Bob Martin, 1956 Kewpie also endorses the naming of "Neil C. Aslin High School"

This is a letter recommending that the Columbia Public School District name the new High School after Dr. Neil C. Aslin Superintendant of the Columbia Public School System from 1946 -1961.  There are several highly qualified candidates for this unique distinction who have contributed to the betterment of the Columbia Public Schools, but the person who established the foundation for the excellence enjoyed by our school district was Dr. Neil C. Aslin.

First a bit of background, on why I personally feel qualified in so strongly recommending Dr. Aslin. I attended the Columbia Public Schools from Kindergarten at Grant School through High School at Hickman High School. I was privileged to have served in a variety of elected positions while at Hickman.  I was Student Body President in 1954-55, Basketball Captain during the same time.  The reason for bringing this up is because of the nature of the environment surrounding school districts during those years.  As a student leader, I had a responsibility to assist the administration in the implementation of programs that affected us, the students, of Hickman High School.

My father, Noah E. Martin, was President of the School Board from 1943 through 1955 and he was instrumental in hiring Dr. Aslin, first as principle of Hickman and ultimately as the Superintendent of Schools.  My father was always proud of Dr. Aslin as he grew in stature and became recognized not only locally and regionally, but nationally as one of the nation’s outstanding School administrators.  As President of the School Board, it was my father’s responsibility, in conjunction with the Superintendent, to shape and plan programs that affected the Columbia Public School System.

It is rumored that the Columbia School District was one of the first (if not the first) in the Nation to accept the United States Supreme Court decision to de-segregate the Nations schools. Nothing better exemplifies the nature of Dr. Aslin’s administrative ability, than how he directed the implementation of this decision in the Columbia Public Schools in 1954. 

In the history of our Nation’s public schools, at no time from their modest one-room school house beginnings were the schools faced with much controversy. Up until 1954, most of the issues that school administrators dealt with were local in nature, and for the most part the worst thing a school district had to deal with was a disgruntled parent. As we saw elsewhere, the potential for violence that faced all school systems in the summer of 1954 was real.

The 1950’s was a tenuous time for many school districts.  De-segregation tore apart many school systems and communities.  The riots in Little Rock, and in Alabama were examples of the most public of responses.  Throughout the Nation, elected school board members were subjected not only to criticism, but also to personal threats.  School administrators were in jeopardy of losing their positions as the public in many parts of the country reacted unfavorably to the government’s directive. 

The disgruntled public responded in a variety of ways to the de-segregation issue depending upon their ability to replace the School Board or the school’s administration.  In some School Districts, the anti de-segregation electorate replaced the members of the School Board with persons sympathetic to their position.  This placed the school administrators who had implemented the direction of the School Board at risk. In others, attempts were made to fire the school administrators for adhering to the government mandate.  In some communities the Private School enrollment increased, as parents chose this method to avoid the de-segregation of the Public Schools. The Catholic Schools had an increase in non-catholic pupil enrollment.  In other cities, new private schools were created with the sole purpose of avoiding the government directive of de-segregation.

None of this happened in Columbia.  Through Dr. Aslin’s leadership a plan was developed that transferred two students a year from Douglass to Hickman.  This was done for a minimum of 3-5 years.  I was not at Jefferson Jr. High to know what was done there, but I assume a similar plan was put into place allowing the total integration of Hickman, Jefferson Jr. and any of the grade schools affected in a timely and orderly manner.  We had no problems integrating our schools in Columbia, Missouri, thanks to Dr. Aslin.

Dr. Aslin was a leader of men.  Many of the persons he hired as administrators for the Columbia Public School System, he mentored.  Bob Shaw, Russell Thompson, Jim Ritter, Eliot and Muriel Battle all hired by Dr. Aslin became the individuals who continued that standard of excellence encouraged by Dr. Aslin.  Bill Clark’s article which I have attached is a statement to this fact.
Few men have left as lasting an impression on any organization they have led, as Dr. Aslin did the Columbia Public School System.  It is only fitting that a High School should bear his name as a lasting tribute to an outstanding leader. 
 

