◆ SpookStack

¥ “WHETHER THE schoo! thas baan guilty ai communis .ac- See a a OP |} Cee tivity “ds antther -qhestion-ne that has hounded Highlander ever since that December day 25 years ago when it was barred from using Jocal school buildings. During the depression, High- lander engaged in vigorous union organizing campaigns and brought down upon itself the wrath of business leaders. * Highlander’s labor efforts soon became the obiect of a congres- sional investigation. And on Nov. 30, 1942, U.S. Rep. Martin Dies, chairman of the House Commit- tee on Un-American Activities, lisied Highlander as “decidedly [orn JHREE YEARS AGO a former ‘ramrannist testified at a hearing of the Senate Ipternal . Security ae in NeweOrléans, ) that Highlander wes working doo - Cooper alien - ~agith ne rommupist Party." ™ Sun. James Eastland (D- Miss. ¥, dicboornrftice chairman, had Mvies Horton ousted from the same bearing afier the Highland- er director tefuged to answer som br oN ski Was: d the school. Dom-_ browski, who*has been a member’ of numerons organizations | Hise “Ganversive,”” was roe _ Highlander at pn¢e Jime., 2 TEh. Succeeding ‘ grtidles- on High- lander will ge into more detail | on tnig hearing, previous investi- gations and ‘the school’s part in the turbulent laber movement. Highlander has not been with- gut its) staunch defenders, some of them nationally prominent. a ON THE WALL in the office of Highlander’s main building is a jetier on White House stationary to Dornbrowski, whe was’on High- jander’s staft from 1934 until 1942. | The Jetter begins, "My Dear Mr. ; Dombrowski: “i am sending you the same ewe ab a stun gust dast year as “my contributicn toward a scholarship in the Highlander Folk Schooi. i “I have had the school checked by people in whom I have abse- : lute confidence and arn convinced {| that the newspaper attack wi i the groups which have been op- posed to you are not opposed to} you because of any Communist |: activities, but because ‘they are |. eppesed io labor organization, | and. therefore labor education. iy “This seems to me & most un | ing and shortsighted attitude aod, therefore, £ arf -qpmumuing ad chikarat org See soring |) paren - ota FP thie ME f come down. te ‘eee Ge echo! |, miyeell. we babi eae dal M) Thavicler was -igied’! ‘Very “truly yours, Eleanor Roosevelt.” it was dated | February 1941." . * HORTON SAYS Mrs. Roosevelt still contributes to the school. ‘We |’ got a letter from her just the oth- ‘er day,” be said. | dohn Dewey, who was head ot| the philosophy department at Co- | lumbia University in New York, was chairman of Highlander’s Committee of Sponsors until his: death four years ago, according to Horton. | Theological 'York both advised him in the! :founding of Highlander. He stud- | iied under both educators. Dr. Nie- puhr still supports the Highlander. | Horton said that while High-; lander has become accustomed to being criticized, ‘‘we've never: had anything as low-level as Gov.! Griffin's smear happen to us be-' fore.” : “But we've weathered storms before," Hortan said. “ Griffin. ought to read the record. We've | gone through much more effec- tive smear tactics than this." Horion said it is ‘dangerous | tactics” for Griffin and other seg-'! regationists to “identify every in- tegration movement in the South | as Communistic.” * 6 6 HE SAID THE Highlander re- port by the Georgia Commission - on Education was “‘calcuated to’ keep people away from the school, | but “it’s not scaring people.”t He’ seid .60 persons attended the Thahksgiving™ aes work- op. withough’ gry, & ed. x Ry the short-run effett of the mia report has been to increase | contributions to Highlander by, three times,” according to Horton. "I don’t know about the long- | range affect,” he said. “Some people are hesitating now to be -identified with the school because of the smear. ” Highlander ‘ts supported by con- 2 | tributions from individuals, or- hE. ein aed gasizations served “by the achool, : foundations: and ritina, ig _MonDay ia The Atlanta: ‘Gon, ee unit on: Staff Photo—Charles Pugh MYLES HORTON, DIRECTOR OF HIGHLANDER | Ht-Says School Has No Connection With (Communism