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.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers