Evening star., 1955-06-23
BY JAMES G. DEANE

ing a new graduate -level pro.
gram to be developed by the
combined college. He also woule
supervise in-service teacher
training and the summer ses'
SionS.
| DR.. Margaret j. Butcher, col.
lored board member, strenuously
objected to this proposal. She
termed it a demotion and sale
DR.. Whitehead should be giver
a chance to argue his case ir
Iperson.
The board member also
charged that the colored col
|lege official had not been given
adequate opportunity to discuss
his wishes with DR.. Corning and
other supervisors.
DR.. Corning made no reply to
this at yesterdays meeting. He
said only that DR.. Whitehead
had made his position known in
a letter, which had been read to
board members at q closed meet
ing Tuesday.
The contents of the letter were
not made public, and DR.. White
head himself last night refused
to discuss it, other than to say
DR.. Corning had not yet an
swered it.
Walter N. Tobriner, chairman
OF the boards Personnel Com
mittee, said after the meeting,
however. that the Miner presi-
dent had indicated he felt his
qualifications fitted him better
for some other assignment. An
other board member said DR..
Whitehead has expressed a de-
sire to be dean of instruction.
Slated for DIR. Carr
The dean of instruction post
- which would be concerned
with supervision of undergradu-
ate Studies-ls slated, under DR..
lCorning's plan, for DR.. Paul A..
Carr, who has been a professor
lof history and has been acting
as dean and registrar at Wilson.
Another post-that of dean of
students in charge of counsel
Ing and student activities-has
been proposed for Miss Hope
Lyons, who, has had a similar
post at Miner.
DR.. Butcher, in criticizing the
handling of DR.. Whitehead's
Ireassignment, said he had not
been called in until June 8 to
be advised of his new duties.
DR.. Whitehead himself told a
reporter that the two colleges
will open a single joint summer
session next Monday. Most
classes will be held at Miner.
The board yesterday approved a
list OF appointments of both
white and colored faculty mem
berS to staff the session.
Both colleges dropped race
bars with the rest of the public
school system last fall, and
Wilson had some rs colored
students enrolled during the
ollege year just closed.
School, officials would not talk
freely about the controversy
after yesterdays meeting. One
official. who asked not to be
quoted, said DR.. Whitehead had
taken part in several conferences
with top officers about the plans,
however.
DR.. Butchers intimation that
DR.. Whitehead was being dis
terminated against came as a
particular surprise, officials said,
in view Of DR.. Hager's record.
DR.. Hager has long been an OUT
spoken advocate of integration
of the two colleges, which he first
proposed publicly more than five
years ago.
No date was set for the special
board meeting. DR.. Corning sug-
Igested the session be scheduled
during the week of July 4. and it
presumably will be set when the
board convenes for a regular
meeting on July /.
The board voted yesterday to
name the merged teacher college
the District of Columbia Teach
ers' College. This was over the
objection Of Col. West A. Hamil-
ton, colored board member. who
urged that the names Of the
present colleges be combined.
Sidesteps Matter
The board yesterday side
stepped consideration of the
status Of department heads, an
other integration matter.
DR.. Corning. on Tuesday, told
a closed session of the person.
mel committee he had dropped
plans to pick new department
chairmen from among duplicate
colored and white department
heads left over from the old
separate divisions. Instead,
members reported. he said he
plans to alternate chairman
ships on year-to-year basis. \
Yesterday, he merely said he
is deferring this matter until
fall. This also drew COM
plant from DR.. Butcher, who
accused DR.. Corning Of undue
delay.