Evening star., 1954-05-23


second grade and kindergarten.
The next year all restrictions
were dropped.
Some parents adjusted slowly,
and a few withdrew their chill
dren. Within the school, the
pupils now have two separate
social clubs. the colored group
having voted not to mix at social
gatherings. But sports, scouting
and other pupil activities have
no racial distinctions.
From the educational point
Of view," said Father Milten-
berger. cit works swell"
st, Martins will probably have
another colored enrolment up
surge next fall, the pastor said,
but he expects only cooperation
from parents from now on.
Holy Name parish, another
with a large influx of Negro
families. now has about 1870 COL
ored pupils. also about a third
Of its enrolment. Here. too, some
families left as the Negro enroll
ment rose. but according to the
Rev. Maurice King, former pastor.
almost 100 per cent of those
families were moving away from
the parish anyway, rejecting
the changing racial pattern of
the nejghborhood."
In the Catholic Standard last
week Father King was quoted as
declaring:
"1ntegration works out. 1t Just
takes a little patience and fore
bearance and virtue on the part
of all. The children take it for
granted. If there is any opposi-
tion it comes from or is in
Spired by the parents"
Slow In High School. ;.
Integration in the high schools
has moved more slowly. One
reason is the tuition, which some
parents cannot afford. Another
is the required entrance exami-
nations, which result in rather
stiff selection, even among white
students.
Both st. Johns College High
School and Gonzaga Hig h
School are graduating their first
Negro seniors this term.
One of the two st. Johns boys
has been an officer in the schools
cadet band this year. He is go
ing on to Georgetown University
to study medicine. The other
boy already has been accepted
at Dartmouth.
Gonzaga is graduating only
one Negro boy. but has five
others now enrolled.
The new Archbishop Carroll
High, which like st. Johns and
Gonzaga has only boys. has a
much larger, Negro contingent
even though it will not have a
senior class until next fall. Car
roll. opened in 1851, now has
about 40 Negroes and G35 white
students. About a dozen addi-
tional colored boys are expected
in September, although the pro-
portion will stay about the same,
since white enrolment also will
climb.
According to the Rev. George
Burnell, vice rector, this is work.
ing out very well. The Rev.
James Mc1ally, athletic director,
is enthusiastic about the par
ticipation of the colored boys in
sports, with three on the foot
ball varsity and one on the
junior varsity this year and an
other boy on the baseball team.
Catholic high schools, unlike
the Districts white public highs,
frequently engage in sports con-
tests with colored public schools.
Girls Schools Trail.
Catholic girls high schools
have been even slower in &C
quiring Negro students, but high
tuition and the large number
of white applicants seem to be
the most important deterrents.
Georgetown Visitation Con-
vent. which will raise its tuition
to $400 annually next fall has
no Negro pupils although a
scholarship grant has been set
aside for Negro use. The first
holder dropped out because of
illness. but a new award is due
this summer.
Immaculate Seminary is grad
uating its first several colored
seniors next month. .
At two of the coeduational