Very Sincerely,

Robert W. Martin

From 'The Columbia Daily  Tribune'
Legendary leader should be honored
By BILL CLARK
Friday, September 10, 2010
 

Neil C. Aslin High School.

What better tribute to the man who transformed public education in our town and established Columbia’s public schools as role models for the nation than to name our city’s new high school for him?

If you’re younger than 50, the Aslin name probably won’t light many fires. I hope this column will do that honor.

Neil Aslin was born near the small southeast Missouri community of Idalia on Jan. 19, 1911, graduated from Bloomfield High School, earned his bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State Teachers College and served as a teacher, principal and superintendent in various southeast Missouri schools for nearly a decade as he finished a master’s degree at the University of Missouri.

He came to Columbia to stay in 1942 to teach at Hickman High School, then became the principal in 1944 for three years.

Neil became Columbia’s superintendent of schools Dec. 6, 1946. Columbia had two high schools — one of them for blacks only — one junior high and five elementary schools.

Immediately ahead was the population explosion of the baby boom. In the not-too-distant future, integration was inevitable. To Neil Aslin, the future was a challenge to be relished.

A strong school system must be built on a strong foundation. Neil summed it up early: “The only way to provide a good program of education is to provide good teachers and good buildings.” Here are a few of those teachers — the building blocks of a strong foundation — he hired in his 15 years as superintendent, the longest term anyone had served in that position at the time.

He hired Muriel and Eliot Battle in 1956 to bolster an already strong faculty at Douglass School. The Battles have been towers of strength in Columbia for more than half a century.

He hired Bob Shaw, Aslin’s successor when he moved on to MU and a second successful career in education. Shaw, who died recently, led Columbia’s schools for 14 years.

He hired Russ Thompson, who was superintendent for 18 years, exceeding the record for longevity set by his mentor and role model.

He hired Jim Ritter, who served six years as superintendent after a long career as teacher and administrator.

Neil Aslin and three men he hired and mentored served a total 53 of the past 63 years as the leadership of our award-winning school system.

Let me run these names by you: Hank Steere, Conrad Stawski, Wayne Walker, Vernon Barr, Ken Clark, Kent Kurtz, Dale Powell, O.V. Wheeler, Jim Delbert, Dick Muzzy, Lynn Marine, Jim Chevalier, Jim Denninghoff. They are a few of the administrators, principals and teachers who spent most of their careers sending our kids into the world with a first-class education.

After 15 years as superintendent, Neil moved to MU to teach others what he had learned during two decades as a leader in Columbia — first as a teacher, then as chairman of the Department of Education administration from 1968 until his death in 1976 at age 65.

The Aslin family reflected their dad’s devotion to education, His son, Jack, has spent a career in finance, but his daughters have been lifelong teachers. Karen, who died recently, enjoyed a career as a special education teacher; Patty Jackson was an elementary teacher for three decades, retiring from Mill Creek School. Her husband, Owen, was an assistant superintendent in the Columbia system.

Neil Aslin often summed up his philosophy for success: “Modern education institutions must avoid becoming rigid and impersonal. Efficiency in schools is important but can be overdone.”

Columbia’s public schools have reflected that philosophy for more than 63 years.

It is now time to honor the man who made us who we are, who led us through expansion, integration and into the age of technology, using his rare judgment to hire great staff members, then moving on to teach the state and the world how to do the same.

Neil C. Aslin High School. Sure sounds right, doesn’t it?

Bill Clark’s columns appear Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Reach him at 474-4510.

Dear Dr. Brown:

I am so happy to be able to make a strong recommendation for the name of the new Columbia high school to bear that of Dr. Neil C. Aslin. Others have spoken about his time with the Columbia Public Schools. However, his educational influence went far beyond that after he left the superintendency, and went on as the University of Missouri Department Chairman for Educational Administration and Supervision. It was there that he became the biggest reason for my success in education, as well as for many others. 

Thirteen years after I graduated from Hickman (’56), he welcomed me into the department as his first woman advisee so I could complete a master's in secondary school administration, with aspirations for at least an assistant principalship. After that, I went on for my Ed.D. in educational administration and supervision with him still as my advisor. He passed away before I could finish it, but the rest of his department, including Dr. Bob Shaw and Dr. Roger Harting among others, carried me through. He knew I had a counselor heart as well, and before I was done, I finished certification in that also, netting me a total of five teaching certificates. My mother, Elizabeth Lowrance, was also a big advocate of his, and he allowed her all kinds of flexibility to make education better for kids, honoring her for her efforts in the process. 

