mind the organization of an independent legislative agency which would devote its entire time, energy, and thought to Federal education legislation and not overlap any work now being done by professional groups promoting the interests of the schools of the country. Dr. Dawson told me that he felt there was a place for such an agency. He stated in a letter written me on December 31, 1940: While the National Education Association is very much interested in Federal aid for education and has actively advocated legislation to that end, it is not primarily, and cannot be, a legislative agency. The National Education Association is a professional organization of teachers, chartered to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States. In my opinion there is a definite need for an agency whose recognized business is to promote Federal educational legislation. I have discussed this matter with Dr. Floyd W. Reeves, chairman of the President's Advisory Committee on Education and director of the American Youth Commission, Dr. Willard E. Givens, executive secretary of the National Education Association, and other recognized educational authorities, and they agree in this opinion. He said, further, that the National Education Association would continue to cooperate, encourage, and lend its moral support as well as its many contacts and information for the passage of any bill sponsoring Federal aid for education if its provisions met with their approval. I was invited by the National Education Association to attend two conferences to discuss and perfect legislation in the interests of Federal aid to education. At the first meeting on January 3, 1941, I told Dr. Donald DuShane, president, Dr. Willard E. Givens, executive secretary, Dr. Howard Dawson, director of rural service and secretary of the legislative commission, and other members of the National Education Association present, that if the association would spend a minimum of $100,000 and become recognized as a legislative agency, and make a bold, aggressive fight to secure this urgently needed legislation, I would withdraw from this field and drop plans for perfecting our organization. Dr. Dawson had a conference with Dr. DuShane and Dr. Givens and informed me that they felt there was a place for such an agency as I proposed. He encouraged me to perfect its organization. I wish to insert the letter of Dr. Howard Dawson written to me on December 31, 1940, encouraging me to organize this new agency and stressing the fact that the N. E. A. could not afford to be classed as a legislative agency. I also offer a copy of a letter which Dr. Willard E. Givens wrote me on January 6, 1941, extending his good wishes for the success of this agency. (The correspondence mentioned follows:) NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Mr. CLIFTON H. SCOTT, National Press Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. SCOTT: Your letter of December 4 has been received. I am glad to know that you have proceeded with your plans for perfecting the work of your agency. I have every confidence that you will succeed in this important work and I know of no one who I think could do a more efficient thoroughly reputable job in this particular field. I have watched your legislative work with the National Drainage and Irrigation Association and your most extraordinary accomplishments in securing relief for distressed farmers in drainage and irrigation districts throughout the Nation. I am still grateful to you for the good work you did in assisting us to secure the enactment of the Robinson-Terry Act in 1935 to authorize the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to refinance the debts of distressed school districts. Since I was a director of research for the Arkansas State Department of Education while you were a member of the State board of education I know that you have an unusual background for appreciating and understanding the financial problems of public education, especially those of the Southern States. I know also that you understand the viewpoint and relationships of the professional school men. I feel that your policy "to cooperate in shaping any proposed legislation with men and women who have given their life work to school problems" is a wise one and that you know exactly how to carry it out. While the National Education Association is very much interested in Federal aid for education, and has actively advocated legislation to that end, it is not primarily and cannot be, a legislative agency. The N. E. A. is a professional organization of teachers, chartered "to elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching and to promote the cause of popular education in the United States." In my opinion there is a definite need for an agency whose recognized business is to promote Federal educational legislation. I have discussed this matter with Dr. Floyd W. Reeves, chairman of the President's Advisory Committee on Education, and director of the American Youth Commission, Dr. Willard E. Govens, executive secretary of the National Education Association, and other recognized educational authorities, and they agree in this opinion. I wish you every success in this undertaking. Your success will mean much to the national welfare, because boys and girls throughout the Nation will obtain the kind of educational opportunity that ought to be considered their birthright as American citizens. To secure adequate financial support for public schools throughout the Nation is an act of patriotism and a contribution to the national defense. No straight-thinking person believes that it is fair, safe, or just for the Nation to reserve the right to draft the lives of its citizens and at the same time fail to keep open to every child and youth, of whom the supreme sacrifice may be demanded, a fair standard of educational opportunity. If at any time I can be of service to you, please let me know. Very sincerely yours, HOWARD A. DAWSON, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Mr. C. H. SCOTT, Federal Education Legislative Agency, Inc., National Press Building, Washington, D. C. I DEAR MR. SCOTT: Your letter of December 31 has been read with interest. am glad you have found it possible to give your time and ability to the support of this important cause. We were glad to have you take part in the discussion of the whole problem of Federal aid at our meeting on Friday afternoon. With best wishes to you for a year filled with health, happiness, and great achievement, I am Most cordially yours, WILLARD E. GIVENS. Mr. SCOTT. I contend that there not only is a place for the National Education Association in this picture but also for an independent agency devoting its entire time to this work. I also take the attitude that any association which has been in existence since 1857 and has a membership of only 200,000 out of 900,000 school teachers and administrators of the country does not have a monopoly in deciding what these school forces should or should not do. I contend that, since the National Education Association only has from 25,000 to 40,000 teacher and school administrator members out of some 200,000 in the States where Federal appropriations are most needed, it evidently has not had a strong appeal for this personnel. The greater part of the membership of the N. E. A. is made up of teachers and school administrators in States that in some instances will not benefit in direct appropriations of proposed Federal-aid legislation. I wish here to insert a statement which shows the percentage of membership among the teachers and