Edwin Washington Project

County systems have to report to state institutions, especially in Virginia, so above the Loudoun County School Board is the State Board of Education in Richmond and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

State Board of Education Memos 1957/58.  Very thick stack.  These are primarily notifications, each with a circulation number from 3414 to 3541, essentially a year of memos from Richmond to the counties.[1]

Accreditation Standards:Memo 3519 covered changes in standards of accreditation for secondary schools and listed members of the 1958 joint committee private and public school representatives

Admin Memos:   Memo 3463 of 26 November 1957 changed the phone numbers in Richmond to match the then national system.   Memo 3462 covered construction, certifications, accreditations, teacher shortages and curriculum.  Memo of October 29, 1957 (no memo number) is a message from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to all county Superintendents, a rambling worry about changing times and the threats of contemporary isms like Communism abroad or in the United States. Another memo of the following day discusses the “cause of public education” and was probably written from the perspective of the pressures for change brought on by integration.  Memo 3444 handled American Education Week in 1957.  Memo 3420 listed changes in personnel at the State Board of Education.  Memo 3415 announced the appointment of Woodrow Wilkerson to position of Teacher Education Director.[1]

Annual Reports:  Submission of Annual School Reports.  Memo 3537 explained to whom the reports were to go.  Other memos also dealt with Annual report rules.  See memo 3512 for annual high school reports. (note that many of these reports are also in chapter 13).  Memo of 3451 of October 11, 1957 provides statistics in Loudoun on white and Negro instruction across a number of topics, including showing numbers of teachers and students.  Memo 3435 deals with elementary school reports for 1957.   Memo of September 4, 1957 (no memo number) dealt with Supervisory Reports due for the 1957/58 session.  No Loudoun data was found. Memo 3428 is in regard to an annual high school report.  No Loudoun data found.  Memo of July 15, 1957 (no memo number) provided copies of Summer School Report forms.

Appointments and Distribution of Offices at the State educational system.  Memo 3533 provided a list of staff in the Department of Education in Richmond.  It appears that the role of Assistant Supervisor for Mathematics and Science for Negros was vacant.  Memo 3524 provided a breakdown of offices. Memo 3433 announced appointment of Mr. LeRoy Rose to the Position of Statistician. Memo 3420 provided a staff changes and an office of Institutional Services.

Attendance Reports:  Important for studying truancy and absentees due to disease.  Memo 3526 discussed appropriations based on average daily attendance.  See also Memo 3477, which addressed losses due to the flu epidemic.   Ruth Emerick and then superintendent Bussinger responded with Loudoun data.  Annual Reports also spoke on this topic.  As an example, in 1917 infantile paralysis and scarlet fever interfered with work at Bluemont, Waterford and Leesburg.[1]

Budget:   Rules on the budget and 1958 figures for Loudoun are in Memo 3503. See 3480 pending legislation in February, 1958, which deals with compensation and other topics.  Memo 3472 (January 17, 1958) seeks changes in budget.  See memo 3466 (December 13, 1957) for inquiries on school bond issues. According to Loudoun, there was no data on Bonds between July 1, 1950 and December 31, 1957.  Memo 3458 dealt with budget issues in Annual Report of Superintendent 1956/57, including distribution of federal funds.

Communism:   Memo 3496 (March 1958) discussed the threat of Communist Education.  This is an interesting essay apparently inspired by the Russian launch of Sputnik (DeWitt 1958).  Dewitt graduated from Harvard in 1952 and was an associate of Harvard’s Russian Research Center and a frequent writer on Soviet education.  His view was that the United States was falling behind in science.  The US government took the threat seriously, which led not only to the space race but also increased funding in the sciences.  That translated into National Science Foundation grants, even for “colored” instructors like Norman Camp, who taught at Douglass High School and then went on to earn multiple advanced degrees and a PhD, despite the evils of segregation.  Two copies of the essay are in the records.

