HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 Project HOLD Moment in History Jan 07 he story of desegregation in College Station, Texas, did not begin in 1966 with a fi re at Lincoln School. In the mid-50s, members of our community could no longer ignore the issues that had plagued our country for generations. Negro men and women who had will-ingly and dutifully fought for our freedom abroad during WWII were asking for the same freedom in their own lives. Our nation was waking up and sleepy little College Station was being pulled into the future. A handful of concerned citizens were at last fi nding their voices. Several small groups made up of teach-ers, professors, laborers, businessmen, church leaders, Negroes and whites began what would become a struggle that lasted over a decade. My father, Calvin C. Boykin, Jr., was one of a small group of men who called themselves the “Brazos Bottoms Philo-sophical Society.” It was an informal group of whites and Negroes who met in homes and discussed various controver-sial issues: allowing women into A&M, a non-mandatory Corps of Cadets at A&M, and desegregation. Among these men were Hugh McClellan (Oceanogra-phy Department), Fred Sargent (Agri-culture Economics), Joe Ham (Physics Department), Charles Kuntz (Physics Department), Clarence Ketch (Sociology Department and A&M Christian Church Minister), William Tarrow (Principal, Lincoln High School), and my father (Agricultural Economics). I vaguely recall gatherings in our home but as a young child, I probably thought it was just another social event. I doubt that I would have understood the signifi cance of these discussions. 1954 – US Supreme Court, Brown v. The Board of Education – Rules racial segregation violated the 14th Amend-ment. In 1954, a well known Negro attorney, Thurgood Marshall, achieved national recognition for his successful argument of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case. The Supreme Court’s de--12-cision in this landmark case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1889) by ruling that public school segregation constituted an unconstitutional violation of rights guar-anteed by the 14th Amendment. The Court’s unanimous decision in this case surprised many, including Marshall, and lent enhanced legitimacy to this major development in constitutional law. Our family of fi ve lived in a three bed-room, one bath brick home with a carport at 1013 Winding Road, just at the edge of the City limits that ran alongside of County Road (now Holleman). My exposure to Negroes or colored folks (as we referred to them then) consisted of chance meetings at Holick’s Store on County Road. Mrs. Holick didn’t allow the colored children into the store while we were inside. They dutifully remained outside with their noses pressed against the rusty screen door. We did the same if they happened to get there fi rst. I remember feeling somewhat deprived when the colored children were allowed to fi ll glass milk bottles with a strange col-T Project HOLD Newsletter Vol. II. January 2007desegregation of the a&M consolidated independent school district by Anne Boykin, Project HOLD Coordinator r. Frederick H. Kasten, along with his wife, Marie, were key people in the desperate struggle for desegregation of the A&M Consolidated School District. Kasten earned his M.S. in Zoology (1951) and Ph.D. in Zoology (1954) from the University of Texas. He continued his career at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, New York from 1954-1956. Kasten came to the Biology Department at A&M College in 1956. In the short fi ve years the Kastens remained in College Station, they managed to change the future for many Negroes here. Dr. Frederick Kasten is considered an expert on a variety of topics, such as unethical Nazi medicine in World War II, and the beginnings of the chemical and dye industries in Appalachia and America. Kasten is an internationally recognized scientist, known for his work in cell biology, histochemistry, tissue culture and the history of medicine. He has received numerous awards during his career of more than 57 years. He spent the majority of his professional career as Profes-sor at the Department of Anatomy, Louisiana State University Medical School (Professor Emeritus) in New Orleans where in 1995 he retired after 25 years. Currently, Dr. Kasten is an Adjunct Professor of Anatomy “Citizen’s Fellowship” Founder & Not ed Scientist - Frederick H. KastenDKasten looks into a micro-scope that measures DNA. Biology Lab, A&M College of Texas, c. 1960.Project HOLDHistoric Online Library Databasehttp://HOLD.cstx.govSponsored by:Historic Preservation CommitteeMoment in History NewsletterEdited by Anne Boykinaboykin@cstx.gov979.764.3491Visit us at City Hall1101 Texas Avenue. . .and bring your memories!City of College StationP.O. Box 9960College Station, TX 77842NOW SHOWING!COACH JEROME R. DELLEY, JR. & THE LINCOLN PANTHERS FOOTBALL TEAM 1949-1965A Project HOLD ExhibitCollege Station Conference Center1300 George Bush Dr.College Station, TexasCOMING SOON!COLLEGE STATION IN THE 60sA Project HOLD ExhibitOpening in July 2007College Station Conference CenterIf you have items to share for this exhibit, please contact the Project HOLD offi ceat 979.764.3491 TransTexas Airways fl ight at Easterwood Airport, 1963.Coach Delley at Conference Center exhibit, 2007. Photo by Butch Ireland, The Eagle.See Kasten, p. 10.See Desegregation, p. 2.Res ources For this iss ue of “Moment in Time”A&M Consolidated ISD Board of Trustees. Minutes of Regular Meetings and Special Meetings, 1960-1965.Kasten, Frederick H., Ph.D. Oral interviews conducted by Anne Boykin. Jan. 14-19, 2007.Kasten, Frederick H., Ph.D. Personal Papers. 1956-1961. fhkasten@mounet.com .Morris, Willie. “Experiment in Organization in College Station”. The Texas Observer. Nov. 4, 1960.Stewart, Robert, Jr. “Lincoln School Blaze Displaces 100, Plans Studied Today.” Bryan Daily Eagle, Jan. 21, 1966.Watson, Larry, Ph.D. Challenge to Ministry, the History of the First Baptist Church, College Station, Texas, 1923-1998. Austin: Nortex Press, 1998.Wilborn, Delois. E-mail correspondence received by Anne Boykin. Jan. 20-21, 2007.For more information on the topics of this newsletter see the fol-lowing fi les in Project HOLD (http://HOLD.cstx.gov):Education-Grade School/Lincoln SchoolEducation-Grade School/A&M Consolidated High School/IntegrationHIstoric Markers/Local/Building/1000 EleanorIf you have more materials to add to the Project HOLD fi les on this or any other subject of local history, please contact Anne Boykin, aboykin@cstx.gov or 979.764.3491.Reunion NewsA&M Consolidated High SchoolClass of 1967in honor of their40 Year Reunionis hosting a60s Decade ReunionJuly 20-21, 2007College Station Conference Center1300 George Bush DriveFriday Night - Individual Classes host their own get togethers.Saturday Afternoon - The Historic Preservation Committee will be on hand at the Conference Center to scan your memorablia, photos and memories for Project HOLD. Help us preserve the 60s!Saturday Night - 60s Decade PartyFor more information contact: Anne Boykinaboykin@cstx.govProject HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007Moment in Hist oryMoment in Hist ory
