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*S. 293, new section: There is authorized to be appropriated from funds available to the District of Columbia, the sum of $15,000,000, for plans, specifications, and beginning of construction of buildings necessary to carry on the purposes of the University of the District of Columbia.

*

NOTE. The proposed amendments to S. 293 marked with an are suggested by this spokesman, based upon his experience of more than forty years with the public schools of the District of Columbia, including twenty-six years as a professor in the D.C. Teachers College. The other amendments suggested have all been approved by the Board of Managers of the D.C. Congress of Parents and Teachers as being consistent with the provisions of our Action Program relating to publicly supported higher education.

Respectfully submitted.

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STATEMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CONGRESS OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Re HR 16958, 4761, 4763, 7395 S 293, and related bills (a program of higher education for the District of Columbia)

Gentlemen, The D.C. Congress of Parents and Teachers is pleased to have again the opportunity to state to you our views with regard to a program of publicly supported higher education and vocational education in the District of Columbia. Our organization, with a membership of over 50,000 persons, is probably the largest and the most vitally interested group concerned with the bills before you today.

In accordance with resolutions on this subject endorsed at our annual conventions for some years past, we endorse H. R. 16958, a bill to authorize the establishment of a public community and vocational college and a public college of arts and sciences in the District of Columbia.

Also in accordance with our Action Program we wish to propose for your consideration a number of amendments to this Bill which we think would greatly strengthen it:

1. Amend the title to read: "To authorize the establishment of a public community and vocational college, a public college of arts and sciences, and a public university in the District of Columbia.

2. Amend Sec. 2(a), pg. 2, line 4, as follows: change period to comma and add: "provided, that the Board of Higher Education is authorized to expand the program of higher education provided for in this Act to a public institution to be known as the University of the District of Columbia, including all parts of a university program as the needs of the District of Columbia may indicate necessary, as determined by the Board of Higher Education".

3. In view of the broad program contemplated by the first two proposed amendments, we suggest that Sec. 3(a), pg. 3, be amended to provide for a Board of Higher Education of fifteen members of whom not less than eight shall have been residents of the District of Columbia, etc. We also suggest that it would be good to limit the appointees to persons who are not members of the faculty, of the administrative staff, or board of trustees of any institution of higher education located in the District of Columbia. We further suggest that provision be made that three of the appointees be graduates of five years or more of the public institution of higher education established by this Act.

4. Amend Sec. 4(9), pg. 8, to include the following: "To enter into contracts or agreements with private individuals or organizations, or agencies of the Government of the District of Columbia or of the United States, to carry on research and other projects or activities and to receive and disburse funds incident thereto"; 5. Amend Sec. 4(6), pg. 7, to provide that professional employees of the Board shall be exempt from the payment of any tuition fees for any course pursued in the institution of higher education, but shall pay all other fees established for these courses.

6. Amend Sec. 4(2), pg. 5, to provide for the conferring of Honorary degrees of appropriate title upon individuals whose services or qualifications are determined to merit recognition.

7. Amend Sec. 4(12), pg. 9, to provide that the professional personnel of the laboratory schools may hold, if qualified, academic rank of assistant professor,

or higher, in the college or school of education in the new institution, and that any excess of salary due thereto over that of the regular position as teacher shall be paid from the appropriation for the institution of higher education.

8. Amend Sec. 4(1), pg. 5, by changing the semi-colon on line 9 to a comma, and adding the following: "in accordance with the provisions of Sec. 9 of this Act".

9. Add a new Sec. 9, as follows:

"Sec. 9. The Attorney General is authorized and directed to convey to the District of Columbia all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to that tract of land situated along the east side of Bladensburg Road, Northeast, Washington, District of Columbia (now used as a site for the National Training School for Boys), together with all improvements thereon, for use by it in carrying out the provisions of this Act. This site shall serve as the principal campus for the program of higher education provided by this Act, provided that the institutions so established not be limited to the use of this site only."

SELECTION OF A SITE

In his testimony before this Committee, Commissioner Duncan presented a map of the District of Columbia, on which were marked a number of locations that might be considered as a site for the campus for the multi-building complex that would be needed to carry out the provisions of this Act.

We suggest the following criteria to be used in selecting a site for the institutions of higher education established by this Act:

1. The site must be large enough to permit the location of the many buildings which will be necessary for the program of publicly supported higher education. 2. It must be accessible by various existing or possible modes of transportation. 3. It must involve a minimum of dislocation of homes or places of business. 4. It must involve a minimum cost of construction of buildings or of remodeling of existing buildings.

