Nigel E, Raff erty will serve as first president of the board of directors of the Dr. Russell L. Holman Vocational Center, an occupational training school for retarded young women in New Orleans.
Hie center, a community project developed and sponsored by the Junior League of New Orleans, is scheduled to open January, 1961.
Officers of the board and plans for the school were announced Wednesday at a meeting of the board in the old Westminster United Presbyterian church, 1527 Harmony,
This church, which is present-ly being renovated, will be the site of the new school.
DIRECTOR NAMED
Miss Claire M. Robin was named director ' of the center. She was graduated from the former Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette now University of Southwestern Louisiana. Before accepting her present position, Miss Robin taught in Oakdale, Morgan,City, Belle Chasse, and West Jefferson.
During the next month, Miss Robin Will study at several vocational training centers, including the John Eskew Vocational Center in Alexandria and the vocational center for boys in New Orleans.
Other new officers, who will serve one-year terms, are J. Everett Eaves Jr., vice-president; Mrs. Gene Usdin, secretary, and Mrs. Forres Collins, treasurer.
Serving on the executive committee will be the four officers and Brooke Duncan II, John Pre-witt and Dr. Carl Adatto. CHAIRMEN SELECTED
Committee chairmen named at the meeting were: Maurice Stern, building and grounds; Mrs. Gene Usdin, nominating; A. J. Dixon, admissions and curriculum; Mrs. Charles T. Gay, publicity; Brooke Duncan II, placement; Mrs. Collins, finance; Mrs. Taylor Caf-fery, volunteers, and Prewitt, personnel. •
The Junior League, which has agreed to finance the operations of the school for a period of two years, budgeted $25,000 a year for this project. Additional income will be received from the state department of education through its vocational rehabilitation division.
White females 16 years and above will be trained for occupations that best suit the individual student. A placement committee
will try to place the student upon! completion of her training so that' she may be self-supporting. VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE'
In addition to a professional staff, volunteers will serve under the director, primarily to help with the vocational training. The Junior League will provide many of these volunteers.
Present plans call for the training of at least 30 girls at a time. Because of the present location, however, the school in full operation could be expanded to train as many as 40 students at a time, according to Raff erty.
The organization was named for the late Dr. Russell L, Holman of New Orleans, a professor of pathology and head of the pathology department of the Louisiana State university medical school for many years,
Dr. Holman was nast president of the Greater New Orleans Association for Retarded Children. FIEST DISCUSSION
The first meeting to discuss the idea of the vocational center sponsored by the Junior League was held in Dr. Holman's office.
The community board includes representatives of organizations concerned with the mentally retarded citizens interested in this work and educators in this field.
Raff erty said that the program for the next three months includes an orientation for the new director; meetings of the director with the curriculum committee and the admissions committee, and a training program for the volunteer workers.
This program is scheduled to be completed before the opening of the school in January. PHOTO: DISCUSSING PLANS for the Dr. Russell L. Holman Vocational Center, a training school here for mentally retarded girls, are the new officers of the board of directors and the newly* appointed director of the school. They are (seated, from left) Mrs. Forres Collins, treasurer; Mrs. Gene Usdin, secretary; Miss Claire M. Robin, director, and Nigel E. Rafferty, president. J, Everett Eaves Jr. (standing) is vice-president.