Compensation:  Superintendents   Memo 3529 asked counties to explain how Superintendents were compensated by State and other funds.  Loudoun’s answer is provided.

Compensation:  Supervisors   See memo 3501 and 3500

Compensation: Teachers:  See memo 3528 Distribution of Minimum Education Program Fund 1957-58.  See memo 3506, 3505 (which includes 1958 data for Loudoun, not broken down by race), and 3435.    In February 1958 (Memo 3477), an adjustment was made for losses in attendance due to the pandemic.   Memo 3455 dealt with assistance to Loudoun of $261,000 in 1957/58.  Loudoun statistics are provided.  Memo 3445 includes teacher salary schedule for 1957/58.

Conferences:   Virginia Personnel and Guidance Association.

Conferences:  Elementary School Principal s:  Memo 3527 covered 1958 including the Negro Conference at Hampton Institute. Whites went to Mary-Washington College.  See chapter 4.2 (a) Teacher Workshops, 1944.  Contains photos of white teachers at Mary Washington College, summer, 1944.   No similar package of records for Hampton Institute.

Conferences: Superintendents:  Memo 3510 covered 1958 and 1959 Division Superintendent Conferences.  Interestingly, religion and attendance at church was considered a basic institutional influence.  Also important was a focus on “cultural heritage.”  Was that code for race relations?  “Reverence for things spiritual” was a purpose for the high school in Virginia.  There was nothing about integration in the agenda.  See memo 3476.  Memo 3422 was in regard to the 1958 Annual Conference of Division Superintendents.  Loudoun attended.

Conservation:   Conservation Workshops for white and Negro teachers were offered in 1958, See Memo 3481.

Construction:   Amendments to construction rules in memo 3479.  Memo 3476 is a thick file from 28 January 1958 with detailed rules and regulations on school construction.  Memo of 7 October 1957 (no memo number) deals with backlog of approved Literary Fund applications for construction.

Credit for students:  Memo 3434 dealt with credit given students in 1957 for general educational development and services experiences.  In each case, the student had to be at least twenty years of age

Contests:  Memo 3449 of October 11, 1957 show a list of State-Wide contests and Activities for Secondary Schools in 1957.  This includes the National Essay Contest  as well as many others.  Memo 3456 deals with an essay contest on the Employment of the Handicapped and has a tie to vocational learning.  The project was part of the tenth National Essay Contest led by President Eisenhower.  Not exactly a true contest, memo 3442 discussed a school savings program to help children learn to be thrifty.

Curriculum:  Memo 3518 covered Art education.   Curriculum reappraisal was in memo 3493 to be discussed at 1958 Division Superintendents conference.  Memo 3492 dealt with reading.  Memo 3490 dealt with early Virginia history. Memo 3484 dealt with science and announced meeting for whites and Negros.  Memo 3471 covered need to distribute ‘The Atomic Revolution,” a free flyer. Loudoun wanted only 100 copies.  Memo 3469 handled workshop on Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Memo 3462 dealt with distribution of “A Look at Virginia’s Natural Resources” prepared by Virginia Resource Use Education Council.  Memo 3453 dealt with the “Meaning of Communism.”   Memo 3447 discussed insurance credit certificates for driver education.  Memo 3446 covered training of scientists, engineers and other specialists.  Memo 3443 dealt with the play ‘Common Glory’, which celebrated Jamestown.  Memo 3437 dealt with “Educational Motion Pictures for Virginia Public Schools.”  Memo 3429 required registration of school providing educational films.  Memo No 3424. (July, 1957) dealt with a special purpose certificate for music teachers.    Memo 3419 dealt with General Adult Education.  No such program took place in Loudoun at that time apparently; but such classes did exist for African-American adults in 1945.  Classes were taught by regular teachers and ran for 10 weeks, two hours per week.  22 adults rook advantage, learning about math, language arts, and current history[1].