5. It must be located so as to involve a minimum of noise from traffic or airplanes.

6. It must harmonize with the neighborhood in which it is located.

7. It should contribute something of architectural significance to the neighborhood in which it is located.

8. It should be large enough to provide for spacious lawns and trees and an atmosphere of peace and repose, where thinking is to be the chief activity.

Applying these criteria to the locations suggested by Commissioner Duncan, it is clearly evident that only one, the site of the National Training School for Boys, meets all of the criteria to a high degree.

I attach hereto a copy of the statement which we presented to the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia last February on S. 293. This statement presents further justification of our support for H. R. 16958. Respectfully submitted.

Dr. ELLIS HAWORTH, Chairman, Committee on Legislation.

Mr. Dowdy. I do not recall such a provision of the bill. Are there provisions in the bill concerning a Board of Higher Education? I notice that you would like to have 15, and would require only 8 of them be from the District of Columbia.

Dr. HAWORTH. Citizens. We suggested an expansion. The bill provides for a Board of Higher Education of nine members, of whom five, a majority, would be recent residents of the District of Columbia. We suggested in view of the possibility of expanding the program that even a 4-year college, the vocational school would require a somewhat more knowledgeable board than could be taken care of by a group of 9, and we suggested it be expanded to 15, still continuing a majority of the residents of the District; that would be 8 out of the 15.

Mr. Dowdy. My point is this, if this is going to be a communitysupported school, why shouldn't all of them be residents of the District of Columbia?

Dr. HAWORTH. As far as our own organization is concerned, we would favor that. This is merely a concession to the general program

that feels that the Congress, that the Federal Government, might wish to have some control over certain parts of it. But as long as the majority of the Board are residents of the District of Columbia, we would be satisfied.

We also suggested, Mr. Chairman, that perhaps it would be suitable to include a provision if the Board is expanded to 15 persons, that it would be desirable to provide that at least 3 of the group should be graduates of the institutions that are proposed and the previous Teachers' College that now exists.

Mr. Dowdy. Mr. Kennedy, we will be glad to hear from you.

STATEMENT OF KENNETH C. KENNEDY, CHAIRMAN, CONGRESS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I welcome this opportunity to appear before your committee today, and I would respectfully suggest that, in the interest of brevity, you take notice of our testimony given before the Senate committee on this matter, in which we go into some detail, it would save us the time of the committee.

This morning I should like to address myself principally to two points. Our organizations wholeheartedly support legislation that will forthwith expand public higher education for the District of Columbia to include a public community and vocational college and a public college of arts and sciences.

We also support legislation that embraces the concept of a public University of the District of Columbia at such future time as the higher educational needs of the District may indicate necessary.

After reviewing most of the bills presently pending before your committee, we conclude that passage of legislation that incorporates the provisions of H.R. 16958 with suggested amendments thereto that follow, will provide the District of Columbia the best formula for expanding its public higher education program for both the present and the future.

On page 2, line 4, of H. R. 10958, change period to comma and then add, "Provided, That the Board of Higher Education is authorized to expand the program of higher education provided for in this Act to an institution to be known as the University of the District of Columbia, including all parts of a university program as the needs of the District of Columbia may indicate necessary as determined by the Board of Higher Education."

On page 5, line 9 of H.R. 16958, change semicolon to comma and add the following: "in accordance with the provisions of section 9 of this Act;".

On page 12, beginning on line 12 of H.R. 16958, add section 9(a) "The Attorney General of the United States is authorized and directed to convey to the District of Columbia all right, title and interest of the United States in and to that tract of land situated along the east side of Bladensburg Road Northeast, Washington, District of Columbia (now used as a site for the National Training School for Boys), together with all improvements thereon for use by it in carrying out the provisions of this Act. (b) This site shall serve as the principal campus for the program of higher education provided by this Act,

provided, that the institutions so established shall not be limited to the use of this site only."

Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee, please accept the thanks of our organizations for this opportunity to appear, and proposing that this testimony be made a part of the record.

We also endorse the testimony given by Dr. Haworth on behalf of the District of Columbia Congress of Parents and Teachers. (The prepared statement of Mr. Kennedy follows:)

STATEMENT OF KENNETH C. KENNEDY, CHAIRMAN OF CONGRESS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I welcome this opportunity to appear before your Committee today for the purpose of supporting the enactment of legislation to expand Public Higher Education For the District of Columbia. Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I understand that testimony on this subject heretofore presented to the Education and Labor subcommittee of the United States Senate Committee for the District of Columbia is being made a part of this record. In the interest of brevity I respectfully request that your Committee take notice of my tsetimony in those hearings.

