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THE NEBRASKAN
Fridoy, April 70. 1956
Ncbraskan Editorials:
IITUI MAN ON CAMPUS
by Dick Bibler
Oof Vanishing Chairmen
The resignation of Dr. William F. Swindler,
(director of the School of Journalism, is the sec
ond instance of a department-level professor
leaving his post this week.
The first, that of the replacement of'C. Clyde,
Mitchell as head of the Ag Economics Depart
ment, came because the College of Agriculture
believed the research activities of the depart
ment could be expanded under another chair
man. Dr. Swindler's resignation, which had been
formulating for some months, came because of
"incompatible differences of opinion." Appar
ently, Dr. Swindler and those to whom he ad
dressed his suggestions for the administration
of the school did not agree.
Thus, both the replacement of Dr. Mitchell
and the resignation of Dr. Swindler occurred
because the University believed their particular
functions could be rendered better by other men
unnamed and apparently not yet chosen.
The Ag Economics Department under Dr.
Mitchell seems not to have done the things the
University would have liked it to do. Dr.
Swindler's idea of how the school of journalism
should be run did not agree with the idea's of
his peers.
The important question is, however, whether or
not these disagreements came from the Univer
sity, or from pressures and influences outside
of what is regularly considered the University
community.
If this is the case, the resignation of one man
nd the replacement of another step beyond the
plane of regular administrative functions.
Dr. Swindler, in his "Upper Chamber" column
in today's Nebraskan, pointed out five develop
ments he wanted integrated into the school of
journalism. Two of them were employed in the
school, although one was used only temporarily.
Of Dr. Swindler's ideas, the development of
radio - journalism and television journalism
through the Department of Speech were achieved.
A plan for using The Nebraskan as a lab device
for journalism students was put into operation
for a few years, then abandoned.
These ideas may or may not have worked,
but in essence they would have broadened the
scope of the school, perhaps drawing in more in
terest in journalism.
Whatever their worth, they were rejected, and
Dr. Swindler could not run his school the way
he wanted it to be run. He was prevented from
this by edicts from above.
Just where this "above" lies is not clear.
Were the recent replacement and resignation
based on the University's attempt to improve its
academic functions in these two areas?
If that is so, then the replacement of these two
men is purely a matter of finding two others
seemingly better qualified.
Or, as Dr. Swindler's resignation and his
Upper Chamber suggest, is it a case of pressures
outside the University?
Is it another instance where the Administra
tion has been unable to resist such pressure?
The strength of academic freedom at this
University lies in the answer to these two ques
tions. F.T.D.
Y0U HAVE USED TH' FIRST 10 MINUTES -40TOG0
Russian Threat
U.S. Should Em
Trade, Not Do
ohasize
lar Aid
By JOHN HEECKT
With recent overtures of Rus
sian assistance to West Europe
still ringing in their ears, per
haps the statesmen of this great
nation will put aside public pres
sures for a bit of conscientious
reappraisal of our own policy con
cerning aid to this area.
Certainly, with the wolves knock
ing at the very door of the citadel
of Western power, there could
be no more propitious time for
this appraisal.
The Russians have struck at the
heart of the difficulties encountered
in putting Western Europe on a
sound economic footing; that is
the lack of dollars with which to
but the necessary materials re
quired to build industry and car
ry out trade.
They recognizing this tremen
dous deficiency, have offered trade
and assistance to these nations, but
only on a ruble basis.
If Western businessment take
the Russian offer, it should come
government; and it is probably
as no surprise to the American
W
. . . 'Preserved By Nothing Less'
This is true liberty, when free-born men,
Having to advise the public, may speak
free, Which he who can, and will, de
serves high praise; Who neither can, nor
will, may hold his peace; What can be
justcr in a state than this?
Euripedes, Suppliants
A amusing bit of nonsense were it not so seri
oushas come to the attention of The Nebraskan.
The Thursday World Herald, in a lead editor
ial, allied what they call "the pink flag" of
the American Association of University Profes
sors to the fact that the association lost four
thousand members in the past year.