Disease:  Memo 3452 deals with Asian Flu.   Memo 3441 shared copies of “influenza” and essay on the Asian Flu. The original pamphlet is attached.  Memo 3432 of September 3, 1957 announced that the vaccine was not being distributed by the local health department, but instead by private physicians. This raises an important question.  How were the physicians paid?  Was the vaccine provided for free?

Discipline:  Memo 3470 dealt with recovering costs of damages caused by students.   Memo 3460 dealt with married students.  There had been a regulation banning this; but the attorney general felt it would not survive court muster.   Memo 3448 was a query about permitting married students. Also attached is a memo from Loudoun’s Superintendent indicating that students were allowed to marry in Loudoun.

Facilities Utilization:  Serial Communication of April 30, 1958 asked counties to explain how facilities utilization might be enhanced.  This referred to both white and Negro schools.  Loudoun’s superintendent responded with an extensive list of points, interestingly not addressing the needs of African Americans

Female Health and Physical Education.   Memo 3488

Food and Meals:  Memo 3431.  Dealt with the School Lunch Program.

Foster Children.  Memo 3416 covers reimbursement for expenses of attendance of foster home children in public schools.

Fund Raising:   Memo 3438.   Request for students to donate money towards a fund to develop Staunton, Woodrow Wilson’s birth place.

Inventory:  School plant inventory. Memo 3534.  Rules on keeping an inventory.

Libraries:   See Memo 3515.  Memo 3468 listed counties and cities in 1957/58 which allocated library books and material and contains a memo from Loudoun asking for funds for Loudoun County High School Library but not for Douglass.

Literary Fund:  Memo 3495 and 4321 dealt with interest rates.

Minimum Education Program Fund:  Rules on funds and a request for data are in Memo 3516.  See also Memo 3494 which contains Loudoun data. See 3486 and Loudoun data

Nine Month schools:   Memo 3517 covered rules for such schools.

• • School Personnel Roster:  Memo 3436 asked for lists of staff, white and black.  Loudoun did not respond.
  • Scholarships:  See Memo 3513.  Memo 3464 (November 29, 1957) covered the Granville Meade scholarships. These scholarships still exist as an aid to academically strong candidates for college who can’t afford university education.[1]
  • Sick Leave: Distribution of sick leave funds for teachers.  Item 145 of the Appropriations Act, Acts of Assembly for 1956 provided $241,000 for sick leave to be expended by the State Board of Education. See also Memo 3529.
  • Special Education:  Reimbursement was given to teachers for those in hospitals, for those who instructed classes for “crippled” or homebound children, and those who dealt with speech correction and hearing conservation or the “mentally retarded.”  Memo 3525 provided reimbursement forms.  See also Chapter 7.1
  • Student Admittance:   Memo 3521 covered admission age and the relevant law.
  • Summer Schools:  Memo 3523 asked if counties would hold summer school and provided regulations. Memo 3504.
  • Superintendent Roster:  Memo 3414 listed all Division Superintendents as of July 1, 1957.

• • Teacher Certification:  Memo 3508, 3499, 3487.  See Senate Bill 180 of January 29, 1958.   Revocations are in memo 3483 of February 11, 1958. Memo 3440 of September 25, 1957 proposed topics in which teachers needed to be expert. 
  • Teacher Roster:  See request in Memo 3491 of February 28, 1958. See Memo 3439, which asks for a roster of teachers for 1957.  The list of Loudoun white and “colored” teachers is provided.  The lists show the name of the school, if it is white or Negro, the name of the teacher and the town of residence. There were three Negro schools at the time, Banneker, Carver and Douglass Elementary, as well at the secondary level on for African Americans, Douglass High School. Memo 3423 of July 26, 1957 lists new secondary principals for Round Hill, Sterling and Waterford; but nothing else.