school administrators of each State. This indicates that the association does not have over an average of 5 percent members in the 11 States which most urgently need Federal aid: The following table shows the percentage of teacher and school administrators of various States who are members of the National Education Association: Nevada States with 51 to 100 percent teacher and administrators members (3) States with 26 to 50 percent teacher and administrators members (11) States with 11 to 25 percent teacher and administrators members (23) States with 1 to 10 percent teacher and administrators members (11) So I think it is presumptious of the National Education Association to attempt to forestall and break down the organization of an independent agency because of an apparent fear such an agency might receive some credit for the passage of the proposed Federal aid to education legislation and thus impair the strength and prestige of the association. I differ drastically from this attitude as I have stated to every commissioner of education and superintendent of public instruction that I felt our activities would greatly aid the growth of the National Education Association. Because if we are instrumental in assisting in the passage of this proposed legislation, more money will be placed in the hands of the school teachers and administrators throughout the country and they would not hesitate to pay the $2 or $5 annual fee for services rendered by the National Education Association. That service has been constructive and helpful to the school systems of the country. The National Education Association should encourage all school forces to support us morally and financially as we are willing to wage a bold, aggressive fight throughout the United States to create national sentiment for Federal aid to the schools. I think the school forces which up to the present time have been responsible for advocating Federal assistance to schools have done too much wishful thinking, hoping that the prestige and influence of a few Senators and the possibility that the President might place this proposed legislation on his must program would bring about its passage and give them credit which would build up their membership from the present 200,000 out of a total 900,000. In my opinion any agency which collects more than $400,000 annually from the teachers and school administrators or approximately $4,000,000 during the past 10 years and which has failed to carry on a bold fight for Federal aid to education has been unfair not only to the teachers but also to the Senators willing to lend their names as sponsors for such proposed legislation. It is not fair to make these gentlemen the victims of lobbying by some of the school leaders to the extent of securing their consent to leading a fight in the Senate and then fail to be aggressive in building public opinion that will make it easier to secure the passage of such proposed legislation. Such action does not help the standing of these Senators in their respective States because their constituents look to them for leadership. When such bills are introduced year after year without action, citizens begin to wonder how much power their representatives really have in Washington. Frankly when we are ready to have two Senators become coauthors of any bill sponsoring Federal aid for education, we will not let them down as we propose to spend enough money to carry on a bold, aggressive, educational fight. The National Education Association has collected enough money during the past 10 years to put on a real fight for this needed legislation. Had this been done I think the results would have been different. Thousands of teachers and school administrators have continued their association memberships year after year in the hopes of eventually securing Federal aid for their schools. Little did they realize the association was spending practically all money collected for administration. Of $540,000 spent last year, only a small amount went for legislative expenses in the interests of Federal aid for education. I personally spent more money in the last 6 months in behalf of this proposed legislation than has the N. E. A. I first went to my own State of Arkansas, where I was born and reared, to get the reaction and support of the educational authorities and school leaders. I found the real leaders unanimous in the belief we should go forward in the interests of Federal aid for education. These included Gov. Homer M. Adkins; State Commissioner of Education Ralph B. Jones; Mr. L. M. Goza, president, and Miss Willie Lawson, secretary of the Arkansas Education Association; and Mr. A. W. Rainwater, president of the Arkansas Association of School Administrators. I then went to several United States Senators who knew of my past legislative work and explained my proposed ork. Five members of the Education and Labor Committee endorsed the purpose of our agency. I was not satisfied at that time until I contacted several State commissioners of education, superintendents of public instruction, officers of State education associations, and other outstanding educators. The following men and women agreed to become members of our advisory committee: State superintendents of public instruction and commissioner of education: A. Č. Grable, of Oklahoma. John Callahan, of Wisconsin. Clyde A. Erwin, of North Carolina. Arthur E. Thompson, of North Dakota. Miss Inez Johnson Lewis, of Colorado. L. A. Woods, of Texas. Secretaries of State education associations: Negro education leaders: John W. Davis, president of West Virginia State College. W. J. Hale, president of Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial College. H. Councill Trenholm, president of Alabama State Teachers College. R. B. Atwood, president of Kentucky State Industrial College. The advisory committee of our agency finally will have a membership of from 50 to 75 outstanding educators throughout the country and a legislative committee of 15 members picked by the advisory committee. The advisory committee will include not only State superintendents of public instruction and commissioners of education and secretaries of State education associations but also county supervisors and some city superintendents as well as educational leaders. These men and women are in closer contact with the daily school problems than are many of the city superintendents of northern and eastern schools who make up the major membership of the National Education Association. They understand that we must make a fight for needed Federal legislation just as they fight in their State capitols for needed State legislation. By uniting in our agency they have an opportunity to protect their prerogatives from further encroachment by the man commissions and agencies created in recent years. An executive committee of outstanding business and professional men will see proper audits of expenses are made. This annual report will be submitted not only to those requesting it but to all teachers contributing to our support-and it will not be buried in a general annual report of 1,000 pages. With the moral support of the members of the Arkansas Education Association I went direct to the teachers of Arkansas. I believe these latter know more about anticipated Federal aid to education now than the teachers of any other State, because I have written some 13,500 teachers, administrators, city superintendents, principals, and county supervisors over 44,000 first-class letters with enclosures of endorsements of public officials and statements of our proposed program. |