instrumental in bringing the students together in harmony. This was far from being the end of segregation in College Station. Change of any kind is bound to be met with some opposition. However, most of us in the Class of ’67, recall the transition as uneventful, at least for the white students. A quick count of my high school yearbooks from 1966 and 1967 reveals that there were 76 students who came to A&M Consoli-dated High School after the fi re and 78 enrolled in the following year when there were approximately 600 white students in the high school. The Lin-coln High School Principal, Mr. William A. Tarrow, transferred to Consolidated to teach Related Math and was fol-lowed by Mr. King (Physical Science, Biology), Mrs. Rhone (Business Math, Typing), and Mrs. Owen (Homemaking I, II, III, F.H.A., Junior Class Sponsor). The Senior Index in both of the year-books shows that most of the Lincoln students were athletes, class offi cers, or honor students when they trans-ferred to Consolidated. Having been on the yearbook staff in 1966 and editor in 1967, I got to know most all of the Lincoln students, some of whom I am still in touch with today. As for the elementary grades, a recent interview with Mr. and Mrs. Jerome R. Delley, Jr., brought to my attention the plight of the other Black teachers at Lincoln School. Many were left without jobs when they could not be absorbed by A&M Consoli-dated. A few, like Mrs. Delley, were assigned to team teaching positions in the elementary school. Mr. Del-ley, the Lincoln football coach for 14 years, went to San Marcos and joined the Job Corps. He later went back to school and earned his Masters degree. “The. . . burned facilities of Lincoln School were not rebuilt. The City of College Station leased the land and the remaining fi ve buildings in the late 1960s, and restored the site in 1972. The city bought the land in 1978 and dedicated the Lincoln Center in 1980. The former school is now the home of many commu-nity activities in College Station.” [From the State Marker Inscription.] ♦Hervey, president of the board, presided. He introduced the other members: John Long-ley, who waved when his name was called; Dr. J. R. Jackson, H. G. Thompson, George Hensarling Jr., M. D. Williams, and Dr. J. S. Rogers. Hervey, dressed immaculately in a sports coat and bright tie, explained that any time a delegation presents a matter to the board; the members listen to the presentation and then retire into executive session later to consider what actions they will take. “This is the largest delegation I’ve seen since I’ve been on the board,” Hervey said, “and I appreciate the interest.” He asked for the spokesman to come forward. Kasten stood up. He explained that most of the people had come as individuals, as citizens of the community, but that the Citi-zens Fellowship had voted that the letter be presented to the board. The board members listened intently while Kasten, in his high, precise voice, read the full text of the letter to the board. “I have some questions on the matter I’d like to ask the board, “ Kasten said. “This board has a long agenda tonight,” Hervey said. “We don’t want to enter a debate on this or that.” “I only have four or fi ve, and I think they could take simple answers,” Kasten said. Asked to go ahead, Kasten read the fi rst two questions: “Do you believe our schools have equal facilities, equal courses, and equal op-portunities for the children to get a complete education? Do you believe that we can af-ford to have equal facilities at both schools? Dr. Jackson said, “I move we take these questions under consideration and give a written answer” at a later time, the answers to be the offi cial policy of the board. Kasten then asked if he could query the board as individuals rather than as an of-fi cial group. “This board will not be interrogated,“ Hervey said. “This is a violation of our usual practice of hearing proposals and then considering them later.” Dr. Jackson said the board did not wish to evade the ques-tions of any citizen. The questions, he said, “might be simple, but they couldn’t be too simple because they seem to have taken so much time” in being prepared. “We assure you that we’re not trying to evade the issue,” Hervey repeated. “I under-stand,” Kasten replied. He was then asked to read the rest of the questions. Certainly, these accomplishments were but a proving ground for the next agenda of the Citizens Fellowship. In preparation for the ensuing challenge, Kasten’s research took him to the of-fi ce of the President of A&M College, Retired Army General Earl Rudder. Kasten spent many hours poring over the volumes of books on education and law. In a recent phone conversation with Kasten, he described the sessions as though he was sitting at the end of a very long banquet table, and just like in the movies, Rudder was at the far end. Rudder didn’t have much to say to Kas-ten about his research other than to ask, “Why are you getting involved in this?” Still, Kasten continued his research. President Rudder, a Methodist, gath-ered a group of local pastors together in his offi ce one day. He challenged them to prepare for an infl ux of Nigerian students. Rudder felt that these incom-ing students would be “converts from mission work” and he wanted them to feel “welcome to go to church.” In a history of the First Baptist Church of Col-lege Station, Rudder was quoted as say-ing, “I want you fellows to go back and get your churches ready, you get them ready for this infl ux of students. Because if they come over here and our churches won’t accept them, they’re not going to be received, that’s going to embarrass me and I don’t like to be embarrassed. You fellows hear me?” The group heard the former general loud and clear. Marie Kasten, as secretary-treasurer of the Fellowship, soon began investi-gating the conditions of Lincoln School. As expected, the conditions were less than satisfactory. The buildings and grounds were in poor condition. It appeared that little capital was being invested in its upkeep. It was further obvious that little was being spent on teacher salaries, books and supplies. My own recollection is that most of the cast-off textbooks from A&M Consoli-dated, those missing covers or pages or those that were out of date, were sent to the students at Lincoln. A report by a Citizens Advisory Committee, appointed earlier by the school district’s Board of Trustees, suggests that the high school curriculum be improved at the white school. Mrs. Kasten discovered that the following courses, although available to white students, were not being taught to the Lincoln students: typing, shorthand, agriculture, Spanish, Latin, physics, trigonometry, solid geometry, botany, and zoology. The Fellowship began preparations for the next meeting of the school board. Kasten shared with me a copy of his original handwritten questions that the group had decided should be proposed to the Board of Trustees. October 24, 1960 - Meeting of the A&M Consolidated School Board, A&M Con-solidated High School Library.