APPENDIX 11.-MARCH 19, 1967, LETTER FROM GARY ORFIELD TO COMMISSIONER HOWE THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION FOR ADVANCED STUDY, Hon. HAROLD HOWE II, U.S. Commissioner of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, DEAR MR. HOWE: As Congress gives increasing responsibility for American Indian education to the Office of Education the performance of the Office must be carefully scrutinized by those concerned with Indian policy. I have recently been very disturbed to learn the details of a project involving Indian children now ready for final approval in the Office of Education. I understand that the Office is preparing to commit almost $2.5 million to finance the first stage of a program involving Menominee Indian children in Wisconsin, using funds provided for research and experimentation under titles III and IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Before a final decision on this project is made, I believe that there are a number of questions which must be answered. 1. Why does the project proposal show neither knowledge of Indian educational problems or of consultation with the Menominee people? 2. Can an experimental program for an Indian tribe be effectively administered by a school board specifically designed to exclude Menominee representation because of its method of selection? 3. Is it reasonable to begin construction of a complicated computer system a year and a half before an unknown committee even begins to design the material the system will handle? 4. Will not the utility of the experiment be greatly diminished by the fact that the Menominee children are highly atypical, both of the total enrollment of Shawano District and of the national Indian population? 5. Why has this program been approved in spite of the adverse reactions of seven reviewers, including prominent educators and computer experts? 6. Is there not existing equipment (the IBM 15 CO) which could provide equal or superior technical facilities at a saving of millions of dollars? 7. Is there any relationship between the approval of this project and the fact that Associate Commissioner Bright was formerly an executive of the firm proposing the project? In the case of an obvious conflict of interest, would not the concerned official normally defer to expert critiques? My central concern is with the possible impact of this program on the Menominee people. The tribe faces bankruptcy and dissolution today as the result of a Federal law removing certain tax immunities. At this critical stage in the tribe's existence it seems crucial that new programs be sensitively designed to meet their needs through close consultation with the people to be served. The money involved in this research proposal is more than enough to make the tribe solvent and to provide important development of their resources and economy. It would be particularly tragic if Menominee children were used as a pretext to gain funds for the development of computer technology by researchers only marginally concerned with their educational needs. I am certain that you share my concern, and that your staff will defer action on this proposal until these questions have been answered. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours truly, GARY ORFIELD, APPENDIX 12.-APRIL 18, 1967, LETTER FROM THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS TO COMMISSIONER HOWE Hon. HAROLD HOWE II, THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS, U.S. Commissioner of Education, Office of Education, DEAR COMMISSIONER HOWE: We are very distressed to learn that your office may fund this project on the Menominee reservation without any previous consultation with the officials of the tribe. We are also shocked to learn that $2.5 million will be put into this project when there are already capable programs in existence that can do what this project purports to do. For many years Indian people have been run over by a variety of "experts" who have a lot of book learning yet have no knowledge of people. It would seem to us that a minimum requirement would have been consultation with the people for whom the program is planned. It would seem to us that your office should have reservation Indian people as your consultants. In that way your research projects might have some relevance to the problems of Indian people. Otherwise, and this is quite well known, projects that are generally funded by your office have been irrelevant, immaterial, and inaccurate to the point where Indian people do not have any further knowledge opened to them by the studies. Research may be a fine thing for ivory tower professors to be able to publish their esoteric ideas, however with a computer society now facing us it seems as though educational research would be aimed at problems most affecting Indians and the old patterns would be broken by your office. We would be very happy to suggest a list of tribal chairmen as consultants for you so that future grants will bear some relation to reality. I am submitting such a list for your information. We have not notified our Senators or Congressmen about this situation because of the fine cooperation we have received in the past from Mr. Colmen and Miss George. We are concerned about this project and hope that you can settle this problem within your organization by yourselves. Sincerely yours, VINE DELORIA, Jr., Executive Director. (217) APPENDIX 13.