We are in sympathy with the intent of it, but what we would like to be sure of is that the Board of Higher Education would not have the power to abolish the present system, at least at retirement; at least that the teachers who have been transferred to the authority of the Board of Higher Education will remain under their own retirement system. At least they would be safeguarded. To go further, we would recommend that provision similar to those inserted in Public Law 262, passed by the 87th Congress under which Freedmen's Hospital was transferred to Howard University-and I am glad to bring that up because I know very well Senator, that you remember the hearings on the bill that came up and the resulting enactment of Public Law 262-which transferred as I said, Freedmen's Hospital to the authority of Howard University and in that end, I am glad the Congress took measures to protect the retirment requirements and others of employees who were transferred to that institution. And if I may put in in the hearing record, I would recommend that to the attention of the committee in order to safeguard the retirement and leave rights of employees who would thus be transferred under this act. Senator MORSE. I will ask for a third memorandum. I don't want to curbstone on any of these technical matters. I want a memorandum as to what the intent of the bill is as far as its language is concerned and I will pass judgment on it. I will then consider what the intent is to be, and what modifications are necessary to carry out what I think the intent of the bill should be. Mr. GOODLOE. I wish to emphasize we never had any doubt about the intent of the bill. We merely wish to be sure about the language of the bill, that the bill does carry out the intent back of it. Well, Senator, those are the things which we are glad to highlight and emphasize. Let me repeat we are always appreciative of the opportunity to present testimony to this committee and we hope that legislation is enacted which will establish an institution of university grade in the Capital of the Nation. Thank you. (Mr. Goodloe's statement follows:) STATEMENT OF DON B. GOODLOE, TEACHERS UNION OF WASHINGTON, D.C. Gentlemen of the Senate District Committee, I am Don B. Goodloe, legislative representative of Teachers Union No. 6 of the American Federation of Teachers. On this occasion, I am glad to have the privilege of testifying in favor of Senate bill 293, introduced into the 89th Congress for the purpose of establishing a public community college and a college of arts and sciences in the District of Columbia. For a long time, the District of Columbia has needed such an institution of higher learning. Many people throughout our country think that the citizens of their Capital are well provided with opportunities for securing higher education. To be sure, there are several universities of high standing here, as well as a teachers college designed to prepare young people for serving in the public schools of the District of Columbia. There is, nevertheless, a glaring defect in the educational system functioning in the Capital of this Nation. It is as follows: There is no institution in Washington, D.C., of university rank, containing a liberal arts college supported by the Government of the District of Columbia. We think we should take a little time and make this fact plain. We have, for instance, Georgetown University and George Washington University; but they are private institutions. There is Howard University, which obtains support from the Federal Government. Strictly speaking, however, it is not a national university in the sense that similar institutions are maintained by our States. The teachers college is supported by the District; but it is not a liberal arts college. In fact, it cannot really be considered a good teachers college. Its loss of accreditation has become well known in all parts of the Nation; and the deplorable conditions under which it operates in two antiquated, substandard plants are a disgrace to the city, which should serve as an example to the Great Society. Such a situation is unparalleled elsewhere in the United States. Here is a community with a population greater than that of some States-in fact, with more inhabitants than some sovereign nations, without a publicly supported institution of higher learning, with all the departments and facilities that should be included therein. Senator MORSE. Thank you very much. I understand that the Reverend Frederic Abbott of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity is in the room and has a statement that he would like to file. We are perfectly willing to take the time to have you testify in regard to it if you would like to, Father. STATEMENT OF REV. FREDERIC ABBOTT, EPISCOPAL SOCIETY FOR CULTURAL AND RACIAL UNITY Reverend ABBOTT. It is a very general statement and it concurs with the League of Women Voters and others in their support of the bill. I have one little comment I would like to make. Senator MORSE. We will be glad to have you make it. We are glad, Father Abbott, to have your statement, and I will insert it in the record at this point. (The document referred to follows:) STATEMENT OF REV. FREDERIC