• • Teacher Supply and Demand:  Report on National Teacher Supply and Demand.  See Memo 3454.
  • Teacher Improvement:   Memo 3450 of Oct 11, 1957 builds case for “A good Teaching-Learning Day in Virginia’s Schools.”  Memo 3426 provided “The School Superintendent in Guidance,” a Texas Association of School Administrators publication done in cooperation with the Kellogg foundation.
  • Tests:  1958-59 Testing Program.  Details on the various standard tests in memo 3535.   Loudoun School Superintendent Bussinger answered questions on 7-10^th grade enrollment; but didn’t mention African-American vs white participation.  Memo 3520 covered Regional Institutes concerning Guidance and Testing. See Memo 3509.

Transportation:  School Zone Signs.  Memo 3536 (June 18, 1958) provided extensive information on what signs should look like and how they should be used.   Distribution of Special Appropriation for Transportation of Pupils.  Memo 3531.   Loudoun received $671.27 in 1958. Memo 3507 deals again with Insurance and signs.  See Memo 3478.  Loudoun was allocated $58,713.01 for 1957/58.  Memo 3473 covers costs of buses in1958 as well as operations of School plant.   Memo 3427 discussed insurance coverage for school buses.

• • Visiting Teacher Positions.  See memo 3501 And 6.11.1 Visiting Teachers for Details on program.
  • Vocational Studies:  See also 5.4 Vocational Studies.  This folder contains. Future Farmers of America:  Memo (unnumbered, May 16, 1958) from State Supervisor for Vocational Agriculture discussed 32^nd Annual State Convention. Memo 3522 provided information on reimbursements, which included veterans training.  Memo 3511 on a vocational and practical arts conference in 1958.   Salary scale in 1958 in memo 3497, includes Loudoun figures, which includes compensation for Douglass High School.  Memo 3467 covered the need for a diversified occupations program.  Memo 3457 covered reimbursement on special education.  .

Note:  In 1906 Virginia’s education budget was doubled by the General Assembly under the Mann High School bill (Heatwole 1916, pg 324).  The act obligated the state to pay matching funds to any district (county) that built a high school. Over the next four years, localities would construct 285 new high schools. Unfortunately, as Oscar Emerick would later note in reports to the county school board, the quality of education varied widely.  This was also true for one-room school houses, which was a cause for the movement towards consolidation.  Similarly in Loudoun, the High Schools would eventually also be consolidated, all of which was very controversial.  As is seen in petitions, newspaper accounts and other documents, communities were bonded to their schools, even though classes might be small.

• 1925 Defense of High Schools.  Includes memos by LCPS designed to prevent loss of accreditation of Loudoun High Schools (then all white) by the State Board of Education.  Loudoun Superintendent Emerick felt that the Board was too strict with their rules.  By 1926, the Board relented and allowed Loudoun High Schools to remain open because if they had been closed, convenient alternative locations were not available.   All of this would perhaps have been an irony to the African-American community of Conklin, as Emerick insisted on temporarily closing that school due to a strict interpretation of rules.  1937-1958  Superintendent memos from State Board of Education.  Covers a wide range of announcements, including an interesting essay titled the Challenge of Communist Education.[1].
• 1947 – Moses Commission: About joint public hearings by the Moses Commission on Public Education in Virginia.  Dealt with the Consolidation of High Schools[2].
• 1948/49 Proposed Ten Year School Improvement Program.  The Virginia Department of Education was reorganized on July 1, 1947.  As a result,  the State decided to develop a ten year plan for school improvements.  On December 1, 1948 G. Tyler Miller, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, proposed that in 1949 a Superintendent’s Advisory Council would review material to be used in a bulletin on school improvement.  This was to include a discussion on the Literary Fund (Chapter 2.9) transportation (chapter 12) and the minimum salary schedule for teachers (Chapter 4).  The folder includes a letter of Dec 20, 1948 from Carver School (“colored”) in Purcellville with many recommendations that did not deal with race matters.  It Memos 3495 and 3421 both dealt with interest rates.[3]

•  dealt in part with the perceived need to eliminate emergency certificates for teachers since the world war was over and more qualified people would be available.[4]