Duke Graduates 1500; Awards Honorary Degree To Negro
aUMINAL CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST TEAOIER
€hc Carcjifo €fagg
VOLUME 46 No. 23 DURHAM, N. C., SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1969
Garrett Successfully
FCD; $40,000
Record Shows
FCD Not Linked
With A&T Row
Daily newspapers of Dur
ham in their efforts to connect
staff members of The Founda
tion for Community Develop
ment (FDC) with recent
upheavals at A & T University
at Greensboro, have proved to
be futile. According to Nathan
T. Garrett, executive director
of FDC, described as "matidous
slander" the newspaper reports
which alleged that Howard
Fuller and Franklin D. Williams
employees of the foundation,
were involved In the Greens
boro campus disorders.
According to Garrett, the
Greensboro police and State
Bureau of Investigation inform
ed him that "they have no
evidence establishing any con
nection between A&T riots
and FDC or its employees."
As a result of ths findings
the FDC received this week
$40,000 as the first installment
of a $900,000 federal grant,
Garrett stated.
Second Black Ed
Of HAAAE In Atlanta Aug. 20-24
NEW YORK—Black teach
ers, administrators, students,
parents, and community work
ers • all concerned with
strengthening the role of edu
cation in the black community*
will converge on Atlanta, Geor
gia for the second National
Conference called by the Na
tional Association for African-
American Education (NAAAE).
The Conference will meet from
August 20 through August 24.
Preston Wilcox, the national
chairman of the organization,
issued the call. "We are at
tempting to define and create a
truly black educational agenda
and a climate which meets and
stimulates the aspirations and
needs of the black conmnity."
The conference theme, The
Fire This Time, focuses on new
black perspectives and creative
black solutions to pressing
educational problems. Key
issues before this year's assem
bly are expected to include
community control of schools,
black studies, college admis
sions, the dormitory issue, job
protection, health and nutri
tion, and graduate and profes
sional studies.
The conference will be
built around workshops In key
interest areas. Existing pro
grams will be presented as
models for discussion and imi
tation. Speakers of national
repute will address the general
sessions to which the black
Atlanta community will be
invited. There will be exhibit
space for companies and orga
nizations with black publica
tions and educational materials.
The first National Confer
ence of NAAAE was held in
1968 in Chicago, Illinois and
attracted some 1,000 attendees
from all sections of the coun
try. This year's host group,
headed by the Greater Atlanta
Summit Leadership Confer
ence, Is laying plans to accom
modate five thousand black
educators, many of whom will
be accompanied by their fami
(See EDUCATORS 2A)
II
OAftRITT
Local newspaper accounts
apparently based their assump
tions on the fact that both
Fuller and Williams legklty pur
chased rifles about a month
ago. Garrett reacted in the
defense of the purchase of
FRIENDS TO HONOR DR. ROSE B.
BROWNE AT MT. VERNON SUNDAY
Friends of Dr. Rose Butler
Browne are sponsoring an
Autograph Party at the Mount
Vernon Baptist Church on
Sunday afternoon, June 8
from 4:00 until 6:00 at which
time her new boo)c, "Love My
Children," will be presented to
the public.
Dr. Brownes, retired Chair
man Department of Education,
North Carolina College, Is well
known throughout the United
States for her educational and
religious activities. As a dis
tinguished educator she has
been the recipient of awards
from both black and white
communities, the lastes of
which was her picture on the
front cover and homage paid
her fro her achievements in the
Spring issue of the Rhode
Island State College Alumni.
She has received numerous
honorary degrees and citations
from both educational and
Probe of Conditions at Fort
Polk is Stressed by NAACP
NEW YORK—The National
Associstion for the Advance
ment of Colored People has
called upon the Defense De
partment to "initiate imme
diate searching inquiry into
conditions of Negro servicemen
st Fort Polk," near Leesville,
La.
NAACP Executive Director
Roy Wilkins called for the
Army probe in a telegram,
dispstched May 23, to Defense
Secretary Melvin Laird. The
telegram cited the arrest, May
17, of NAACP Louisiana Field
Director Harvey Britton and 17
fire arms by these two employ
ees saying that they had a legal
right to do so just as service
station operators and milkmen.
"I replied that if they felt that
they needed this protection,
certainly with memories of
*Jp /'O I
Hi '*9 l
DR. BROWNE
religious institutions.
"Love My Children" is the
autobiography of the first
Negro woman to teceive the
Ph. D. Degree from Harvard
University. It tells of the educa
(See DR. BROWNE 2A)
other NAACP activists who
attempted to set up a Military
Complaint Center in Leesville
to receive complaints from
Negro servicemen stationed at
Fort Polk.