The reason, the Herald continues, is that "...
at least four thousand faculty men and women
cannot stomach the position taken by those whs
speak for the association."
The Nebraskan doubts that the Herald talked
with anyone who attended the convention in St.
Louis or even read the wire dispatches con
cerning the convention.
First of all, in talking with the local AAUP
delegate, the Nebraskan learned that the drop in
membership lists was not due to any lack of
interest in the organization. It was simply be
cause the national executive secretary died and
in transferring the membership lists the rolls
were somehow not kept up to date.
Secondly, Nebraska's delegate reported that
(1) the convention some weeks ago was nearly
twice as big as it has ever been; (2) the people
attending were almost twice the number expect
ed; (3) almost everyone stayed at the convention
and "attended to business;" (4) the interest and
vigor of the delegates was at an all-time high,
' and (5) a sizable increase in AAUP membership
is expected in the coming year.
But far more serious than grossly misrepre
senting the facts of the AAUP convention, the
Herald has badly challenged the principles of
academic freedom upon which the AAUP and
every university stands.
It encourages, by direct implication, the valid
ity of witch hunts, the elastic inference, the
doctrine of guilt by association, the innuendo,
the trial by press, radio and special interest
groups.
And in so doing the Herald editorial has ne
glected the dignity of the individual, his right
to speak freely and his protection in the philos
ophy of academic freedom.
A faith in academic freedom is the abiding
faith that democracy and the principles which
sustain it have the necessary momentum to
perpetuate themselves.
It is the simple realization that a great uni
versity and a free society thrive on creative
diversity and wither on coerced conformity.
Implicit is the necessity to explore all possi
bilities, consider all objectives, apply all pos
sible tests, search through error for truth and
express postulates which do not have common
acceptance.
Today, when it is all too evident that the Uni
versity of Nebraska is weakening to pressures
outstate, when it is all too apparent that the
University is unduly sympathizing with Nebraska
political factions, when it is all to obvious that
the University is not only discouraging the more
liberal approach of its faculty members but
even more seriously failing to support those pro
fessors who have the guts to express their opin
ions freely, it becomes imperative that students
and faculty alike understand and appreciate the
principles of academic freedom which protect
our University.
The principles of democracy, the standards of
academic freedom, the fundaments of a uni
versity and the University of Nebraska were
established by resourceful men of courage.
They will be preserved by nothing less. B. B.
The Upper Chamber
uinifiioini Of SshoOi
To Chai
Worthwhile Entertainment
University students and Lincoln citizens will
find a delightful evening of entertainment by
attending the Kosmet Klub's Spring Show, "Kiss
Me Kate."
This year's Kosmet Klub show is an outstand
ing production. The show looks good and the
members of the cast have spent many hours
practicing to give this campus a musical pro
duction to rival the original show on Broadway.
This show is truly an all-University production
s the entire cast, actors, dancers and chorus
members are associated with this campus. Un
dergraduates, graduates and faculty members
re involved in the production, the purpose of
which is to provide University students with some
good entertainment at a reasonable price.
In spite of fraternity and sorority formals and
a production sponsored by outside interests dur
ing the KK show's run, ticket sales are going
well. Many students realize tha. University pro
ductions are often superior to outside enter
tainment. It is also quite amazing many times
to consider the wealth of talent on this campui
that is exhibited only at shows of this type,
It must also be emphasized that this spring
show is not a "money-making scheme." Actual
ly the spring show in itself is a financial loss.
"Kiss Me Kate" will be financed largely by
the receipts from last fall's KK show.
In other words, Kosmet Klub feels that this
University needs such a show as they are pre
senting and their sole purpbse is to provide an
evening of outstanding entertainment. Every
person who attends "Kiss Me Kate" will be do
ing himself a favor. B. S.
An Educational Experience
April 26 and 27 has been scheduled for the
44th annual Engineers Week, a series of events
only vaguely familiar to the average University
student.
Perhaps the 'most interesting phase df the
events to the non-scientific student will be the
exhibits on display during the college's open
house.
