Page Two
A BRIEF HISTORY:
SEGREGATION AND EDUCATION
The current difficulties surrounding the enrollment of James 11.
Meredith at the (University..'of Mississippi: .have focused popular
Attention on the broad problem of segregation and education. A
brief review of this problem shows that discriminatory practices
in Southern education began during the late years of the Recon
struction Period and have been subjecetd to widely varying court
interpretations over the years.
In response to the South’s great ‘educational needs at the Civil
War’s close, widespread effort began to provide both public school
and college facilities for white and Negro children. For almost
a decade biracial education preailed in many Southern areas.
However, the gradual withdrawal of federal troops, the restoration
of conservative- government, and the nation’s general disinterest
brought on the phenomenon of Jim Crowism in education and most
other phases of Southern society.
SEPARATE BUT EQUAL DOCTRINE
A legal basis for segregation was furnished by a series of Supreme
Court decisions, culminating in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Accord
ing to this decision, separate but equal facilities were pronounced
constitutional. Although the case specifically involved segregated
public carriers, the precedent established covered all forms of
segregation. For over a half century segregation trived with con
siderably more emphasis on “separate” than on “equal.”
The first'niajroor challange to the Plessy view came in Gong
Lum v. Rice (1927). In ruling that a child of Chinese ancestry in
Miss’ssippi had to attend a non-white school, the Supreme Court
reaffirmed its 1896 doctrine,
From the late thirties to 1954, the Supreme Court decided against
WELCOME FRESHMEN
To the Freshmen, we, together with SGA, would like to
extend a most cordial welcome to the Hazleton Campus. It
i§ our hope that you will come to feel yourselves an integral
part of our campus.
Not only do we wish you success in your academic pur
suits, but also we hope you will be able to participate in all
our cultural, athletic, and social activities. This is the one
sure way to receive the maximum benefit from your years
in college.
To the Sophomores, wp would like to wish continued
success in the attainment of your goals. Weare happy to see
you all back for another year. Your active participation this
year again will be appreciated by all Campus societies and
activities and will do much towards making this an enjoy
able and successful year.
A reminder to all: Let’s all try to keep our Cafeteria clean
so that we can be proud of our new Student Union Building
inside as well as out.
Highacres fp| Collegian
“HAZLETON CAMPUS’ OWN NEWSPAPER”
Published by the Journalism Club of the Hazleton Campus
of the Pennsylvania State University, Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Carolyn Egger, Darjyn Clark
June Fiel
Tom Randis
. Phil Jeffries
Bill Slattery
Gregg Smith
Geneva Avillion, Kathy Botchik
Carmeia Sacco, Anne Marie Semancik, Arleen
Dallachiesa, Marie Melchiorre, Mary Jean Turse
Faculty Advisor Mr - Thomas Price
Co-Editors
News Editor
Sports Editor
Assistant Sports Editor
Photography
Business Manager
Typists' ...
Reporters
HIGH ACRES COLLEGIAN
several states in cases involving facilities. The separation view-was
still maintained. In Missouri ex. rel. Gaines v. Canada (1938),
the court held that Missouri had to establish a separate law school
rather than pay costs for Negroes at out-of-state schools.
RECENT DECISIONS
In Sipuel v. Board to/ Regents (1948) and Sweatt v. Painter
(1950), Nqgro admissions were ordered at the Universities of
of Oklahoma and Texas where no “equal” Negro law schools,
existed. Physical segregation within a classroom was declared
illegal in McTaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents (1950).
THE 1959 DECISION
The separate but equal doctrine was finally dscarded in the
famous 1954 desegregation decision. Inßrown et al v. Board of Ed
ucation of Topeka et al. the Supreme Court ruled that separate facil
ities were “inherently unequal” and deprivations of the Fourteenth
Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection of the law. Since the
Fourteenth Amendment applied only to states, a separate decision,
Bolling v. Sharpe (1954), prohibited segregation in District of Co
lumbia schools under the due process clause of the Fifth Amend
ment. ' . ■
The history of school desegregation since 1954 has been.one of
contrasts. While slow and numerically small, important steps to
ward compliance have been taken in many Southern areas. How
ever, efforts to obstruct desegregation have successfully held back
widespread integration, especially in Mississippi, Alabama, and
South Carolina where there is no integration other than Meredith.
Through pupil placement laws, school-closing laws, private
school plans, anti-barratry regulations, and occasional violence,
Southern governments have restricted integration to only ten thou
sand out of a total Negro school-age population of nearly three mil
lion.
The integration of * state-involved colleges and universities has
followed a path as tortuous as that of the public schools. After the
Triumph of mob rule at the University of Alabama in .the .Awtherine
Lucy case (1956), the Supreme Court decisions in Pennsylvania- v.
City Trusts of Philadelphia (1957) and Aaron v. Cooper ( 1958) de
clared any state participation in racial discrimination in violation of
the Fourteenth Amendment. Compliance has been achieved in sev
eral Southern institutions, e. g., the University of Georgia,'but de
termined opposition has been shown in many areas, e, g-., the Uni
versity of Mississippi. '
The future of integrated educational facilities is clouded by the
frequent appearance of stormy controversy, but the ultimate out
come cannot be in doubt. Ironically, the one dissenting judge in the
Plessy decision made comments appropriate for today’s situation.
“Our Constitution is color-blind and neither knows nor tolerates
classes among citizens. The arbitrary separation of citizens, on the
basis of race,... is a badge of servitude wholly inconsistent with
civil freedom and equality before the law. It cannot be justified
upon any legal grounds.”
Freshman orientation week
opened Monday, September 17, at
1 o’clock in the Student Union
Building. Mr. John Longo, chair
man of the faculty, greeted the
new freshmen and later introduced
the rest of the faculty. Director
of the Hazleton Campus, Mr.
Frank Kostos, also welcomed the
students.
On Tuesday, the freshmen heard
various lectures by members of
the faculty concerning Senate
Regulations, bookstore procedures,
study techniques, and what to ex
pect from classes. The role of the
advisor was also explained, and,
ORIENTATION PROGRAM INTRODUCES
FRESHMEN TO P.S.U. CAMPUS LIFE
October 17, 1962
later in the day, the students met
with their advisors.
Student Personnel Forms were
filled out on Wednesday and
registration procedures were ex
plained by Mr. William Schneider,
Assistant Director. That after
noon the Student Government
Association gave the freshmen an
idea of the Student Activities Pro-
gram at the Hazleton Campus and
explained the regulations of Cus
toms Week.
Registration of freshmen finally
took place on Thursday, Sept. 20,
and all students returned the fol
lowing Monday for the first day of
classes.