The full text of the tele
gram follows:
On May 17 last, eighteen
persons including NAACP
Field Director Harvey Britton
were arrested in Leesville,
Louisiana, on charges of dis
turbing the peace and investi
gation of vagrancy. These per
sons were situated on private
property to which they had
(See FT. POLK page 2A)
PRICE: 20 Cents
Martin King and Robert Kenne
dy and Medgar Evers and Mal
com "X" and John Kennedy,
I could not forbid them from
taking legal steps to arm them
selves," Garrett stated.
Commenting further on the
purchase of fire arms by them
Garrett described Fuller's job
as probably the most dangerous
in the state. It was determined
that Fuller stopped briefly in
Greensboro for a meal and was
not there at. the time fo the
riots.
Greensboro authorities
arrested and charged Williams
with posession of an alcoholic
beverage and a search of his
car revealed four cans of beer
and three firecrackers. Garrett
in his discussion of Williams'
arrest voiced grave doubt as to
the possession of four cans of
beer constituting a serious vio
lation of curfew and three cans
of beer poring a threat as pyro
technic devises.
In the opinion of Garret,
newspaper reports, "have sought
to make it appear that FDC is
staffed by a group of gun
runners who go about the state
formenting riots." He further
stated that, the plain fact is
that when civil disorders occurs,
(See RECEIVED 2A)
C. M. Micthell
New Spingam
'69 Awardee
NEW YORK—Clarence M.
Mitchell, director of the Wash
ington Bureau of the National
Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People since
1950, has been chosen the
54th Spingarn Medalist.
Mitchell was named recipi
ent of the coveted medal by
the nine-member Spingarn
Medal Award Committee in
recognition of his vital role
as lobbyist for civil rights legis
lation and particularly his cru
cial contribution to the enact
ment of the Fair Housing Title
of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
The selection of Mitchell for
this honor was announced here,
June 3, by NAACP Executive
| Roy Willdns who cited his 23
years of dedicated service to
the NAACP, the last 19 as
Washington Bureau Director.
The Spingarn Medal, Wilkins
noted, "is awarded annually to
an American of African des
cent for distinguished achieve
ment during the preceding
year or years. On the basis of
his superb performance as our
legislative representative in
Washington, Clarence Mitchell
richly deserves this recogni
tion."
Commenting on Mitchell's
effectiveness as lobbyist for the
fair housing bill, the authorita
tive Congressional Quarterly
said: "Seldom has an individual
lobbyist been accorded so
much credit for the outcome of
a bill as was Mitchell." A fea
ture article in POTOMAC, the
Sunday magazine of The Wash
ington Post haled him as "the
101 st Senator of the United
States."
A graduate of Lincoln Uni
versity and of the University of
Maryland Law School, Mitchell
has been employed by the
NAACP since 1956, Previously,
he has been a newspaper man,
the executive director of the
Urban League of St. Paul, and
(See MITCHELL page 2A)
■r^^^^^Egfcr^E
H
iiHH^^nuKi
■L vJ*'
w^mkJks
ism ▲
Hi
THE FIRST—Asa T. Spaulding,
retired president of N. C. Mu
tual Life Insurance Company,
is shown being congratulated
after being awarded an hono
Hearing Halifax
Case Continued Until June 17
Afty. J. Walker
Fighting Grim
Battle in State
HALIFAX - A District Court
hearing in the case of Mrs.
Pattie Cotton, 27, Negro
teacher in the William R. Davie
High School of Halifax has
been set for Tuesday, June 17,
it was revealed here early this
week.
Mrs. Cotton is being charged
by a white parent, Mrs. Marvin
W. Tanner, with assault on her
son with a deadly weapon when
she spanked him with, to wit,
a ruler. Mrs. Cotton is charged
in the warrant with striking
the boy 10 times across the hip.
In addition, Mrs. Cotton is
being charged by the Advisory
Council of Halifax with poor
teaching. The latter hearing has
been set for June 12 before
the School Board of the County.
Included in the action are six
charges as follows:
1. Failure to teach and grade
pupils properly in classes.
2. Neglectful about teaching
methods by refusing to answer
questions and to give help when
asked by pupils.
3. Refusing to let children
eat luch as punishment.
4. Staying out of classroom
for long periods of time.
5. Failure to introduce new
subjects in a manner that is
understood by a majority of
class.
6. Creating an atmosphere
of fear in the classroom causing
students to be afraid to ask
questions because they might
be ridiculed.
Mrs. Cotton is being repre
sented by Attorney James R.
Walker, the only black lawyer
of the countv. He has Drevious
ly requested that, due to the
fact there i£* no basis for the
brave charges other than racism
and that school officials are
compelled to downgrade black
teachers, the charges before the
school board be "continued
forever."
Ninety-seven Graduated From
Durham Technical Institute
Ninety-seven students w«e
graduated from Durham Tech
nical Institute during the
annual spring commencement
exercises held Friday evening,
May 23, at Brogden Junior
High School. Forty students
were granted the Associate in
Applied Science degree and
sixteen were recipients of a
vocational diploma.
