asked by members
of the board if he has cleared the
proposed speakers. And the boarc
tacitly has agreed on the mat
ter"
1--WE never heard of names be-
ing brought in here of speakers al
the Schools" Mr.. Steinem de-
cIared. cit has been purely ar