[Ed. Note: The following is a partial transcription of an article written by Willie Morris, Associate Editor of “The Texas Observer” that appeared on Nov. 4, 1960.] It was a hot, sticky night, and rain was falling softly when the crowd began to as-semble at the school. The library was too small for all of the people there, and some-one opened the windows to let in the air. By 7 p.m. the seven board members were in their places behind a long study table at the front of the room. Sixty or seventy people were there. About three-fourths of them were Negroes, young and old of all descriptions. Many of them were old women in bright print dresses and carrying handkerchiefs. There were not enough chairs, and some had to stand in the back, around the walls. Dick -3--10-“Do you believe our schools have equal facilities , equal courses , and equal opp or-tunities for the children. . .” “Do you believe our schools have equal facilities , equal courses , and equal opp or-tunities for the children. . .” I learned at A&M Consolidated High School, College Station, Texas.--Delois Wilborn Thompson(This is my personal perspective and may not represent the views of my family or others). In a recent letter from Delois, she writes: My sister Helen graduated from A&M Consolidated High School, received an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and went on to earn her Masters in New York.. (Thanks to Consolidated!) My sister, Fran-ces, graduated from A&M Consolidated and went on to Texas Women’s University and received a BS in Nursing. She is a Reg-istered Nurse. My brother, Audrey, gradu-ated from A&M Consolidated and moved to Dallas. From there he joined the Army. My brother William went through his entire school years at A&M Consolidated and graduated. He went to Sam Houston in Huntsville and is 3 credits from a photog-raphy degree. He has personal issues with drugs. I graduated from Consolidated, took classes at A&M and worked with Paul Garvin’s mother in the kindergarten, then got married and moved to San Marcos. I then became a licensed child care adminis-trator and have been involved with mental health/mental retardation for 36 years. It’s not what you have but how you use it. We have to apply ourselves no matter what we have. I still live here in the Austin/Round Rock area. I live with my son in Forest Creek Golf Community, Round Rock. No, we don’t play golf. Maybe one day when I retire I will. I work for Educare Com-munity Living. We have ICF/MR and HCS homes in the community. I have 4 grand-daughters. They are 11, 12 and twins who are 8. Three of the granddaughters are Puerto Rican Folkloric dancers. They are cute. The other one is a 2nd degree Black Belt. They keep us busy. Delois ♦and Cell Biology at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee. Now, he devotes his time to his second career in the history of medicine. His historical research has taken him to archives all over the world where he has been uncovering documentation on the medical crimes committed by Nazi medi-cal professors on prisoners at Natzweiler Concentration Camp and Strasbourg University. ♦Kasten, from p. 1.Desegregation, from p. 7. hirley (Robinson) Payton and Paul Stewart Garvin (now Thabiti Ngozi) came to A&M Con-solidated High School as a senior and a junior, respectively, in the Fall of 1965. Shirley attended Lincoln School from fi rst through 11th grade. During her senior year she won First Place awards in Trio Ensemble, Concert Choir and Girls’ Chorus. She graduated as a member of the fi rst integrated class of A&M CHS. Paul, as a junior, played foot-ball, basketball, and baseball. He was also listed on the Honor Roll. As a senior, he played basketball, participated in Talent ‘67, the City Student Government Program, and Latin Club where he earned a Latin Award. He was voted Most Studious by the student body and graduated with the Class of ‘67. ♦Shirley RobinsonPaul Stewart GarvinSProject HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007►
school. This continues to be the policy of the A&M Consolidated School Board of Trustees. They are making every effort possible to maintain each on a separate basis in regard to both facilities and instructional programs. The Board of Trustees does not feel at the present time another Citizens Commit-tee, appointed as suggested by the Citizens Fellowship Committee, be needed. It shall, however, continue to appraise the total education problems of the district and will use individuals, groups, and organizations in their efforts to determine policies most helpful and benefi cial. The Board of Trustees, even though it is classifi ed as an autonomous body, is gov-erned by the federal and special laws of the State of Texas. These laws will be adhered to by the Board of Trustees in adopting policies and initiating administrative regulations. If the school is to receive funds from the State, some $300,000 annually, the interpreta-tion rendered by the attorney for the Texas Education Agency and the Attorney General of the State of Texas must be accepted. The state law prohibits funds being dispersed to schools that integrate without an affi rmative vote of a majority of the votes at an elec-tion. An election for this purpose can only be called for by the Board of Trustees after receiving a petition signed by 20% of the qualifi ed voters in the district. The Board of Trustees reaffi rms the philos-ophy adopted as a foreword to the policies of the district, which is as follows:PHILOSOPHY The concept of the equality of all men is deeply rooted in our democratic way of life. Participation is democracy is based on voluntary obedience of the laws formulated for the welfare of our citizens. Our school should encourage and train its students to accept their responsibilities in a democratic society to the full extent of their capabilities. Our school has the responsibility of developing within each student a tolerance toward others’ beliefs and practices that is positive and cordial and without necessar-ily embracing those beliefs and practices. The school should foster attitudes which will lead to acknowledgement of the existence of a Supreme Being. The school has the responsibility of constantly striving to improve the interests, ideals, attitudes, appreciations, understand-ings, and abilities of the individual student The new annex will house a music room and a library. A small one-room frame building about 50 yards behind the main building is now used as a classroom, as well as music room and cafeteria. Some 40 or 50 young students sat close to one another in straight-back chairs. In the back of the room, a cook was prepar-ing lunch. A&M Consolidated, the white school, is a collection of several large buildings. There is a music room, a cafeteria (which is not large enough to accommodate all the students at one sitting), a new circular auditorium, separate classroom buildings, and a gymnasium. The gym, an old wooden structure, has a varnished wooden fl oor, a scoreboard clock, and 15 or 20 long rows of seats for spectators. At the meeting of Oct. 24, Kasten was publicly accused of being a communist for expressing the beliefs of the Citizens Fellowship. An A&M Botany professor and highly respected member of the community, Dr. John Sperry, stood up and defended Kasten by saying that he (Sperry) had sat on the committee that recommended Kasten and could vouch for the fact that he was most defi nitely not a communist. During the meeting, tempers fl ared and threats were made against the Kasten family. The repercussions of the meeting were seriously felt by the Kas-tens. They received phone calls from people threatening the safety of their children and threatening to burn down their home if the Kastens continued their pursuit of