The Eckstein School 1950s
CONTROVERSY, DESEGREGATION, AND THE END OF ECKSTEIN
The 1950s were tumultuous times for Eckstein School. In early September 1952 a drama began that culminated in the desegregation of the Congress Avenue elementary school, the closing of the Eckstein School, and a neighborhood changed forever.
On Friday, September 5, 1952, the parents of fourteen Negro elementary school children from the Cleveland and East Willow neighborhood attempted to enroll their children in the Congress Avenue School, where at that time only white children attended first through eighth grades.
The parents asked that the transfer be made since the Congress Avenue School was the closest school to their homes and because of ‘superior’ educational advantages their children would obtain there.
Edith Lewis was one of the parents who tried to enroll her children in the Congress Avenue School. She recalls “we were really upset.” At the time, the second floor of Eckstein had been condemned and the restroom didn’t have a door.
Until the matter was settled Miss Katherine Baker home-schooled the Smiths, the Floyds, the Saunders, and some of the children involved.
Howard Cromwell, Superintendent of Glendale Schools, stated that the timing of the request, on the first day of the school term, made it difficult to comply with the request, as teachers, school materials etc… had already been assigned to the two Glendale schools based on expected attendance figures.
The school board also argued that the Eckstein School had a lower pupil to teacher ratio than the Congress Avenue School.
