Evening star., 1955-07-01
DR.. Whitehead
|protesis Shift
ITolesserJo Job
BY JAMES G. DEaNE.

! -
DR.. Matthew ]. Whitehead.
president Of Miner Teachers Col
lege. today protested to the
Board of Education his designa-
tion as graduate dean Of the new
District of Columbia Teachers
College.
DR.. whitehead. whose ir1stitu-
ton has just been merged with
Wilson Teachers College to form
the new institution. called his
new post an empty assignment.
He also declared it violates the
Board of Education's non-dis-
elimination policy for de-segre-
eating the public school system.
Following DR.. Whitehead's ap-
|pearance, however, the Board
voted to approve his new as
|signment despite his protest. DR..
Margaret J. Butcher and Col.
West A. Hamilton voted disap-
|proval. and Wesley s. Williams
did not vote. AL three are col
|ored members.
Once Restricted
Miner, until last year, was re-
Istricted to Negro students, and
Wilson was white. The new
merged college replacing them
this week began a bi-racial sum-
|mer session.
DR.. Whitehead appeared be-
fore the school board at his own
request. The boards personnel
committee last week approved
by a two to one vote a recon-
+mendation by Supt. Hobart M.
Corning that DR.. Whitehead be
made Dean of Graduate Studies,
the Summer School, and in serv-
ice teacher training.
DR.. Walter E. Hager, who was
president of Wilson. already has
been named president of the new
college.
DR.. Whitehead said he was In
accord with Or. Hager's appoint
ment. but that he objected to
the selection Of DR.. Paul A. Carr,
ia Wilson professor, as UNDER
graduate dean for the new IN
|stitution.
DR.. Carr has been acting as
dean at Wilson, but without q
formal title.
Issue of Rank
The former Miner president
said his proposed assignment
failed TO take into account his
and experience. He
also said he felt he outranked
DR.. Carr, whereas the position
Iof Dean Of Instruction outranked
the job proposed for himself.
Il further contend" DR..
Whitehead told the board, "that
the graduate program over which
II am to serve as dean lacks legal
status. budget. adequate under
graduate foundation and appro-
pirate accrediting approval"
He said the Miner faculty last
February recommended against
Establishing any graduate pro-
gram at the present time. on the
ground that improvements In the
undergraduate program were
needed first.
He said 1t would be a chal-
lenging experience to build q
graduate program but that it
would take a long time to do
this. He also cited questions
which he said had been raised
by the Middle States Association.
an accrediting organization.
about whether the new college
would be in 4 position to develop
an adequate graduate school at
the present time.
DR.. Butcher, after DR.. White.
heads statement, objected
strongly to his proposed assign
ment.
Timeliness Questioned
Col. Hamilton questioned
whether this was the proper
time to start a graduate pro-
gram. DR.. Whitehead replied
that he thought the Miner ia
Guilty recommendation spoke for
itself. He added, however:
Though our faculty was
bitterly opposed to the inaugura-
ton of graduate work, we let 1t
be known we would go along
with the development Of a grad
uate program"
DR.. Butcher called the situa-
ton fantastic" !"
The board reelected C. Melvin
Sharpe as president and Mrs.
Frank s. Phillips as vice presi-
dent.
Mrs. Manson B. Petit was i'm
stalled as a new member, sue
ceedinQ Miss Mary II. Parker.