desegregation. Some time later, the School Board answered Kasten in the form of a letter addressed to the members of the Citi-zens Fellowship: Dear Citizens Fellowship Members: The Board of Trustees of the A&M Consolidated School District is apprecia-tive of the efforts and concern of the patrons of the district for improved schools. Board members have been ceaseless in their efforts toward insuring the best schools possible and promise the patrons of the district their continued best efforts. The board welcomes sincere suggestions for improvements made by individuals or groups. They acknowledge the contexts of the latter presented by the spokesman for the Citizens Fellowship group, the four questions posed by the spokesman, and the special request made by the Rev. Flowers and Shephard in behalf of the Citizens Fel-lowship group, “that a Citizens Committee be appointed by the Board of Trustees to study the problem of school integration in the A&M Consolidated School District.” The Board of Trustees, after considering suggestions and recommendations from a Citizens Committee consisting of 25 patrons representing a cross-section from all walks of life, colored and white, in the early part of 1960 adopted the following statement: It is the intent of the Board of Trustees of the A&M Consolidated School to operate:1. The A&M Consolidated 4 grade High School, on the land acquired by the school district in 1953.2. The A&M Consolidated 3 grade Junior High School on the site it now occupies.3. A 5 grade elementary school on the site it now occupies, as long as the pres-ent buildings are usable and are well able for elementary school purposes; (this is in addition to an elementary school east of Highway 6).4. The Lincoln School, as a twelve grade -5--8- hen I grew up my par-ents had a garden and raised chickens and other poultry and I never remember ever being hungry. We were raised to be color blind and I never thought much about racism. As an adult living here in Austin, I have experienced more racism than I ever did growing up in College Station. It was during the summer of 1965 that my parents, the late Berto R. Wilborn and the late Abbie Johnson Wil-born, called together their fi ve children who were still of school age and living at home. I recall my parents receiving some kind of notifi cation from the A&M Consolidated School Board. I wasn’t sure what this was all about. We anx-iously awaited to hear what they had to say. Sure, we had heard of the upheaval in the deep South with the bombings in Atlanta and the race riots. We even knew about Dr. Martin Luther King’s marches and fi ghts for racial equality but even with all of this we were still not sure how it was going to affect our small community and the Blacks who lived there. Our family lived on Phoenix Street which was walking distance from Lincoln School and our church. We always felt so fortunate to live so close to our school when many of our friends lived in the Welborn, College Hills and Wash-ington Chapel communities. In our small community, our school and churches were what held us all together. I do remember my parents having a post offi ce box and when the mail fi nally started coming to the house. My father retired from the railroad so I don’t remember him ever being away from home too much. Little did we know that this summer, things were about to change and our lives would never be the same. Our father, Berto, read the letter to us as we sat around listening very attentively. He told all of us that for the 1965-66 school year that we would have a choice of which school we wanted to attend. He said that we could continue going to Lincoln School (which was down the street) or attend A&M Consolidated (the White School) which was further from our home. He did make one rule and this was that we all had to attend the same school. My sisters and I, Helen and Frances Ann, and brothers, Audrey and William (Joe) had a decision to make. It was not too tough to decide. All of my sisters and brothers were high achievers in school and we wanted to receive the best education possible. It was prob-ably the toughest on me, Delois, since I was the oldest at the time. This meant that I would have to complete my last two years of high school at a brand new school. My sister Helen began 7th grade at A&M Consolidated, and my sister Frances would began the 3rd grade. My brother, Audrey, the 8th grade and my brother William (Joe) began the fi rst grade at A&M Consolidated. When we went to Consolidated, no transportation was provided for us. My father took all of us to school each day at Consolidated. We were lucky to have him. This was different from before since we could just walk down the street to Lincoln. We walked home in the eve-nings. I know that we lived more than two miles from the school. Our parents probably already knew what our decision would be since they had always stressed to us the impor-tance of a good education. We loved Lincoln but we had heard that we were getting the “leftovers” from Consolidat-ed. This we did not like and felt that we deserved a fi rst class education just like the White students. We were proud of our school and loved our teachers. They were excellent and provided us with a good education with what they had. It was not fair that we did not have all the same opportunities or equipment as the White students. For the school year of 1965-66, we chose to attend A&M Consolidated Schools. We knew where the school was located since our Lincoln football games used to be played at their sta-dium. We did not own our own stadium. Even still, this new school, the class-rooms, teachers and system were very new to us. For me, it was somewhat diffi cult since I was a Junior and working toward graduation. When we went to the school, every-one was very kind and nice to us. There was some tension among the students but nothing serious. When I entered that school, I had one goal in my head and that was trying to get a good education and prepare for graduation. The stu-dents coming from Lincoln gave up so much to come to A&M Consolidated in their Junior and Senior Year. First, some students did not graduate because A&M Consolidated required a different number of credits needed for graduation than Lincoln. Some students had to work extra hard to make up. Some did not make it and gave up. It was diffi cult for me because I had to spend so much time studying. It was surprising to see so many differ-ent courses or classes offered such as foreign languages, Business, Drama, Journalism and many electives. These classes were not even offered at our Lincoln School. It was exciting because my youngest sister and brother both took Spanish in school under Mrs. Wor-ley. My brother William (Joe) even went to Mexico during the summer with the Spanish club to practice his Spanish. The school facilities at A&M Con-solidated were better than our former classes at Lincoln in that there were larger classrooms, state of the art equip-ment (for that time) and new textbooks and a wider variety of curriculum. The teachers were good but they seemed to WDelois Wilborn, Senior at A&M Consolidated High School, 1967.A Lincoln Former Student Tells Her Story By Delois WilbornA Lincoln Former Student Tells Her Story Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007►The Bryan Daily Eagle, Sept.18, 1962.