Displays usually include such interesting items
as color television, electronic-eye devices and
other contrivances of the science world for the
benefit of the average citizen.
In this increasingly scientific world, it is im
possible to disregard science as a factor in
everyone's life. Or to regard it as something
which makes school uncomfortable and will go
' a wsy in time.
E-Week is designed to let the average citizen
set what science at large is accomplishing in
'some areas and what the University School of
Engineering and Architecture is accomplishing
in particular.
It is wise of the E-Week planners to arrange a
public showing of what is going on in these
mysterious laboratories in Ferguson, Brace and
Avery which are so often filled with smoke,
rancid odors snd myriad strange-looking wires.
Such things as E-Week are excellent public
relations opportunities for the University. It
shows that students are being trained for voca
tions in the University and do not exist in a
Heidelbergian haze.
E-Week is also an educational experience for
students interested enough to attend some of
tjbe events. The average student will not under
stand all the exhibits' construction or uses, but
they will probably gain a glimmering of under
standing. If enough students attend, science might not
seem so divorced from the reality of every-day
life. J.B.
Tho No hraskan
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Courtesy Lincoln Star
By DR. WILLIAM F. SWINDLER
(Eds. Note.) Today's Chal
lenge was written by Dr. Wil
liam F. Swindler, Director of the
School of Journalism. Dr. Swind
ler's resignation as Director was
released Thursday.
This spring will complete my
ten-year record as director of the
School of Journalism, and since
this period covers the development
of the school since the second
World War it represents a rather
logical frame of reference for the
following remarks.
The chronic shorthandedness of
our staff only four years out of
the decade have seen us at full
strength and the steady turnover
in personnel due to budget inade
quacies has handicapped this en
terprise, but by the spring of 1955
we felt that we had worked out a
concept of professional education
which is sound and forward-looking.
If competnent educators and
practitioners find it so, I person
ally shall feel that the decade has
been well spent.
This program deals what I con
sider to be the two fundamental
contradictions of most liberal edu
cation as it now operates.
First, there is the theory that
certain elements are essential to
a broad humanitarian learning
(language and literature; natural
and physical science; symbolic rea
soning represented in mathemat
ics and logic; the arts, music and
the theater; the economic, social
and political activities of society,
in both their historical and con
temporary setting).
This is contradicted by the prac
tice of permitting students to by
pass much of this presumably es
sential subject-matter by the elec
tive system.
It is a contradiction because, If
these Ingredients are needed for
a complete liberal education
and I am convinced that they are
a system which permits by-pas
sing any of them operates to pre
vent the education from being com
plete. Second is the assumption that,
by taking specific courses in these
areas, a liberal education will re
sult. That is, from the study of
mathematics, say, an understand
ing of the processes of recognizing
abstract relationships will be ac
quired. The contradiction lies in the gen
erally recognized fact that the
first course in any of these sub
jects almost never does that in
stead it aims at preparing the
student for the second course in
the subject, and presumably for
a major in the subject.
We are aware of the argument
that it is necessary to begin on
a small scale and let the student's
understanding grow with the ad
dition courses; our extensive
reading and discussion with many
educators in many fields, how
ever, convinced us that in all
too many instances the subject be
gins with a limited view which be
comes progressively narrower
and more specialized in succeed
ing courses.
To d(vise a curriculum which
would attempt to resolve those
two dilemmas thus became our
major problem. We agreed at the
outset that the solution did not
lie In the substitution of so-called
"survey" courses even assum
ing that such courses could be got
ten Into the University curricu
lum. What was manifestly needed was
not to try to do away with still
more of a core of requirements
which had already been relnxed
excessively, but to add to the mini
mum requirements of the college
granting the degree (journalism
majors may be taken through Ag
riculture, Arts and Science, or
Business Administration) new re
quirements tied to the Professional
Certificate over which the school
itself had jurisdiction.
This is the rather lengthy ex
planation of how we arrived ot the
reorganized certificate program
last spring
Without going into further detail,
It is enough to say that the re
vised curriculum seeks to cover,
through a program of directed
readings, basic materials in the
subject-matter fields which may
have been by-passed by the elec
tive system, and also to supply
the broader view of the subject
which is presumed, but not real
ized, in many specific courses ac
tually taken in these fields.
