Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-28
Montgomery Schools
Get Big Man for Big Job
By A. L. SINGLETON

There is nothing apparently
small about Montgomery Coun-
tvs new superintendent Of
schools
Not his size-he tops 8 feet
and 200 pounds. Not his fam
ily-four children. q wife and
his mother. Nor the house he
lives ina six-bedroom, white
stucco place set on II acres Of
green land near Gaithersburg.
And DR.. C. Taylor Whittier
is stepping into a big job when
he takes office Thursday. Mont
gomery County schools are
swelling rapidly. both in num-
Der and population.
Is Years Of Experience
But. in keeping with the
Whittier pattern, he is bring
ing Is years Of broad expert
ence and some expansive think
ing to the position he will
occupy officially August /.
DR.. Whittier, a young looking
As. knows the problems Of edu-
cation in Montgomery County
are many. He does not yet
know them all. But has recog-
nized several as familiar foes.
Before he was appointed to
the Maryland post, succeeding
DR.. Forbes H. Norris, DR.. Whit
tier guided the public schools
Of Pinellas County, Florida,
through more than five years
of boom.
Pinellas County takes in st.
Petersburg. Clearwater and
'Tarpon Springs. popular re-
ort communities.
Everything Doomed"
But they're more than that
now" DR.. Whittier said. big
industries began moving in
about 1850. and everything
doomed.
TO give you an idea of the
rate Of growth, the yearly in
crease in public school enroll
ment is around 5.000-the same
figure you have in Montgomery
County. which certainly is rec
qgnized as q faSt-growing
area"
In Florida, DR.. Whittier's
title was assistant superintend-
eht for instruction. This meant
q. superintendent outranked
lin. But in Florida. public
school titles do not always in
rIicate duties.
THE superintendent there
ae elected by popular ballot.
Us a political Office" he ex-
Nained. adding that the re-
hits often are interesting.
Served rs "PilOt"
For example, one superin-
sndent only went through the
burth grade in school. You
An imagine what guidance he
ave"
This was not the case in
tinellas County-the superin-
Sndent there held a masters
Pgree. But DR.. Whittier served
5 the practical pilot Of edu-
ation.
He said he has not had time
? examine the physical plants
. his new territory closely
nough to compare them with
hose in Pinellas County. But
That he has seen he likes.
I I'm not so keen on too many
sitras in q building" he re-
parked thoughtfully. II like
God. solid, functional schools. :"
DR., Whittier was born in
Chicago. the son of q mining
Engineer with an inventive flair
nat led eventually to the pro-
AUCTION of Ertron, a popular
fmedy for arthritis.
The elder Whittier's basic
pb took his family to a variety
4 spots throughout the coun-
\ y. DR.. Whittier recalls that
" has lived in New Mexico,
illinois, Iowa. indiana, Florida,
phio and California land else
There for brief periods"
: When time came for college.
Se chose the University of
Chicago. where he helped work
ais way through by teaching.
/. Created Program
I When he went to Florida, he
BOX with him an intense in
frest in internship for ad-
illustrators.
We set up q program there
n cooperation with Florida
State University. The students.
who we're carefully screened,
we're called internes in educa-
ronal leadership. They worked
one semester with us as junior
administrators. the next semes-
ter at the university"
DR.. Whittier said he had not
A CLIL~