Representing the plaintiffs were Aloysius M. Wickliff of Houston, W.J. Durham and Thurgood Marshall of Dal-las. One of these attorneys had been contacted previously by Dr. Kasten (priorto the move to Europe) and visited by him to consider taking the case.” Joe Reynolds of Houston was the attorney for the school district. September 18, 1962 – Headline, The Bry-an Daily Eagle: College Station Schools Ordered to Integrate, Riedel Doubts Ap-peal Action Supt. W. T. Riedel stated that he thought the A&M CHSISD would not ap-peal a decision handed down by Federal District Judge Joe Ingraham. The “stair step” integration was set for the Fall classes beginning in September of 1963 with the fi rst grade classes. All classes not fully integrated by 1975, would thereafter be required to integrate. There were 300 students at Lincoln and 1500 students in twelve grades at Con-solidated. However, the judge also ruled that the integration was voluntary. Daddy moved the family once again to Pleasant Hill, California, a bedroom com-munity near the University of California at Berkeley. Once again, we enrolled in fully integrated public schools. Race was a non-issue for us there where we played and studied alongside children of all races. California was indeed a melting pot. 1963 – A&M Consolidated Schools begin the “stair step” method of integration beginning with kindergarten. If the two years in New Mexico showed me the wrong side of segregation, then the two years in California showed me the positive and successful side of integration. Our family weekend visits to the Berkeley campus were eye opening experiences for an impressionable girl of 14. The campus was full of protestors: Ban the Bomb! Black Power! Peace! Free love! Hippies and love beads were everywhere. And in an instant, our family moved back to College Station, back to bobby socks and loafers. The times they were a’ changin’, or were they?June, 1965 –Lincoln High School junior, Paul Stewart Garvin petitions the Board of Trustees for admission to A&M Con-solidated High Schoolso that he can live happily, harmoniously, and usefully in a democratic society. The ultimate goal of each teacher should be to approach each student should be led to discover his own special abilities, to choose his own vocation, and to make adjustments to an ever changing world. The school district has operated down through the years in harmony with many groups within its boundaries. It asks for continued cooperation and support of all individuals and groups in order that the school can continue to operate harmoni-ously, effi ciently, and effectively.President, A&M ConsolidatedBoard of TrusteesApproved byBoard of TrusteesAt meeting on(Date not discernible), 1960. December 8, 1960 Mrs. Kasten, on behalf of the Citizens Fellowship, wrote to “The Fund for the Advancement of Education,” seeking a grant to aid the A&M Consolidated School District to work toward a legal solution of the school integration prob-lem in the community. The letter stated the less than satisfactory conditions of Lincoln School and focused on the dif-fi culties of the school district providing equal facilities and education to both white and Negro students. The response stated that although they were sympa-thetic to the issues of the school district, the tenets of the Fund did not allow them to contribute toward activities that might affect changes in legislation. December 12, 1960 The Citizens Fellowship ran an ad in the “Bryan Daily Eagle” with a headline of “Citizens of College Station, how deep have we buried our heads in the sand?” The ad continued with “Many citizens of our community think it is time to dig our way out of the sand so that we can face the following facts about our school system. . .” The ad listed fi ve statements and fi ve questions posed to the community appealing to its citizen-ship to desegregate. The ad went on to invite members of the community to at-tend a public meeting at the A&M Wes-ley Foundation, December 13, 1960.Spring 1961By 1961, Kasten received a government fellowship that took him and his family to Germany and France for two years. His agreement with A&M allowed him to take a leave of absence for the study abroad. In preparing for his return to A&M at the end of the fellowship, Kasten began writing to his department head, Dr. Clifton C. Doak. All of his letters and inquiries went unanswered. Kasten, suspecting that there would be no posi-tion to return to at A&M, began seeking other job possibilities. The Kasten family returned to College Station briefl y to tend to business matters, collect their stored belongings and continued on to Pasadena, California. There, Dr. Kasten assumed a position with the Pasadena Foundation for Medical Research. In the meantime, the Fellowship con-tinued to gain momentum as desegrega-tion was just around the corner. Our Boykin family of six left our Las Cruces home and drove to Davis, Califor-nia where Daddy would continue his work and studies at the University of California. Davis reminded us a lot of College Station. It was a small university town where there were more bicycles registered than cars. There was, however, one major difference. We enrolled in Davis’ fully integrated public schools. August, 1961 – 33 Negro students fi le a suit against W.T. Riedel and the Board of Trustees. Board of Education. Paul entered Consolidated without a great deal of fanfare. We sat next to each other in several classes. He was a quiet and serious student. Several of us encour-aged him to run for Student Council but he politely declined. Paul had served as Class President his freshman and sophomore years at Lincoln. He was a gifted athlete as well as an honor student. January 20, 1966 - Lincoln School Fire A fi re started in the records room at Lincoln School. Within a few days, the majority of high school students at Lincoln were admitted to classes at A&M Consolidated High School. The fi re destroyed the ten classroom building, principal’s offi ce, teachers’ lounge and library. The remaining build-ings included the gym, two classrooms, auditorium/assembly hall, homemak-ing cottage, cafeteria, and the science lab/industrial arts shop. Our principal, Mr. E.P. Ozment, spoke over the PA system and told us what we already had heard: Lincoln students would be coming over in the next few days and we were to make room for them in our classrooms and make them feel welcome. Mr. Bright believes that it was in sports where the real test came. He believes that the coaches were Mrs. Gladys Stewart worked for a couple in College Hills. Knowing that her son wanted a better education than what he was receiving at Lincoln High School, she sought the advice of her employers. They suggested that she speak with a neighbor, Mrs. Leland, a math teacher at A&M Consolidated. Mrs. Leland encour-aged Mrs. Stewart to write a letter to Mr. Riedel and petition that Paul be allowed to enroll at Consolidated. Paul wrote the letter immediately.June 28, 1965 – Board of Trustees Agenda Items #9 and #10 Agenda item #9. Integration – Discus-sion of plans for the coming year.Agenda Item #10. Report on Opera-tion Headstart. [Paul’s Garvin’s mother, Gladys Nell Lyons Stewart, was later selected to implement Project Headstart on behalf of the community.]July 20, 1965 – Board of Trustees Min-utes, Item XII. XII. Dr. Wooten moved that the