In 1979, one of my colleagues, Jim L. King, was allowed to write his dissertation on Neil Aslin's life and contributions. It is called Neil C. Aslin - Educator, and should be found somewhere in the University system. Toward the end, there is a list of all his advisees, including those about to take their final doctoral exams. All had achieved distinctive educational positions which included eleven superintendents, ten assistant superintendents, nine high school principals, five assistant principals, one educational specialist, two education directors, one curriculum director, one Title I supervisor, one project manager for the improvement of instruction, one with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, one director of community services, one director of personnel, one director of guidance at the American School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and three with miscellaneous educational titles.

At the college and university level, there was one university vice-president, two community college presidents, one assistant to the president, one assistant provost, one department chairman for educational administration and supervision, two education department heads, two education professors, four associate professors, three assistant professors, one dean of instruction, one professor and admissions director, three directors of admissions/registrars and one assistant dean of extension. What a tremendous legacy for Dr. Aslin to have passed down, that so many could fit so well into the educational spectrum and try to make a difference in people’s lives through following this great man’s example. 

Not only did all of us benefit, but so did North Central Association, our accrediting agency. After having previously worked with North Central, he was elected state chairman in 1964. He achieved the ultimate honor when he was elected as president in 1972-73. He was a member of many other organizations as well, contributing significantly to the Missouri Association of Secondary Principals as well as to the national organization. 

Dr. Aslin was also noted for his bottom-line sense of humor, some of which I’ve spoken about in my memoir. These happened in one of my classes with him in the seventies:

     Questions were pouring in from students already in administration and from would-be’s. A nun from a parochial school asked how in the world were they to get funding in this era of diminishing budgets. Dr. Aslin thought for a moment. 
     “Have you tried prayer?”
     We were talking about disciplining super-studs in the classroom who later had to be sent to the principal’s office, when an aspiring principal’s questions kept escalating to the final one.
     “What if it looks like nothing is working and the student finally tells you to go to hell?” 
     Sensing the young man needed to mature in his thinking, Dr. Aslin responded, “Don’t go.” 

If there is anything else I can do to help with this effort, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Ann Lowrance Allman, Ed.D
jfallman@sbcglobal.net

From: Neil  J. Aslin
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 11:26 AM
To: 'wbrown@columbia.k12mo.us'

Good morning Dr. Brown…
 

Neil C. Aslin is my dad, and I am one of a large group of graduates from the Columbia Public School system that witnessed his leadership through three major changes in the school system between 1948 and 1978: 1) Providing facilities enabling Columbia’s public schools to support the needs of the population boom following WWII;  2)  Desegregating  Columbia’s schools almost immediately after the Supreme Court's decision. No demonstrations, no big debates or threats or car burnings.  In my opinion, this was one of Columbia's finest moments...a message to the rest of the state and to the nation; and 3) Assuring  public school administrations in Columbia would be in the hands of highly qualified Administrators after he moved on. 

It's always been my feeling that the sitting Columbia Public School Board, and its Superintendent through those years,  have not received proper credit for doing the right thing at the right time. Their issues were large; their decisions were historic decisions…but not much heralded then, nor since. 

Now is the time to permanently recognize…not only my Dad…but all those Board Members who supported, and Administrators who followed,  him.

Bill Clark’s column about growth of the city's public schools post WWII, refreshes all our memories and, rightly, mentions the long list of outstanding school administrators. Each an involved citizen and fine neighbor.   Bill correctly made the case for naming the new high school "Neil C. Aslin", in honor of his legacy,  and the contributions of all those who followed him, most of whom were named individually in Bill's column. Long term Columbia citizens  know each of those names,  and know that each one was a credit to the profession and to the continuing success of CPS. 

I hope you share my thoughts with your colleagues and those who are charged to make this historic decision. 

Sincerely.

Neil J. Aslin