Adult high school diplomas
were awarded to forty-one grad
uates. The commencement
rary doctor's degree at the Duke
University Commencement held
here Monday, June 2. Shown
congratulating Spaulding Is
President Douglas M. Knight
MRS. KOOKTZ
Over 500 Awarded Degrees at
NCC Commencement Held Sun.
MRS. COTTON
address was delivered by Dr.
Charles E. Bishop, Vice Presi
dent for Public Service Pro
grams, Consolidated University
of North Carolina. Candidates
for graduation were presented
by Harold K. Collins, President
of Durham Technical Institute.
Degrees and diplomas were con
ferred by Dr. Sherwood
Gtthem, Chairman of the Board
of Trustees, Durham Technical
Institute.
At center is Charles B. Wide,
Chairman of Duke Board of
Trustees. Spaulding is the first
of his race to be awarded an
honorary degree by Duke U.
Mrs. Elizabeth D. Koontz
praised today's student genera
tion {or its involvement and
warned that "dissent must be
carried out in a framework
that will accomplish its goals."
The head of the Women's
Bureau of the U. S. Department
of Labor told graduates at
North Carolina College that
the conventional admonition of
commencement speakers to
Ro out there and take the tiger
by the tail—would seem old
fashioned today.
"This generation under 30
has been involved in real is
sues," Mrs. Koontz said. She
called the student generation
idealists who are interested in
an education that is relevant to
the time and to people. "Of
course what they sometimes do
to people after talking about
helping them may be some
thing different," Mrs. Koontz
said.
Mrs. Koontz, a native of Salis
bury and the first Negro to
hold her current post spoke to
a graduating class of 513, in
cluding 407 receiving bachelors
degrees.
She said students are justi
fied in questioning the educa
tional system and even the very
foundation of this society. "Of
course there are mistakes. The
most crucial mistake has been
that dissenting students with a
just cause have lost control of
their cause. Others interested
only in power have left the
students with a cause, with a
manner and method of protest
that they cannot support and
(See DECREES page 2A)
SpauM'mg is
First of Race
To be Named
Graduation exercises for
some 1,500 Duke University
defree candidates were held at
10 a.m. here Monday, June 2
in Indoor Stadium.
Hundred* of parents and'
■pedal guests witnessed the.
colorful procession of grad
uates and faculty members as
the university dosed its 117 th
academic year.
Angler Biddle Duke, U. S.
Ambassador to Denmark,
delivered the commencement
address. Ouke is among seven
individuals who received
honorary degrees from the
university.
Or. Asa Spaulding, retired
Durham insurance executive,
became the first Negro to be
awarded an honorary degree
from Duke. Other recipients
included:
Dr. Maynard Mack, profes
sor of English at Yale; Bishop
Earl G. Hunt, Jr., Western
North Carolina Conference,
United Methodist Church; Dr.
Rudolp 'Vittkower, professor
of art history at Columbia; Dr.
Jerome S. Bruner, Harvard
psychologist; and Dr. William
M. Fairbank, Stanford physi
cist.
This year's commencement
at Duke was the last for Dr.
Douglas M. Knight as president
of the university. Knight, who
delivered the baccalaureate ser
mon Sunday, has resigned to
accept an educational post
with RCA next month.
Howard Univ.
Official Named
President FSC
FAYETTEVTLLE - Dr.
Charles Lyons, Jr., director of
admissions at Howard Univer
sity in Washington, D. C., was
confirmed Thursday, May 29,
as the new president of Fayet
teville State College during a
meeting of the FSC trustees.
Dr. Lyons, 43, was reported
earlier as the leading candidate
to succeed Dr. Rudolph Jones,
who resigned recently. Dr.
Jones has accepted a profes
sor's post at Elizabeth City
State College.
Selected from seven candi
dates for the post. Dr. Lyons
will assume his new duties on
August 1.
Attorney John H. Cook,
chairman of the FSC board of
trustees said today, "I just
think Dr. Lyons is tops and
will make a wonderful presi
dent. He has had every qualifi
cation that the job require*."
A native of Conetoe, Dr.
Lyons received an A.B. degree
from Shaw University and M.A
and Ph.D. degrees from Ohio
State University.
He taught in the Raleigh
Public Schools in 1949-50,
and at Ohio State from 1951-
54 and 1955-56. He was asso
ciate professor of Political
Science at Grambling (La) Col
lege, from 1956-59 and pro
fessor of Political Science and
History at Elizabeth City State
College from 1959-62.
Dr. Lyons was dean of Eli
zabeth State College from
1956-62 and served as execu
tive secretary of the North
Carolina Teachers Association
(NCTA) from 1962-64 and at
admissions director at Howard
University since 1964.
He affiliations indud* Al
pha Kappa Mu, Sigma Rho
Sigma, PI Sigma Alpha, and
Phi Alpha Theta honorary or-,
ionizations. In 1962, he ww
awarded a leadership pteque
from the NCTA.
In Washington, he la a men*.
(See NAMID page U)