Evening star., 1954-10-03
Milford Adopted Integrotion
PsychoIogicoIly Unprepored

the community asking them to
name persons who would attend
a meeting together. The colored
organizations responded. but
only five responses were received
from letters to white people.
The meeting was not held.
The schools opened September
8. The IL colored pupils pre-
sented themselves and were as
signed to classes. On September
20. after protests against inte-
grafton and after threats of a
march" on the LakevieW High
School, the schools were closed.
School Board Resigns.
Last Monday the schools were
reopened, with only 456 of the
1861 pupils at Lakeview, which
includes both an elementary
school and q high school. 1t
was only to the high school that
the colored pupils were admitted.
The board headed by Mr.. KIM
mel resigned rather than take
the responsibility for the reopen
ing of the schools. The reopen
ing was under the supervision of
the State Board of Education.
Then a new board was estab-
hshed. Last Thursday the first
attempt at racial integration in
the schools in Sussex County
was over. The colored pupils
were dropped from the LakevieW
Drive High School.
Mr.. Kimmel said today the
board he had headed, faced with
the necessity of action, felt it was
feasible to- start integration with
small doses. He also said that
since the Lakeview Drive High
School is accedited by the State
University and the Negro high
schools at Dover and nearby
Georgetown, to which the colored
pupils could go, are not accred-
tied, there was no defense if
complaint had been made on the
score of separate and equal IA
cilities."
Mr.. Kimmel and DR.. Cobbs
doubt that if the people had had
the summer to get used to the
idea it would have made a differ
ence, although he believes there
will continue to be some who
will agitate against integration.
Calls IntegratiOn Inevitable.
The colored pupils were
dropped to provide cooling off
period. he said. I'VE know it is
inevitable" he said of integra-
ton. I'VE hope our action
dropping the colored pupils
will not be construed as bowling
to the will of a small mob OF
lawless people"
He said he felt most Of the
opposition had resulted from the
| fact that the law had not been
clarified. When it is clarified
by court order, they will con-
| FORM" he said.
One of the leaders of the oppo-
sition to integration is Mrs.
Mildred Sharp, wife of Jesse
Sharp, farmer and chicken
grower of nearby Frederick. Mrs.
Sharp said she telephoned a
woman who is the sister of a
vice president of the National
Association for the Advancement
of White People at Washington
and in that way got the NAAWP
into the picture.
Bryan Bowles is president of
the organization. He now lives
in the Washington area, and
formerly was in the contracting
business in Baltimore and is a
native of Tampa. Fla. He is "a.
| Chapters i'm Other States.
| The NAAWP has heretofore
attracted little attention except
on the score of novelty. Mr.,
Bowles said it has chapters in
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina
and now in Delaware. The situa-
ton here was made to order for
| the NAAWP. 1t gave the local
objectors to integration at least
! the feeling that they had the
backing of a national organiza-
ton.
| Mr.. Bowles said he first met
with the local people at secret
session on September "a. The
Delaware chapter was organized
last Sunday. There have been
almost nightly mass meetings
addressed by Mr.. Bowles and
| others.
A radio station made tape re-
cordings of the speeches with
the possibility of broadcasting
them. 1t has not done so, but
the recordings were obtained
by the city council here and
played. Mayor Edward c. Evans
was asked last night what the
councils reaction was. He looked
disturbed. "Twarent nice" he
said, "T'warent nice"
| Mr.. Bowles said the organiza
l. a s Il