fi rst fi ve grades be integrated on a voluntary basis for the school year 1965-66. Dr. Isbell seconded the motion.August 16, 1965 – Board of Trustees Min-utes, Item XVIII. Dr. Isbell moved that the Board of Trustees approve the desegregation of all of the twelve grades on a free choice basis for the 1965-66 school years. Mr. Palmer seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.August 26, 1965 – Board of Trustees Spe-cial Meeting Minutes, Item VI. Dr. Isbell moved that the fi rst and second grades at Lincoln be completely integrated into College Hills Elementary and A&M Consolidated Elementary. Dr. Wooten seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. Mr. Alexander moved that students in grades three through twelve be allowed freedom of choice in selection of school to attend in so far as space and class size permit. Mr. Hensarling seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously.September, 1965 - Paul Stewart Garvin and several other Black students enroll in A&M Consolidated High School. Recently, I spoke with Mr. Art Bright, math teacher in the high school at the time. He said that Mr. Ozment called the teachers together and appealed to them to work together so that this transition would be smooth. The teachers were in full agreement. It had been eleven years since the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Brown v. The -6--7-Photos from 1966 Tigerland Yearbook. The fi re started on a Thursday night around 7:49pm. A child, waiting outside for his parents, rushed in to warn Mrs. Mildren Caldwell, who was teaching an adult education class at the time. Over 22 volunteer fi refi ghters from College Station and fi ve from Bry-an responded. Only two classrooms were saved. Damage was estimated to be $65,000. --The Bryan Daily Eagle, January 21, 1966. Portion of Citizen’s Fellowship ad. The Bryan Daily Eagle, Dec. 12, 1960. Lincoln School Blaze Displaces 100Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007►
seen “a lot of you people” at other board meetings. “No colored patrons were ever present” at the meeting in which a Negro high school was discussed, he said. Referring to a recent bond issue, Jackson said the board “has spent more money on the colored school tan on the white school proportionately. All we can go by is what our school offi cials tell us.” He said the gymnasium at Lincoln School “is superior to what the white students have.” Kasten rose and said, “It bothers me that your decisions have to be guided by the wishes of the patrons. The school board has a responsibility to be policy-makers. We’ve had enough time to strike out in the right direction.” “Each one of these members vote their own convictions,” Hervey replied. Father Rimshaw stood up again. “I think it’s to the credit of this group that we’ve left it to the school board to take proper steps,” he said. These people have remained patiently in the background since the court decision. “Lest a blunder be made in en-trenching segregation,” he said, “the group has made protest since all over the country segregation is beginning to disappear.” The crowd remained for a time while the board turned to other business. Two repre-sentatives of a local garden club, protesting about the lack of fl owers around the schools, recommended hiring a horticulturist to supervise general planning. After a brief dis-cussion, the board turned to other matters. Most of the delegation left, but about 20 of them—mostly Negroes—remained. Lincoln School is in a Negro section of town, a sprawling white frame build-ing next to a new brick annex now being completed. The wife of an A&M professor, who accompanied the reporter, said after rains the school has been almost completely surrounded in mud. There is little grass on the school grounds. The road in front of the school was recently hard-topped. One of the teachers said there is no one place large enough for a school assembly. Asked for an opinion on equal facilities, the teacher waved a hand and said, “This is not equality.” Another teacher said there is a shortage of proper equipment for scientifi c courses. The gymnasium is in a tin building off to one side. It has a regulation-size basketball fl oor, made of tile. There are three long rows of seats. The gym doubles as an auditorium. “What are your plans in case you get an application from a Negro to enter Consoli-dated School?” he asked. (“Simple ques-tion,” a board member whispered audibly.) “In view of past court decisions would it not be a waste of tax money to take this case to court?” Kasten then requested, on behalf of the group that a citizens’ committee be ap-pointed by the board to study integration problems in College Station, to include one white and one Negro from the Citizens Fel-lowship. Kasten asked that the committee report within two months. The school board carried its motion to consider the problem later. Hervey then said he would recognize others from the fl oor. Father Joseph Rimshaw, a dark, heavyset man with a slight Irish accent, raised his hand and stood up. He explained that his Catholic church is in Bryan, but that “some members of my church come from College Station, so that I think I am acquainted with the problems of both communities.” Last year, he said, a Negro parent, “wor-ried by the education offered at the Negro school, asked if she and her child could be taken to another part of the country. They’re in Massachusetts now. This year I have three of my brightest Negro students going to school in Houston, because they are not be-ing stimulated, not getting enough in school here. “This is to neutralize the idea that Ne-groes here are satisfi ed with their education system,” he said. Father Rimshaw had brought an article by educator James Conant. He left it with the board members and asked them to read it. “He didn’t write it on problems of integra-tion, but on the basis of education, “he said. Conant, Father Rimshaw said, had con-cluded that small high schools with less than 300 students are handicapped in offering a proper education. Referring to the Negro high school, he said, “If there are only 100 students in school period, you can imagine what it must be like.” The principle of integration, Father Rim-shaw said, “is not charity. The state has an obligation to present its services to all. This is not charity. It is a legal principle, not a theological one.” Rev. L. N. Flowers, pastor of the Wash-ington Park Baptist Church, a Negro Baptist church, followed Father Rimshaw: “As a citizen and a tax-payer, I’d like to voice my sentiment,” he said. “I don’t know what Negroes said they are satisfi ed with their education here. I’ve been looking around and I can’t fi nd ‘em. Any Negro who says he’s satisfi ed on the education system is a lunatic, he’s crazy, that’s all.” (“That’s right, that’s right,” many of the Negroes in the room said.) “The Negro can’t travel any further than what he’s been exposed to,” Flowers said. “College Station, he concluded, “is one of the greatest places in Texas. It sets a stan-dard for Texas and the world, and that’s the way I feel as a citizen of College Station.” Dr. Jackson, responding to a question from a young Negro about a special committee re-port made to the board some time before on the possibility of a new Negro high school, said, “In the Kennedy-Nixon debates there’s always been