Box 3, Folder 17, Document 25

Box 3, Folder 17, Document 25

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By ERNEST M, PHARR

William W, (Bill) Allison,
who will on July 15, become
the first black Executive Ad-
ministrator of Economic On~
portunity J{EOAY whose pro
prams edminister primarily
to black people, told the In-
quirer this week he "will
siress greater development
and use of community re-
sources to assist EOA in
this job of fighting poverty.”

Allison, who came to EQOA

In 1965 | Director of Plan-
ning, is moving up from the
number two position as De-
puty Director because pre-
sent head T, M, (Jim) Par-
ham is accepting a position
with the Institute of Govern-
ment at the University of
Georgia.

Parham, who willbe a spe-
cialist in the field of social
welfare, discussed his ten-
ure as EOA head this week
with the Inquirer, noting,
“Ty feel real good about my
term at EQOA, We've made
some organizational pro-
gress and some key staff
members have developed
very nicely and are ready to
step in,”'

Of Allison, he said, “I
think we couldn’t have found
a better man to take over,
He’s been an important parc
of improved organizationa
gains, He’s demonstrated his
ability to work with every
level of the community and
the staff hes confidence in
him,"’

Allison, a 1950 graduate of
Booker T, Washington High






School here, earned his un-
dergraduate degree from
DePauw University in

Greencastle, Indiana in 1954,
He spent two vears with the
U.S, Army Medical Corps in
Europe and in 1955 attended

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WILLIAM ALLISON

Northwestern Law School, A
holder of the M.A, degree in
Public “Administration from
the University of Pittsburgh,
he spent 1957 in the Middle
East on apilzrimage towards
the center of the Baha'ifaith,

From 1958 to 1943, he was
a researchessociate with the
Council on Economic and
Cultural Affairs, funded by
John D, Rockefeller, IlIl,He
did research on poverty in
the Phillipines. Before com-
ing to EOA, he was Director
of the Merit Employment
Program for American
Friends Service Committee
in High Point, N.C,

Asked if anticipated any
problems as a black ad-
ministrator of EOA, Alli-
son said, ‘i anticipate that
Atlanta will confer upon me
the same honor and respect
as bestowed upon my pre-
decessors,””’ (C, 0, Em-
merich and Parharn)

One sidelight to the Alli-
son appointinent comesfrom
Mrs. Nernona Clayton, col-
umnist, TY personality and
Model Cities staffer, whore~
marked that “somebody
ought to give Bill anhonor.”



A Negro woman, Mrs,
Clayton said, reacted with,
‘J don’t see why nobody
should honor him, He ain’t
hired no Negroes yet. He
ain’t gonna give no Negroes
jobs. Same difference.'’(Al-
lison doesn’t assume his
new duaies until July 15),

Speaking of Parham, Alli-
son said, “I think this isa
loss for EOA, He’s been a
good director, but I have a
lot of interest in this pro-
gram and look to direct a
large program such as EOA
with a considerable degree
of enthusiasm,”

Allison, who will super-
vise 1+ neighborhood sery-
ice centers, some $8 dif-
ferent programs and an an-
nual budget of $11 million,
said, ‘'I will be trying to
stress greater development
and use of community re-
sources to assistEOA inthis
job of fighting poverty.