Another way In which the school
has tried to effectuate a genuinely
broad education for its journalists
has b e en through the "senior
seminar," which seeks to tie to
gether many fields of activity
scientific, philosophical, artistic,
literary, political, economic in
the United States of the twentieth
century as background to the news
of the present.
This, then, is what we have been
about, in the main, during the post
war decade. Lest it sound unduly
esoteric, may I add that we have
simultaneously devoted ourselves
to the practical problems of apply
ing this general educational back
ground to the everyday process of
journalism.
Inasmuch as it was recognized
at the outset that a full-scale lab
oratory approach to journalism
teaching such as the Univer
sity of Missouri has so successful
ly accomplished, for example
was an economic impossibility at
the University of Nebraska; we
had to see that our students got
their practical experience outside
of the school.
This led to our practice of sys
tematically steering students
into jobs on local newspapers, rad
io stations, advertising depart
ments, etc. while they were in
school, or arranging whenever pos
sible for them to take summer
work out in the state.
This obviously has its limita
tions not everyone can be guar
anteed a job, for example, nor
can everyone be compelled to take
one for the experience. Most im
portant, it is not possible to cor
relate this work with classroom
study..
But It is decidedly better
than nothing and nothing is
what H will be if we wait for
the $250,000 original capital out
lay and the $100,000 annual bud
get which would be needed to
duplicate the Missouri system.
There have been some specific
opportunities for further develop
ment of the practical training of
the school, however, which our
faculty recognized at the outset.
For the record, I should like to
submit these for the attention of
any whom it may concern, viz.:
1. In 1948 and again in 1954 our
faculty prepared a plan for more
effective utilization of The Nebras-"
kan as a laboratory device for
journalism and advertising-management
students.
2. In 1948 and again in 1955 it
was formally recommended that
the University's offerings in ad
vertising be incorporated more
definitely into the curriculum of
the School of Journalism.
3. In 1948, in close and friendly
cooperation with the Department
of Speech, the work in radio-journalism
was reorganized; and in
1954 when the University went into
television, this working arrange
ment was extended to that new
medium of journalism.
Tp thcue three items of prac
tical Journalistic training, two
others should be mentioned be
cause our faculty has consiKtent
ly advocated that action be taken
upon them.
4. In 1947 and again in 1952 the
school requested that it be given
permission to develop a program
of field work with the newspapers
of the state. It has always been
our position as a faculty that this
is important and has been neglect
ed to the detriment of the school
because no encouragement or fi
nancial support for the idea was
forthcoming.
5. In 1948 and on two subsequent
occasions during the decade our
faculty made formal request for
permission to develop a graduate
program partly because a sig
nificant number of students from
our own campus and from other 1
institutions seemed to want it, and
more importantly because we be- i
lieve that in a university commun
ity a graduate program offers in
dividual faculty members an im
portant intellectual stimulus and
research opportunities.
I suppose that my reason for
intruding upon Nebraskan readers
with these five items of agenda
which have not been acted upon
except in the case of radio and
television journalism " is that
these are the obvious areas which
need development in this school,
and it is human nature not to want
to be charged with failure to recog
nize that these need development
when in fact we did recognize
them, recommended action and
proposed specific plans, and got
no authorization to proceed.
Finally, in the present temper
of the community, I feel im
pelled to make this summary
statement of the guiding princi
ple of journalism education dur
ing my tenure as director:
The essential purpose of an in
stitution of higher learning, and
necessarily of a curriculum in
journalism, is to hold out to its
students the challenge of new ideas.
This means getting students to
look critically at orthodox con
cepts and practices not from
the premise that they are bad be
cause they are long-accepted, but
that they are good only if they can
stand continual reexamination.
Since journalism education, like
journalism practice, depends upon
a continual rotation of emphasis
upon the news media themselves,
the news and the background of
news, the prevalence of orthodoxy
and the opportunity for challenge
is everywhere manifest.
