Anti-Communism and High Schools

Newspaper clipping from the Hattiesburg American about a parent's accusation that the public school assigned readings that were communistic, December 11, 1945.

Communism's impact on children was a concern of many southern citizens and politicians. Many believed that communists were trying to infiltrate early education to influence children's thoughts on communism.

Parents and citizens became alert to potential communist influences. On December 11, 1945, the article "Principal Denies Weekly Is 'Red'" appeared in the Hattiesburg American. which covered a situation where a parent complained that "Hattiesburg high school students were being exposed to communistic and socialistic propaganda" in one of the supplementary reading materials, Weekly News Review.

In 1945, L.E. Faulkner, the vice-president of the Mississippi Central Railroad, sent a letter to the president of the board of trustees for Hattiesburg Public Schools in response to the Hattiesburg American article. The board member responded to Faulkner stating that the officials at the high school would not allow communism to be taught at the school. With a copy of the Weekly News Review in hand, Faulkner started researching and writing letters about the publication. He corresponded with Hattiesburg Public Schools' officials including Hattiesburg High School Principal J.T. Wallace. Wallace refuted all claims that the Weekly News Review promoted communist ideas or beliefs, and he defended the credentials of the history teachers who used the publications as supplementary materials in their classes.

Faulkner was certain that the publication exposed children to communism. Through his correspondence with the president of the Board of Hattiesburg Public Schools, Faulkner convinced him that the use of the publication should be discontinued. In addition, Faulkner contacted the National Economic Council, Inc, a conservative lobbying organization that created and distributed publications against communism, socialism, and the New Deal, to see if they had information on the political leanings of the editors of Weekly News Review. The NEC responded that they found that the publication was leftist propaganda and detrimental to high school students. Due to the persistence of Faulkner, the Hattiesburg Board of Trustees voted in February 1946 to cease use of the Weekly News Review in Hattiesburg schools.

In 1964, Mississippi legislators passed a bill requiring high school students to complete a course on "the nature and threat of communism" before graduation. Prior to this bill, the Mississippi Department of Education disseminated information to teachers on how to teach communism to high school students. There was talk about starting an anti-communism institute for teachers, but this idea was never realized.

Front cover of the Weekly News Review featuring a story on socialism, December 3, 1945.

Letter from Earl Johnston Junior to Honorable Frank de Barber February 4, 1964.<br />
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The letter is on Mississippi state sovereignty commission letterhead which list the address as new capital building, Jackson, Mississippi governor Ross are Barnett, chairman<br />
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It is addressed to Honorable Frank D Barber, special assistant to the governor, the capital, Jackson, Mississippi<br />
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Dear Frank:<br />
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I’ve read with interest you enclosure from Dr. Claude a Fike pertaining to an anti-communism Institute for teachers. This appears to be an excellent idea it would certainly be far more effective than occasional seminars in Jackson or speakers address small audiences, who already believe in what the speaker has to say.<br />
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In my recommendation to Governor Johnson for sovereignty commission program during his administration, I mentioned that we could operate affectively on $200,000 for the biennium instead of $250,000 under which we are now operating in the $225,000 recommended by the budget commission. This could be done only if the sovereignty commission can use its funds for its own administrative programs and support of such necessary projects as the anti-communism institute. Under my proposal, we can afford the $5000 per year to match the $2000 in outside support mentioned by Dr. Fike<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Signed by Earl Johnston Junior. Director

Letter from the director of the Sovereignty Commission (Erle Johnston, Jr.) to the Special Assistant to the Governor (Frank D. Barber) about a proposed anti-communism institute for teachers.

Letter written to L. E. Faulkner from GB denham on December 13, 1945. The letter is written on Faulkner concrete pipe company letterhead based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.<br />
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The letter written on December 13, 1945 reads:<br />
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Mr. LE Faulkner, vice president, Mississippi central railroad Hattiesburg, Mississippi.<br />
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Dear Mr. Faulkner:<br />
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There is no basis at all for the article in the Hattiesburg Merrick and of December 11 in titled, “principal denies weekly is read“. Neither Mr. Wallace nor Mr. Blair would permit the teaching of communism or socialistic doctrine in the school.<br />
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The basis of a name citizen subjection seems to have been a biographical sketch of senator Wagner and some other socialistic communistic person whose name I do not recall. Such articles appear in all news weeklies at all news dailies, and very often in the Hattiesburg American. I think it is another case of Andy harm in having popped off without justification. I sometimes think Andy’s main object in life is to stir up strife in the community.<br />
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The board of trustees would not permit on American doctrines to be taught in the schools. We do not, however attempt to review are any course of instruction, because we do not feel competent to do so.<br />
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I am asking Mr. Blair to give you the date requested in your letter, and I am sure he will do so in the near future.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
<br />
GB Denham

Letter from Hattiesburg Public Schools Board Member G.B. Denham to L.E. Faulkner about the use of Weekly News Review at Hattiesburg High School.