Evening star., 1961-01-30
REEVES
Continued From First Page

president Of the District Board
Of Education. The chances are
strong that Mr.. Tobriner now
will be named to succeed Mr..
Mclaughlin. whose term ex-
pireS June 80.
II Mr.. Tobriner is named to
succeed Mr.. Mclaughlin, the
District may well have a Negro
as the head Of both the Board
Of Commissioners and the
Board Of Education. The vice
chairman Of the Board of Edu-
cation Is Wesley S. Williams,
a Negro.
The question Of what city
departments will be the direct
responsibility Of Mr.. Reeves is
UP in the air. The division Of
departments Is made when the
board holds its organizational
session after a new member Is
sworn in.
Traditionally, however, the
man who Is president Of the
board is the city's public safety
commissioner - having direct
responsibility for the police and
fire departments. In addition
to these two. Mr.. McLaughlin's
major department has been the
public school system.
The other civilian Commis-
Sioner. in this case Mr.. SulN-
van. has had the health and
welfare departments.
Mclaughlin Comments
Asked to comment on the
forthcoming appointment Of
Mr.. Reeves, Mr.. Mclaughlin
said:
II think his appointment to
the board will have a plus
value as far as international
relations are concerned"
He added that Mr.. Sullivan
has done a very good job and
that he expects Mr.. Reeves will
do likewise.
In answer to a question. Mr.. |
Mclaughlin said he does not
think the fact Mr.. Reeves is q |
Negro will have any impact"
on the Districts dealings with
Congress. The House District
Committee Is dominated by
Southern Democrats.
II really think it's the ques-
tions involved and not the per-
son who presents them that in
terests Congress-" Mr.. Nc
Laughlin said.
The president Of the Board
OF Commissioners is the city's
official spokesman with Con-
gresS.
Mr. Reeves was elected a ma
tional committeeman last May,
becoming the first Negro to hold
this position from the District.
Mr.. Reeves was born in Mon
treal and moved with his par
ents to New York and then 10
Washington. He attended Shaw
Junior High School and was
graduated from Dunbar High
in 1882. A graduate of Howard
University. he received his law
degree there in 1899. Twice he
has been on the staff of the
university's law school.
Served on FEPC, OPA
In 1910. he became assistant
to Thurgood Marshall, special
counsel for the National As
sociation for the Advancement
Of Colored People. Two years
later he was administrative as
sistant to the director of the
NAACP's Washington bureau.
Mr.. Reeves. who was natu-
rallied in l943, served from
that year until 1945 on the
staff Of the Presidents Com
mittee on Fair Employment
Practices. For six months in
l945 he was on the staff Of
the Office Of Price Administra-
tion and then entered private
practice.
The attorney. whose home is
at 1884 New Hampshire avenue
NV. is senior partner in the
law firm Of Reeves, Robinson
g. Duncan.
Mr.. Reeves has participated
in school desegregation cases
in both Arlington and Alex
andria, and in court ap-
pearances and elsewhere has
contended that pupil placement
systems were a device to con-
tinue segregation.
The prospective Commits
sioner entered actively into
politics in 1948. At that time
he organized and served as
chairman of the District of
Columbia Citizens Committee
for the reelection Of Harry
| c rrr,ty11o11 ae DraeiAaok