ADMINISTRATION OFFICE
LITTLE ROCK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
8th and Louisiana    
Phone FRanklin 5-4465
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

July 26, 1957

The Reverend Wesley Pruden, Pastor
Broadmoor Baptist Church
33 Barbara Drive
Little Rock, Arkansas

Dear Mr. Pruden:

This is the Little Rock Board of Education response to your
letter of July 16, in which you asked certain questions about
school integration. The questions and answers are listed as
follows:

Question 1:  "If you integrate Little Rock Central High School in
September will the negro boys and girls be permitted to attend the
school sponsored dances?  Would the negro boys be permitted to so-
licit the white girls for dances?  Or would discrimination be
permitted here?"

Answer: Certain social functions of our schools which have been
desirable in the past may have to be eliminated.  (Social functions
which would involve race mixing will not be held.)

Question 2: "Will hte white girls be forced to take their showers
with the negro girls, using the same facilities, in connection with
their classes? Or will descrimination be permitted here?"

Answer: All boys and girls will use the regular facilities provided
in required school programs.

Question 3: "If you integrate our Central High School in September,
will that not automatically integrate the white and colored mothers
of the school sponsored PTA? Will the negro women be permitted to
hold office and serve as committee chairman? Or will descrimination
be permitted here?

Answer: The Parent Teacher Association is a voluntary organization
of adults which is self-governing in nature (not controlled by the 
Board of Education or School Administration).  They from their own
policies, elect or select on a democratic majority-rule basis their
officers and committee chairman.  The parents who have made up
this organization in the past have handled many difficult problems
in a commandable manner.  In view of their past actions we have
confidence in them on any problem which may confront them in this
matter.