Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-13
School CLOSING
Opposed in.2
VIRGINIA Areas

4
Developments in Arlington
and Charlottesville today
pointed to growing support for
moves against virginia's anti
indignation laws.
In Arlington. more than 600
persons last night organized to
wage an about fight to prevent
the closing Of Arlington schools.
And in Charlottesville, more
than a third Of parents with
children in the Venable Ele-
mentary School said they pre-
ferred some integration to-
closed schools.
Arlington and Charlottesville.
like several other Virginia COM
munities, are caught between
Federal Court orders to de-
segregate public schools next
fall and the States anti-inte-
grafton laws. Virginia laws
automatically close any school
where indignation occurs. and
withhold State funds from any
locality that attempts to reopen
schools on an integrated basis.
Pledge Legal Means
The new Arlington organiza-
ton, called the Arlington
Committee to Preserve Public
Schools, pledged itself at last
nights meeting to pursue
every legal means to keep Ar
lington's public schools open"
Its bylaws state, however,
1.-THE committee Is not con-
cerned with perpetuating seq
regation in public schools nor
in Fastening integration."
The new Arlington school
group elected o. Glenn Stahl
as its president. A former
school board member, he is
director of the Bureau Of Pro-
grams and Standards Of the
Civil Service Commission.
Other officers are Wesley w.
Cooper, first vice president;
Mrs. Elizabeth Weihe, second
vice president; Hugh j. Nc
Grath, ST., treasurer: Mrs.
Myrtice Pomeroy, recording
secretary. and Mrs. William
Bozman, corresponding secre-
tary.
Elected members of the exec
utive board are Mrs. Nan Man.
ming. Alden Lillywhite. Edmund
Campbell, Warren Cox, Rich
ard Parli. William Lightsey and
Irving NJ. Herman.
i The committee will oppose
entrusting public education to
private hands having no re-
Sponsibility or accountability
to the general public" and
pursue every legal means to
preserve for Arlington its just
share of State financial support
for public education"
Persons attending the closed
organizational meeting at the
Trinity Presbyterian Church
were required to sign a pledge
to the stated detectives and
principles of the group before
they were admitted. A COM
mittee spokesman said five or
six" persons refused to sign the
pledges and were refused
/ admission.
Some Negroes Attend
A few Negroes attended the
meeting but they did not par
ticipate in the discussion.
The groups subcommittee on
law, headed by Mr.. Cox and
Mr.. Campbell, reported that in
/ their opinion portions of Vir-
ginia's massive resistance"
laws violate the State Con-
Stitution and the Federal Con-
stitution as interpreted by the
Supreme Court.
In Charlottesville, the Ven
able PTA had polled the
schools patrons, mailing out
459 missionaries and receiv-
ing 305 replies. Of the latter,
1T patrons checked the ques-
ton, "a measure of integra-
tion," and 1913 marked the
question, "a closed Venable
school,"
Among other patrons, 1873
did not reply and 13 returned
the QUESTIONABLE without
checking a preference. Percent
agewise, the replies showed SO
per cent favored some integra-
ton, % per cent favored a
closed school, 8 per cent had
/ no preference and 80 per cent
did not reply.
OF the patrons checking q
] preference, So per cent chose
some indignation and AZ pei
& rant sahonl closing