time for a rebuttal. No mem-ber of this board has ever stated that the colored people were ever satisfi ed with their education system here.” He said he had not -4--9-have been shocked to fi nd that some of us just did not know some of the basic information that other students knew. The bottom line was that we had not had the opportunity to be exposed to certain classes. This was stressful for some of us. I felt that during my Junior year, I had to do a lot of cramming just to pass my classes. It would have been better if I had a better foundation for cer-tain subjects such as Math and some of my electives. The fi rst group of students from Lin-coln came by choice. After the Lincoln fi re the next group of Black students came to Consolidated because they had no choice, Lincoln was gone. We often wonder about the fi re. I don’t know how it happened but it did happen at a very awkward time. For most students, your Junior and Senior year is usually fi lled with many events and memories that last a lifetime. My Junior and Senior years were fi lled with many new students, most of whom were White. I felt like an outsider in a new world. Even though, as I have said before, everyone was very nice. I did not have any problems with racial slurs or any of this kind of thing. It is just that the Junior and Senior students had their own circle of friends and were going to their own social events and extra circu-lar activities. We were just not included. I made a few friends, some of whom I still have contact with today. But there is nothing that we have in common from our school years other than we went to the same school. Most young people have fond memories of their Junior and Senior Prom. I vaguely remember mine. I think I went to the Junior Prom for a brief time but left. My Senior Prom, I don’t remember at all. I think it would have been different if I was still attend-ing Lincoln. When I was little, I remem-ber when Lincoln would have a prom. They did not go to a hotel but would turn the entire gym into a paradise or a se-lected theme event. My last year at Lin-coln, 1964, several friends and I were invited to attend the prom to perform a little dance number. Wow! We were amazed at how beautifully decorated the gym was. Seeing everyone in their formal dresses....I could not wait for my Junior-Senior prom. Unfortunately, the 1964 Prom was the last one at Lincoln. I never attended my own prom at Lincoln. At Consolidated, I was not able to be in as many extra curricular activities as I was at Lincoln because I just did not have the time. Studying for my basic classes was much more important. The few students who elected to at-tend A&M Consolidated in Sept. 1965, went because we wanted a better edu-cation and to be treated equally. This was our sole purpose. So there were no boycotts, threats, or serious incidents that I am aware of then, and even now. It felt strange because my mother, the late Abbie Wilborn, was the maid for one of my classmates. She worked for the Fishers. The Fishers were a very kind family and always respected my mother. They had two daughters, Kay and Kerry. They sent us their clothes they did not want. This was my biggest concern when I found out that I would be going to school with their daughters. But there was never a problem. These young girls were very nice to my sisters and me. We still contact each other from time to time. Kerry expressed her con-dolences to our family when our mother passed away. These are the kinds of things I remember about Consolidated more than someone saying the ‘N” word to us. I expected that this would hap-pen, but it never discouraged me or my determination to get an education. We missed our teachers from Lincoln because they taught us more than what was in the textbooks. They taught us about life, morals, values, etiquette, responsibility and many other qualities. They were our mentors and provided us with a sense of community. They were able to do this because they really knew “It took a village to raise a child”. The teachers knew our parents, taught our uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters. There was no where to hide. They were great teachers and kept us in line. You had not heard the English language spoken until you spoke to the late Mrs. P.L. Carter, and I could never sew a straight seam until having a class with the late Mrs. Thay Owens, and History was very interesting when taught by Mr. J.R. Delley (along with a little football). There were so many good teachers: our shop teacher, music teacher and coaches. It was great that a few of these teachers moved over to A& M Consolidated with us. This gave some stability to our somewhat confused lives at the time. I have often wondered how our com-ing to A&M Consolidated affected the lives of the White students who were at this school. They did not have a choice in the matter either. Most seemed a little nervous around us when we were around them. After everyone fi gured out that we had more in common with them than not, things worked out fi ne. After the fi rst year, in 1966-1967, things were somewhat smoother and everyone began to accept something that they could not change: Integration. College Station is a city of change. With the University, this town has more acceptance and understanding since Texas A&M has students from all over the world. I personally feel that this is why the desegregation of the schools back in 1965 did not cause the prob-lems seen in other parts of the country. College Station is unique, scholarly and acceptable to changes. I am very thankful to my parents for stressing to us the importance of educa-tion as we grew up. They also taught us to love and respect everyone. We did not have hate in our hearts. So, when it came to mixing with Whites, or anyone else, we did not have a problem. This has made me a better person today. I am also thankful for the two years I attended a White school. Again, I feel that I am better person today for what Delois Wilborn, fourth from left. Future Homemakers of America, 1967 Tigerland Yearbook. Dr. Fred Kasten’s fam-ily. Taken in College Station in 1960for the passport photo for their assignment abroad. Shown are his wife, Marie, with their four sons. From left to right: Fred Lee, Glenn, Donald, and Stephen. The two younger sons were born while the Kastens were living in College Station.Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007►
