The Northwest Enterprise

Correspondence Infers Highway
Head Prejudiced Against Color

Note: See Editorial Comment

Several months ago an honor graduate in the school of Engineering, University of Washington, tried to secure employment with the State Highway department, and was given the well known "run around." The reason this young man was given first one excuse, then another relative to employment as an engineer was because he was American, but not one of pure Caucasian extraction, according to his statements. His name, Avis Dennis, winner of the Community Scholarship several years ago.

Jack Steinberg, progressive young lawyer, who served as attorney for the appropriations committee of the senate at the last legislature, interested himself in Dennis' case, with the result of L. V. Murrow, Director of Highways, plainly inferring color prejudice in a portion of the correspondence between himself and Mr. Steinberg. The correspondence is as follows:

March 15, 1939

Lacey V. Murrow, Director
Department of Highways
Olympia, Washington

Dear Mr. Murrow:

You will perhaps recall that while I was the attorney for the Senate Appropriations Committee I spoke with you concerning the employment of a young Negro engineer, Mr. Dennis. This is an old matter which I have discussed at great length with Mr. Turnbull. He promised me that he would give Mr. Dennis every consideration.

The case of Mr. Dennis has aroused widespread discussion in the Negro community here in Seattle because of the race issue and I personally am interested in the matter in my capacity as attorney for the International Labor Defense, without charge.

The Northwest Enterprise, a Negro community newspaper here, has carried headline articles, copies of which are in the possession of Mr. Turnbull, concerning the matter.

The whole matter could be smoothed over and amicable relationship once again restored if employment were given to Mr. Dennis who is a very fine scholar and a capable engineer.

I will appreciate it very much if you will do what you can in the matter, and I await your response.

Very truly yours,

(Signed) Jack Steinberg

Olympia, Washington
March 31, 1939

Mr. Jack Steinberg
903 Smith Tower
Seattle, Washington

Dear Mr. Steinberg,

I have for acknowledgment your letter of March 15, in which you call attention to the desirability of offering employment to a colored boy by the name of Dennis.

When you mentioned this matter to me during the session, I did not recall that it was the same question that we have discussed in this department a number of times before and there are certain phases of this problem that I should like to call to your attention.

In the first place, this department already employs several colored persons, all of whom have been

Murrow's Letter To Att'y Steinberg
Discloses Department's Bias Policy
Censures Dennis' Method Of Application; Claims
Other Jobs Are Available
Highway Head Biased
(Continued from page 1)

To begin with, immediately following a preliminary interview with Mr. Turnbull, Dennis apparently found it necessary to carry this question of employment with the Highway Department to the newspapers and thereby to create a very definite issue. It has always been our policy to attempt to offer employment to persons capable of filling certain positions and not to have them definitely decide that they would work nowhere else except with the department and attempt to force the question of this employment.

There are a number of other engineering organizations more immediately available to Dennis, which organizations do not 'have the problem of transfers and having residence at certain seasons of the year in construction camps.

I believe, therefore, that the best interests of the department would be served by maintaining our present position with respect to employment for this man.

Very truly yours,
(Signed) L. V. Murrow
Director of Highways

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