COPY

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
City of Burlington, N.J

Vann H. Smith
Supervising Principal
Office Phone 298

Elizabeth A Ditzell
Principal High School

November 1, 1944

Mr. Arthur C. Sides, Principal,
Central High School,
Bridgeport, Connecticut.

My dear Mr. Sides:

I am very glad to give you our opinion of Mr. Langston Hughes who spoke to our student body at an assembly and then spoke in the library to different groups throughout the day on October 23, Without exception, we were all delighted with Mr. Hughes.

He is a gentleman of real refinement and has much charm and personality. I heard his talk in assembly and a number of our teachers heard him throughout the day. I have talked with each of them and the testimony is that never, through any word or utterance, did Mr. Hughes give any indication of lack of sincerity of loyalty. Not once did he mention politics and even when he spoke of the negro problem it was without rancor or ill feeling. We feel that his day with us did more for inter-racial understanding that we could have done ourselves in many months.

Our students were overwhelmingly enthusiastic toward Mr. Hughes. The white students were just as interested as the colored. The theme that ran through most of his talk was "Freedom, Brotherhood, and Democracy", with a real love for America.

I feel it particularly unfortunate if anything has been done that would interfere with the fine work that Mr. Hughes is doing in the schools. I heartily endorse him.

EAD/ERC