they needed to continue. Kasten was also instrumental in acquiring fi re hydrants in the Negro sections. A fi re in the home of a Negro family with eight children brought this to light. Kasten managed to gain the atten-tion of College Station’s City Manager Ran Boswell by plotting all of the City fi re hydrants on a map. There were no hydrants within reach of the three Negro neighborhoods. Boswell quickly ar-ranged to have fi re hydrants installed in all three areas. At the same time, other groups in the area were also attempting to integrate some of the local churches. On several Sundays, white and Negro members of one group attended the Sunday services of the Lutheran, Episcopal, Catho-lic and Baptist churches. There were unconfi rmed reports of ministers losing their jobs or being reassigned for their involvement in this movement. The Fellowship, however, sought to open the hearts and minds of the various church members, not for the purpose of integration. The First Bap-tist Church had been promoting Bible classes for whites and Negroes for some years. Marie Kasten, along with Rev. Flowers, was instrumental within the Fellowship in organizing two inter-racial Vacation Bible Schools during the summers of 1959-60 at the Baptist and Methodist Churches. A bus was pro-vided to pick up the children and bring them to the church. A hand lettered sign on the back read: All God’s Children! 1960 – US Congress passes Civil Rights Actored liquid from the red pump out back. It certainly looked tastier than Kool-Aid. Little did I know that kerosene fueled their stoves, heaters or lamps. We spent most of our summers barefoot and in shorts through the summer so there wasn’t much distinction between any of us kids, white or colored, then. It was 1956 and segregation was not a word I had ever heard before. I do recall a sign at our dentist’s, Dr. Goodwin’s, offi ce in Bryan. It read: Colored Entrance. The sign had little meaning to me. I was six years old.1957 – The State of Texas passes laws that make it impossible for state funds to go to non-integrated schools. The outcome of the meetings of the “Brazos Bottoms Philosophical Society” is not known to me, or to my father, since our family moved from College Station to Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the summer of 1959. There, our white family experienced a taste of the other side of racial inequality. We were the minority in an area where the majority was native New Mexican, Hispanic, and Indian. I don’t ever recall seeing a Ne-gro in New Mexico. In College Station, in 1958, another group of whites and Negroes called the “Citizens Fellowship” began a long and arduous journey ultimately seeking a fully integrated school system. An A&M College Biology instructor, and member of the First Baptist Church, Dr. Frederick H. Kasten, became the white spokes-man and president of the group. Sam Pierce, a Negro maintenance worker in the Oceanography Department at the College, was the spokesman for the Negroes. The group of about 50 members also included Rev. Flowers, a Negro minister; two deacons from Rev. Flowers’ church; and Father Rimshaw, a Catholic priest. Rev. Flowers was a dynamic speaker. He often reminded the group, “After you pray, it is necessary to get up off your knees and start moving toward the goals for which you were praying.” Kasten, his wife, Marie, and two sons had recently moved to Col-lege Station from Springville, New York. They were surprised, if not shocked, at the intensely conservative college com-munity. The “Citizens Fellowship” began their meetings with a majority of whites from the area and a handful of Negroes. The Negroes feared for their jobs and their families and were understandably reluctant to participate. This feeling was mirrored in the white community as well. Together, Kasten, Pierce, Rev. Flow-ers and the Fellowship decided to fi rst address a few of the smaller, but no less signifi cant, issues of the Negro commu-nity in order to test community reactions. A frail old colored woman and a little colored girl came to our door one afternoon selling dewberries. The woman was almost blind. I couldn’t understand why my Mother paid $5.00 for the whole bucket. I knew that our family of fi ve could eat an entire Sunday dinner at Sbisa Dining Hall on campus for that amount. When I protested, my Mother hushed me and said, “She needs it more than we do.” Postal delivery to the Negro sections of College Station was all but nonex-istent. Renting a Post Offi ce box was too expensive for most of the Negro community. Others collected mail at the Post Offi ce window under General Delivery. Not only was this practice a major discrepancy in service, it was very inconvenient for the Negroes. The Postmaster was less than accommodat-ing when Kasten visited him to inquire about mail delivery to the Negro sec-tions. The Postmaster stated that the dirt roads in the Negro neighborhoods were impassable by mail trucks. Kasten noted that there were white neighborhoods receiving mail service with roads equally as bad as the Negro neighborhoods. Kasten wrote a letter to then Senator, Lyndon B. Johnson, who forwarded Kas-ten’s request to the Postmaster General in Washington, D.C. Eventually, an investigator from Washington, was sent to assess the situation. The investigator stayed at a local motel for a few days and sought input from both sides of the situation. He sent his report and recom-mendations back to Washington. Before long, a meeting was set up for the Negro families by Citizens Fellowship at the request of the Postmaster to learn how to install their rural mailboxes. About 75 families came to the meeting where the local Postmaster announced that he was now “permitted” to advise the families on their new mail service. It was a great vic-tory for the “Fellowship” and the impetus -2--11-First Baptist Church members and volun-teers from other churches were progressive in their work with Negro children in the 50s and 60s.Guests in Attendance:Mrs. Mary WilbornMrs. Edward Lee ThomasMrs Mary WashingtonSam Dangerfi eldMrs. Rosia Wheaton CarrAaron SharpMrs. Fred E. EckfeltDori BrittonLucile WashingtonJohn Q. HaysMrs. Robbie ClarkMrs. James RobisonMrs. Bertha SteenMrs. Bettie Lee BanksMr. A.C. ClarkSylvester SteenAngie GarvinL.W. FlowersM. H. HarrisRoy E. CainNathaniel HolmesFrank ThorneJoe TaylorGertrude GilbertCurtis CheeksBeulah GroceTom SheppardJohn CombsJames RobisonTommie PrestonDan PetersonLee GroceS. A. KearneyGoerge W. LawsHenry CooperMelvin RuckerHugh J. LukeJoyce M. LukeRobert W. FeragenMrs. Frederick H. KastenMrs. Corether McMillonMrs. Clara MooreMr. David ColumbusFrank MasenBurnice CarrollMae. E. HollieMyra N. RoseMartha MooreMary FusilierMrs. G. N. StewartMrs. James C. StewartMrs. Matilda JonesIra HillLawrence Ray FlowerRev. Roosevelt MooreSamuel PierceRev. H. FlowersAnnie Lee RoyMarie CarrollMrs. Louisa WilliamsMrs. Nettie WarrenFrederick H. KastenA&M Consolidated ISDBoard of Trustees MeetingOctober 24, 1960Signatures on Kasten Letter to Board of TrusteesOctober 23, 1960Mr. & Mrs. Preston CarrollMrs. Hattie R. WigginsAbbie Marie WilbornMrs. Nettie WarrenMrs. Marie MerchantMrs. Louisa WilliamsMrs. Jessie WashingtonMrs. Josephone CarrollMr. Burnice CarrollMrs. Verna Lee CarrollMrs. Clara M. MooreMrs. Lula E. BrownMr. Roosevelt MooreMrs. Nellie B. FordMrs. M. H . HarrisKearneyJill N. Crowder___ D. HarrisIra Hill___ Perryman___ P. KingRev. H. FlowersFrederick H. KastenMrs. Frederick H. KastenRoy E. CainFred E EkfeltMrs. Fred E. EckfeltMrs. Hugh J. McLellanHugh McClellanVelma ParrishFrank W. SheppardRobert FeragenMrs. Jack InglisMr. Sam PierceMrs. W. I ChenaultMrs. Mary PierceSteven Arthur PaytonWillie Mae PaytonDan PetersonTom BrownMrs. E. L. BrownMrs. G. N. StewartMr. & Mrs. James StewartMrs. Mary WashingtonMrs. Edward L. ThomasMrs. Esterlene LeaksLincoln Teach-ers at A&M CHS: Mr. Willie Tarrow, Mrs. Thay Owens, Mrs. Rhone, and Mr. King.Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007Project HOLD Moment in Time, Jan. 2007The Bryan Daily Eagle, 1965-66 Board of Trustees. Standing from left: George B. Hen-sarling, President; Les Palmer; J.O. Alexander, Jr.; A. B. Wooten. Seated: A.F. Isbell; W.T. Riedel, Superintendent; John B. Longley; Mrs. P.W. Barker, Secretary to the Superintendent.