Advocate Register_1951-02-16

ADVOCATE REGISTER (Designed to Read) Published by Oliver Smith News Agency (Established 1943 OLIVER E. SMITfl, EDITOR Office 1453 N. Williams Ave.-EM. 7266 ATwater 2551, 3411 S. W. First A:venue, Portland 1, Oregon Free from Services of Any Special Interests The News As We See It. The Editorials Are Our Opinions IN MEMORIUM CLIFFORD C. WALKER (1909-1948 Negro First Citizen 1945 IN MY OPINION By Charles A. Wells (Editor & Publisher, Between the Lines) RACE PROGRESS Americans can be proud of the intelligent, constructive progress being made in race relations in our time. When his– tory gets into focus on our ear, it will record that probably at no period in American life has such a controversial issue (so often fought with violence and hatred) moved forward so ro:tp– idly and no nobly. One of the most tense points of contention lias been the Negro student's right to equal opportunity in education, as guaranteed by the constitution. An increasing list of American educational institutions in the ·South have met this issue in a Chrstian spirit. The University of Tennessee is the latest to admit the qualified Negro student to its dental and law col– leges and graduate schools,-with the usual echoes from die– hards that such action would end in turmoil and violence. It didn't happen here,-nor at the Universities of Virginia, Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Delaware, Arkansas, all of which have taken similar action accompanied by the 'same wails that it would only end in greater hatreds and racial strife. Forward– looking leaders in the South, such as Governor Browning of Tennessee, said they had known the situation would work itself out quietly. Dr. Charles Johnson, president of the famous Fisk Univer– sity, said that all the dire forecasts have proved absurd, ex– plaining that Negroes have no intention of flooding universi– ties when they can get adequate training elsewhere. "Never more than three or four of our people have taken advantage of these opportunities when they have been open." said Dr,. ] ohnson. "Negroes are more interested in the principle of equal opportunity and in proving that they can pass the same entrance examinations as others have to pass." When that fact has been established, Dr. ] ohnson indicated th<}t the Negroes would prefer their own schools, but would want their facilities to be adequate and equal to standards maintained elsewhere. P-R-0-G-R-A-M INVOCATION Dr. J. J. Clow-Pastor Mt. Olivet Baptist Church MUSIC-EARL M. WRIGHT AND HARMONIZING 5 WELCOME & INTRODUCTION Oliver E. Smith Introduction of Negro First Citizen Mrs. E. W. Smith by Pollyanna Reed TOASTMISTRESS Pollyanna Reed Introduction of Raleigh Washington, Negro Jr. First Citizen by Caley Cook MRS. E. W. SMITH Negro First Citizen 1950 Address JOHN H. BINNS Rhodes Scholar Tacoma, Washington Attorney Past Negro First Citizens Dr. D. N. Unthank _ ------------------------------- 1944 Clifford C. Walker ---------------------------·---------- 1945 Doris Reynolds --------------------------- ------------- 1946 Nick C. Banks Jr., junior award ____________ 1946 Edwin C. Berry _---------------- __ _ _____________ 1947 Chesley E. Corbett 1948 Oliver E. Smith . ------------- _____ __ ____ 1949 ,..,,,,,,,,," RALEIGH WASHINGTON Junior Negro First Citizen 1950