DOES LATIN HAVE A PLACE IN LARGE-CITY SECONDARY SCHOOLS HAVING A HIGH PROPORTION OF CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED PUPILS. EXPERIMENTAL TEACHING OF NEGRO DISADVANTAGED PUPILS FINDS THE ANSWER TO BE YES, AND GIVES RISE TO PROPOSALS FOR STARTING AND IMPROVING SUCH COURSES. THE FIRST AIRLIE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON TEACHING THE CLASSICS PROVIDED PRINCIPLES FOR AN EXPLORATORY LATIN COURSE TAUGHT BY THE AUTHOR AS PART OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL ANTI-POVERTY SUMMER PROJECT IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IN 1965. THE COURSE WAS DESIGNED TO FIT THE APTITUDES, INTERESTS, AND IDEALS OF INNER CITY STUDENTS. STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS, AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, AND CULTURAL HISTORY FOCUSED ON A GENUINE AND RELEVANT LEARNING EXPERIENCE. TWO LATIN COURSES FOR NEGRO VERBALLY POOR STUDENTS IN DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS DEMONSTRATED THE VIABILITY OF SUCH PROGRAMS IN A REGULAR SCHOOL SETTING. ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE TO TEACHING THEY COULD ASSIMILATE HELPED THE STUDENT'S PROGRESS IN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY. THE CLASSICAL PROFESSION SHOULD COOPERATE IN ESTABLISHING SUCH COURSES. THERE SHOULD BE RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF DESCRIPTIVE LINGUISTICS TO A COMBINED TEACHING OF LATIN AND ENGLISH TO INCREASE THE LANGUAGE COMPETENCE OF THE VERBALLY DISADVANTAGED. (AUTHOR)