Alumni Forced Rejection Of Debate With Negroes

The Harvard Debate Council has refused an invitation to debate with Bishop College, a small Negro school in Dallas, Texas, because of objections by the local Harvard Club.

A Debate Council team is scheduled to go to Texas over spring vacation as guests of the Dallas Harvard Club to debate with teams from Southern Methodist and Texas Christian Universities.

According to Howard F. Gillette, general secretary of the Alumni, the Debate Council was asked to turn down the invitation from Bishop because "it is a small school and just not in the same league with S.M.U. and T.C.U."

"Didn't Fit the Schedule"

"Here they were debating with the top two universities in town and it seemed proper that they should limit it to that, "Gillette explained. He said that the debates with S.M.U. and T.C.U. are scheduled to take place on the same day and that to plan a third debate with Bishop "just didn't seem to fit into the schedule."

Members of the Debate Council said yesterday that debates with Arkansas A.M. & N, and Atlantic Christian College, both small Southern Negro schools, are included in this year's spring tour schedule.

The invitation to debate with Bishop was received three weeks ago by the Debate Council, which referred it to Gillette. Gillette contacted the Dallas club because "when they are working through Harvard Clubs it seems perfectly reasonable and proper that the thing should be cleared with local Clubs."

'No Prejudice Involved'

Gillette said the Debate Council had complied with the wishes of the Dallas club "as a matter of courtesy" to their hosts. He denied that any racial prejudice had been involved in the feelings of the Dallas organization.

The president of the Harvard Club of Dallas could not be reached for comment last night. The vice-president, Dr. Ronald F. Garvey, told the CRIMSON he knew nothing about arrangements for the debates.

Two years ago, members of the Debate Council almost landed in jail when they debated a Negro college in Alabama, in violation of a state law. Since then the Administration has kept a closer check on the Council's itinerary, and the Debate Council has adopted the procedure of checking debate invitations through the alumni association.

As a general policy, the Debate Council will debate with any school in he country which puts up $25 and furnishes overnight accommodations for team members, if the debate can be worked into the schedule of one of the teams on the spring tour.