Our organizations wholeheartedly support legislation that will forthwith expand public higher education for the District of Columbia to include a public Community and Vocational College and a public College of Arts and Sciences. We also support legislation that embraces the concept of a public University of the District of Columbia at such future time as the higher educational needs of the District may indicate necessary.

After reviewing most of the bills presently pending before your Committee we conclude that passage of legislation that incorporates the provisions of H. R. 16958 with suggested amendments thereto that follow will provide the District of Columbia the best formula for expending its public higher education program for both the present and future.

On page 2 line 4 of H.R. 16958 change period to comma and then add "provided, that the Board of Higher Education is authorized to expand the program of higher education provided for in this Act to an institution to be known as the University of the District of Columbia, including all parts of a University program as the needs of the District of Columbia may indicate necessary as determined by the Board of Higher Education."

On page 5, line 9 of H.R. 16958 change semicolon to comma and add the following: "in accordance with the provisions of section 9 of this Act;"

On page 12 beginning on line 12 of H.R. 16958 add Section 9(a) "The Attorney General of the United States is authorized and directed to convey to the District of Columbia all right, title and interest of the United States in and to that tract of land situated along the east side of Bladensburg Road, Northeast, Washington, District of Columbia (now used as a site for the National Training School for Boys), together with all improvements thereon for use by it in carrying out the provisions of this Act. (b) This site shall serve as the principal campus for the program of higher education provided by this Act, provided, that the institutions so established shall not be limited to the use of this site only.'

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee please accept the thanks of the organizations that I represent for your interest and concern about the problems of the District of Columbia, and particularly about public higher education for the District.

The work of your Committee and the 89th Congress in the enactment of public higher education legislation for our nations capital will provide monumental assistance to the city in training and preparing our citizens for a more productive and useful life. I predict that passage of public higher education legislation for the District of Columbia will produce such outstanding dividends in terms of human productivity that your Committee and the 89th Congress will long be heralded for this great act of legislative statesmanship.

Mr. DowDY. Thank you, Mr. Kennedy, and Dr. Haworth, for coming.

Dr. HAWORTH. Mr. Chairman, before leaving, may I express on behalf of our organization, our appreciation and gratefulness to you and to Mr. Nelsen for your interest in this problem of publicly sup

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ported program of higher education. We only wish that more Congressmen would share your feeling of concern for this particular problem. Thank you.

Mr. DOWDY. Thank you.

Dr. Howlett, of the All Souls Unitarian Church, is the next witness.

STATEMENT OF DR. DUNCAN H. HOWLETT, MINISTER, ALL SOULS CHURCH, UNITARIAN

Dr. HOWLETT. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, there is no need for me to repeat the points that have been made this morning. Only just let me say I underscore them and support them; namely, the principle of the widest possible provision of education for the citizens of the District of Columbia.

Mr. DOWDY. Your entire statement will be made a part of the record.

Dr. HOWLETT. Yes; I should like to have that.

I would like, however, to emphasize one point that seems to me may well be stressed. That is, it begins at page 3 of my statement, that it is important to solve the questions of land availability for whatever we propose to do at the outset. With this need in view, of course, several sites have already been proposed, the largest being the National Training School site of over 300 acres. If we made that site part of our decision to establish a university in the Nation's Capital, we should solve forever the problem of space for its future development.

This is a point that no speaker beretofore has mentioned; that is, that any urban university in this country is already landlocked, and it is important in doing this that we do not landlock our university to begin with.

A whole separate but no less important factor conjoins with the need for a college and an adequate site on which to build it. I speak of the role of Washington as the Nation's Capital and its unique character as a Capital City. Its beauty derives not only from its buildings but also from the setting in which they lie. It is Washington's broad avenues, her green tree-filled parks, her broad lawns and her open vistas that make it a city unique among the cities of the world. We can further enhance that beauty by maintaining the present open spaces of the National Training School site at the eastern end of our city, where now few public buildings stand.

A university built on a broad, rolling campus will do this. At the outset, our plan might not, of course, be so ambitious. We should start modestly. But looking to the future, we know our university, once founded, will grow and grow rapidly. It will grow because of the increasing demand for educational opportunities throughout the United States. It will grow as all our universities are now growing. Speaking of the Training School site, many high-minded people wish to use it for housing. I agree with their purposes. The need for housing is desperate here as it is in many American cities. housing can as well be made available by bulldozing down our slums as by filling up empty land. I would say that it is better to do it this way.

But

In the proposal to establish broad-range higher education in the District of Columbia and in the proposal to do so on the Training

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