Graduate Education, Public Service, and the Negro

Abstract

T HE Federal Government's new equal opportunity program calls for eradicating all vestiges of prejudices, for a complete review of Federal employment practices, and for heavy emphasis on training and development of employees. So spoke John W. Mary, Jr., the Chairman of the U. S. Civil Service Commission, on February 24, 1966, in announcing a government-wide effort to insure equal employment opportunity. Those knowledgeable about the difficulties of achieving meaningful Negro professional employment in government agree, however, that long-run solutions require a special effort, not only by the Federal Government, but also by institutions of higher education, and of graduate education in particular, to attract qualified Negroes to graduate schools and to educate Negroes for graduate school. What can persons in positions of responsibility and leadership in the field of public administration do to help obtain sufficient Negro candidates for graduate departments or schools of public administration? The presentation and analysis of existing programs which are administered by educational institutions can, perhaps, stimulate some specific planning and programming, as can also knowledge of the range of Federal activities and proposals related to equal opportunity in education. The following discussion of these programs