Orleans States-Item (New Orleans, Louisiana) November 14, 1960
Marshals Escort Four Negro Girls Into Two Schools as Crowds Jeer
No Violence
As City Cops
Keep Watch
By EMILE COMAR
Federal marshals escorted four Negro girls past jeering, booing mobs today into previously all-white McDonogh No. 19 and William T. Frantz schools.
It was the first desegregation of public educational facilities in Louisiana since Reconstruction.
There was no violence as hundreds of city police officers patrolled the school grounds.
More than 100 policemen encircled McDonogh No. 19 school, 5919 St. Claude as 100-150 students from Nichols High school marched to the Battle Hymn of the Republic singing “Glory, Glory Segregation.”
Three Negro girls, unidentified, entered McDonogh at 9:15 a.m. with parents and deputy marshals.
Crowd Shouts Disapproval
Reaction of white parents at both schools was similar. Many went into the schools and brought their children out, leaving some classrooms with as few as six children.
At Baton Rouge, the Legislature continued in session though it had apparently lost the key round with
(See Page 6-A for photo story of school desegregation.)
federal judge J. Skelly Wright, who ordered the desegregation.
Lawmakers called on Louisiana’s congressional delegation to join the state in its efforts to stop integration.
Jack Critical of Wright
Rep. Wellborn Jack of Caddo parish questioned whether Judge Wright was “mentally right” after issuing last night’s restraining orders against the entire Legislature to prevent lawmakers in Baton Rouge from wresting control of schools here from elected Orleans parish school board members.
The Legislature last night declared itself to be the governing body over New Orleans 118 public schools and Wright promptly set aside the action with restraining orders against the state’s 140 lawmakers.
State police made a last vain attempt to close schools in New Orleans today in compliance with another legislative order knocked down by Judge Wright with a restrainer.