E. ABBOTT, REPRESENTING THE EPISCOPAL SOCIETY FOR CULTURAL AND RACIAL UNITY Members of the Washington chapter of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity thank you for this opportunity to express our wholehearted support for the establishment of a public, 2-year community college and a public, 4-year college of the arts and sciences and a separate Board of Higher Education. In this support we concur with the District of Columbia Citizens for Better Education, the League of Women Voters, and others who strongly endorse such action. We urge that these colleges be established as soon as possible for the need is great and grows each year. The dearth of public higher education facilities in the District is a neglect that should no longer be tolerated by a nation with a historic claim to concern for humanity and the development of the individual. It is unjust that even one individual is denied the chance to develop his innate abilities into employable skills and his desire for learning into broad knowledge enriching his life and that of others. As it is, hundreds of young people are denied this chance. These are young men and women who desire a higher education, who are college material, and in whom an investment in human capital can render large dividends both for themselves and for the society in which they live. We are sure that the establishment of these public higher education facilities, offering quality education in a broad spectrum of fields and open to nonresidents of the District will result in fully integrated institutions offering the richness only an integrated environment can offer. Reverend ABBOTT. This is my own opinion. In reading the bill we mention a 4-year liberal arts and science college. It seems to me that those 4-year liberal arts colleges we find scattered all over the country all were originally founded for a purpose and the purpose of course was to provide an education for whatever denomination founded it. Now, we have a liberal arts college mentioned in the bill, but we have no real purpose in having it except that it is the thing to have and we mentioned teacher training but there is no purpose-positive pur pose in connection with it. And it seems to me this would be a great opportunity for having an institution to train people for our civil service. As I look into the future it seems to me that we are going to require a greatly augmented civil service to discharge all the duties and responsibilities that we have throughout the world. And, now, young people that may go into Government will find courses at Georgetown; you find courses at Johns Hopkins, Harvard has a few, Princeton, even Stanford. They are scattered all over the country, but it seems to me this is a prime place for such an institution and in addition to its general providing liberal arts, education, why if it started out with such a purpose I think it would get much more support than in the bill, than the very general one of simply having another liberal arts scientific institution. That is all I want to say. Senator MORSE. That certainly is a suggestion. We will take note of it once we can get the bill considered. Reverend ABBOTT. Thank you very much. Senator MORSE. We will now stand in recess until 9 o'clock Monday, March 21, 1966. (Whereupon, at 12:35 p.m., the subcommittee recessed, to reconvene at 9 a.m., Thursday, March 24, 1966.) AUTHORIZATION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC LIBERAL ARTS AND JUNIOR COLLEGES (S. 293 and S. 1612) THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1966 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH, EDUCATION, WELFARE, AND SAFETY OF THE COMMITTEE Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., pursuant to recess, in room 6226, New Senate Office Building, Senator Wayne Morse (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senator Morse. Also present: Chester Smith, staff director, and Richard E. Judd, professional staff member. Senator MORSE. The hearing will come to order. Two of my colleagues in the Senate desired to be present this morning to present testimony supporting the creation of both the community college as well as the 4-year liberal arts college. Their schedule, however, does not permit them to be present here this morning. Therefore, Senators Muskie and Inouye have asked me to have their statements printed in the hearing record. Mrs. Agnes Meyer, member of the President's Committee on Public Higher Education in the District of Columbia, and well known to all of us for the great work and contributions she has made to the schoolchildren of this city and Nation, planned to be here with us this morning. I am advised that she is ill. She has asked that her statement be made a part of the hearing record this morning. I also instruct that there be printed at this point in the hearing record a letter I received from my colleague, Senator Douglas in support of the bills. There should also be printed in the hearing record at this point a statement filed with the committee by Senator Harrison Williams supporting the legislation. All the material that the chairman referred to will be printed at the beginning of the record this morning. |