-CORRESPONDENCE CONCERNING APPOINTMENT OF CHARLES F. KETTERING II TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SUPPLEMENTARY EDUCATIONAL CENTERS AND SERVICES U.S. GOVERNMENT MEMORANDUM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE, July 18, 1966. To: Mr. Harold Howe II, U.S. Commissioner of Education. From: Arthur L. Harris, Associate Commissioner for Elementary and Secondary Education. Subject: Replacements for the Title III Advisory Committee: I have attached a proposed memorandum for your signature to the Secretary requesting approval of McGeorge Bundy to replace Quigg Newton on the Title III Advisory Committee on Supplementary Educational Centers and Services. It seems unlikely that Mr. Bundy will be available, but if we could have his services, it would be of tremendous help to the program. Nolan Estes knows Charles Kettering personally and points out that the Kettering Foundation has been keenly interested in supporting innovative programs in education. Attachment. To: The Secretary. U.S. GOVERNMENT MEMORANDUM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE, From: Harold Howe II, U.S. Commissioner of Education. Subject: Advisory Committee on Supplementary Education Centers and Services (title III, Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Mr. Quigg Newton, president of the Commonwealth Fund, has completed a 1-year term on the Advisory Committee on Supplementary Educational Centers and Services, which advises the Commissioner on administration of title III, ESEA. We invited him to serve for an additional 3-year term, but he has indicated he would be unable to do so. As a replacement for Mr. Newton, we are recommending McGeorge Bundy, president of the Ford Foundation, and as his alternate, Charles Kettering, president of the Kettering Foundation. Biographical data sheets for both are attached. Attachments. Approve AUGUST 10, 1966. To: Mr. Harold Howe II, U.S. Commissioner of Education. Subject: Replacements for the Title III Advisory Committee. I have attached a proposed memorandum for your signature to the Secretary requesting approval of Charles Kettering of the Kettering Foundation to replace Quigg Newton on the Title III Advisory Committee on Supplementary Educational Centers and Services. As an alternate to Mr. Kettering, we would propose Merrimon Cuninggim, director of the Danforth Foundation. U.S. GOVERNMENT MEMORANDUM OFFICE OF EDUCATION, To: The Secretary. From: Harold Howe II, U.S. Commissioner of Education. Subject: Advisory Committee on Supplementary Educational Centers and Services (title III, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965). Mr. Quigg Newton, president of the Commonwealth Fund, has completed a 1year term on the Advisory Committee on Supplementary Educational Centers and Services, which advises the Commissioner on administration of title III ESEA. We invited him to serve an additional 3-year term, but he has indicated he would be unable to do so. As a replacement for Mr. Newton, we are recommending Charles Kettering, vice president of the Kettering Foundation, and as his alternate, Merrimon Cuninggim, director of the Danforth Foundation. Biographical data sheets for both are attached. Attachments. Approve: AUGUST 25, 1966. JOHN W. GARDNER. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA Name: Charles F. Kettering, II. Date and place of birth: August 28, 1931, Cleveland, Ohio. U.S. citizen at birth: Yes. Married: January 17, 1953. Wife's name: Jean Shannon. Education: 1957: A.B., Dartmouth College. 1963: Master in personnel services, University of Colorado. Experience: 1958-60: Assistant to the director of admissions, Dartmouth College. 1960-61: Assistant to the director of financial aid, Dartmouth College, and faculty advisor. 1962-63: Academic counsellor and faculty adviser, College of Arts and Science, University of Colorado. 1965: Staff consultant, United Scholarship Fund for American Indian Students. Substitute secondary school teacher in social science area. Memberships and clubs: Mbr. Committee on Science Education, American Academy for Advancement of Science; trustee, Knox College; trustee, Wilberforce University; trustee, Northfield and Mount Hermon Schools, East Northfield, Mass. Military Service: 1351-55, lieutenant, U.S. Air Force. Present position & business address: 1963, vice president, Kettering Foundation, Denver Colo. (trustee of Kettering Foundation since 1956). Name: Merrimon Cuninggim. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA Date and place of birth: Nashville, Tenn. May 12, 1911. U.S. citizen at birth: Yes. Married: June 10, 1939. Wife's name: Annie Whitty Daniel. Education: 1931: A.B. Vanderbilt University. 1933: A.M. Duke University. 1935: B.A. (Rhodes Scholar) Oxford University, England. 1936: Diploma in theology, Oxford University, England. 1939: B.D. Yale University. 1941: Ph.D. Yale University. 1952: Litt.D. Central College, Fayette, Mo. 1961: Litt.D. Pomona College. Experience: 1936-38: Director of religious activities, Duke University. 1941-42: Professor of religion, Emory and Henry College, Emory, Va. 1942-44: Professor of religion, Pomona College, Claremont, Calif. 1946-51: Chaplain, Associated Colleges of Claremont, Calif. 1948-50: Dean, Perkins, School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. 1951-60: Director-designate, Danforth Foundation, St. Louis. 1961- Director, Danforth Foundation. Memberships and clubs: Member, Society for Religion in Higher Education; Omicron Delta Kappa; Delta Kappa Ejsilon; Phi Beta Kappa. Military Service: 1944-46 Chaplain, U.S. Naval Reserve. Present position and business address: Director, Danforth Foundation, St. Louis, Mo. Home Address: 800 Crescent Drive, St. Louis, Mo. |