Howard Dispute Settled After Four-Day Protest

The four-day student protest at Howard University ended Saturday afternoon in what protest leader Ewart Brown described as "an atmosphere of fatigue and victory."

The protest, which involved over two thousand students in a massive Administration building sit-in, ended after three days of round-the-clock negotiations between the protest steering committee and Administration officials. The sit-in was brought to a close when Administration officials granted two of the four steering committee demands and promised "immediate negotiations to resolve other problems."

Howard officials agreed to create a student judiciary committee to review charges against 37 students for disrupting a University program on March 1st. The Admininstration declared "unnegotiable" the student demand for the resignation of Howard President James Nabrit. They also said that the students' fourth demand for curriculum changes "will require further discussion."

Kenneth Clark, prominent Negro psychologist and Howard trustee, read the agreement at 2 p.m. on the steps of the Administration Building before a noticeably tired group of 2500 students.

"Any interpretation as to winning or losing by either side misses the whole point," Dr. Clark said. "We are very happy this was resolved without bringing law enforcement officers on the campus."

However, both protest leaders and the student body as a whole regarded the settlement, in Brown's words: "(As a) victory for black students not only at Howard but at every black college."

As 1000 students filed out of the administration building Saturday afternoon carrying blankets and suitcases, conversation centered around today's return of Howard President James Nabrit. The resignation of Nabrit became the chief student demand as sentiment swelled during the protest. Students claimed that Nabrit spent too much time away from the campus and neglected the "problems and issues raised by the student body." Nabrit was reported to be in Puerto Rico when the protest started. He is scheduled to retire in July and would face mandatory retirement because of age--he is 68--in September.

Classes are scheduled to resume Wednesday. Student leaders said that negotiations with Administration officials will continue Tuesday.