D. V. STAPLETON, APPELLANT,
v.
JOHN W. MACY, JR., ET AL., INDIVIDUALLY AND AS MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, APPELLEES
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The court held that employment in a state vocational education program funded by federal money does not qualify as federal employment for civil service retirement credit.
Appellant worked for Mississippi in a vocational education program funded by federal money from 1924-1928 and sought to count this service for civil s…
The full statement of facts, procedural history, and disposition for this case are member content.
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PER CURIAM.
The Smith-Hughes Act1 makes federal funds available to states providing vocational education pursuant to a plan prepared by themselves but approved by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Appellant was employed by the State of Mississippi in such a program from 1924 to 1928 as a Supervisor and Itinerant Teacher-Trainer of Agriculture. He now claims that those years should be counted as part2 of his period of creditable service under Section 3 of the Civil Service Retirement Act. 5 U.S.C.A. § 2253. After due proceedings, the validity of which is not attacked, the Civil Service Commission rejected the claim on the ground that appellant’s employment in the Mississippi vocational training program was not as an “employee” of the Federal Government. See 5 U.S.C.A. §§ 2251(a), 2251(k), 2253(a). The District Court dismissed appellant's application for Declaratory Judgment.
The Commission concluded appellant’s employment with the State of Mississippi was not as a federal employee and was, therefore, not creditable, because (1) appellant was not appointed or employed by a federal officer in his official capacity as such; (2) he was not under the supervision and direction of a federal officer; and (3) he was employed in a program which was essentially a state function. We think these long-established criteria 3 have a “reasonable basis in law” and the findings have "warrant in the record.” Unemployment Comm. v. Aragon, 329 U.S. 143, 154, 67 S.Ct. 245, 91 L.Ed. 136. The judgment of the District Court will accordingly be
Affirmed.
. 20 U.S.C.A. § 11 et seq.
. Appellant has been a federal employee since 1928.
. Appellant does not really dispute the validity of the criteria, but; rather the finding that his employment failed to satisfy them. These criteria have been consistently adhered to by the Commission since their adoption in 1944, despite persistent efforts to change them legislatively so as to permit retirement credit for employment under the Smith-Hughes Act. See H.R. 600, H.R. 2523, H.R. 2751, H.R. 5852. H.R. 9241, 86th Cong., 1st Sess.; S. 578. S. 2549, H.R. 2022. H.R. 2023, H.R. 4762, H.R. 5151, 85th Cong., 1st Sess.; S. 3512, H.R. 10674, 85th Cong., 2nd Sess.; S. 496, S. 1041, H.R. 139. H.R. 379, H.R. 1789, H.R. 3687, H.R. 3799, H. R. 4513, H.R. 5144, 84th Cong., 1st Sess.; H.R. 12052, 84th Cong., 2nd Sess.; S. 420, S. 1780, H.R. 521, H.R. 1553, 83rd Cong., 1st Sess.; S. 1019, H.R. 2868, 82nd Cong.. 1st Sess.; S. 1275, H.R. 3839, H.R. 5231, 81st Cong., 1st Sess.; H.R. 5267, 79th Cong., 1st Sess.