I liave been perfectly aware that
such a philosophy will stir things
up. That, I take it, is the function
of education, in the final analysis.
I am also convinced that it is
the soundest way to whet the in
tellectual powers of the educated
journalist and prepare him for a
useful career.
If this philosophy is correct,
there can be no compromising
with something less, whether it is
urged by one interest or another
among the many which continual
ly press upon t h e independent
thinker.
expected by the leading American
economists.
This group of economists has
claimed since the beginnings of
American aid that the only real
solution for the recovery of these
countries is in the trade they ask
for, not in the aid we give them.
For in order for these countries
to rise to what we consider a de
cent living standard, they must be
able to specialize; in order to spe
cialize they must be able to sell
their products abroad, enabling
them to buy the things they do not
produce and in turn supply West
Europe with buying power and cap
ital to pay debts; these two coun
tries are the United States and Rus
sia. We have consistently refused,
through our tariff legislation, to
trade with these countries on an
anywhere near reasonable basis.
We have instead granted them
huge sums of money which gen
erally was of no permanent value
to their overall gain in the living
standards, served merely to an
tagonize them and cost the in
dividuals of this nation billions of
dollars that need not have been
spent.
We are at present preparing to
devote another five billion of thess
dollars to the same futile cause.
Why not save the tax payers of
the country about $4,000,000,000 of
this amount and give that much
trade to the Western European
countries?
Perhaps the one big reason is
that American business interests
have long coerced the government
from following this logical policy.
It appears that the day of tha
shrewd Yankee Trader has pas
sed and now our business depends
not on men who know how to meet
competition, but men who actual
ly fear it.
The Portfolio
It seems surprising that even
though the Randall Commission
and many private surveys hava
indicated the only real harm from
foreign trade would be the stifling
of industries in this country that
have never been a profitable part
of its economy, and that only ex
isted because of the lack of compe
tition the United States will not
allow foreign trade of any degree,
but has actually hampered it mora
through the Republican amend
ments of the Reciprocal Trade
Agreements Act which was out one
contributing to the ending of inter
national trade barriers.
U. S. foreign policy has long
been a subject of scathing attacks,
not only by foreign observers with
hundreds of years experience in
making foreign policy, but also by
the most renowned political sci
entists in this country and a good
many of the permanent members
of the foreign service.
This type of illogical, wasteful
and inaffective policies, such as
the one concerning foreign aid,
may indicate the reason why.
it happened at nu
A young University coed was
skillfully applying her knowledge
of botany in a lab project. Her
particular work involved the
growing of certain plants, watch
ing their development and record
ing their growth.
Her professor helped her get the
plants started, and watched her
keep careful records. She seemed
to be getting along well, and pro-
fessed a keen interest in her work.
When the project was completed.
the professor asked the coed a
few questions involving the struc
ture of the plant, and the use of
the various Darts. Finallv. h
asked her where the seeds came
from that made the plant grow.
"From a bottle," she answered.
Nebraskan Letterip
Blow To Liberal Views
on the part of
To the Editors:
November 21, 1953, was the day
which seemed to close the con
troversy between Regent J. Leroy
Welsh and our colleague C. Clyde
Mitchell.
At that date the principles of
academic freedom had been en
dorsed by the Board of Regents in
a splendid statement which was
submitted to them by Dean W. V.
Lambert:
"The men and women se
lected by this university, as
a part of the structure of high
er education, are chosen for
their proficiency, their expert
nrss, In various fields.
"By virtue of their training
and scholarly endowments
they must be assured of and
are expected to understand
both the rights and responsi
bilities of their positions, In
cluding these:
"1. The full right to speak
as citizen.
"2. The responsibilities of ci
tizenship. "3. The right, as a profes
sional person, to freedom in
research and to publication of
the results thereof, limited only
by the precepts of scholarship
and faithful performance of
other academic responsibil
ities. "4. The right as a profes
sional person, to free and
thorough expression In the
rlaiwrooni.
"The right to uphold, to dl-c-iiks
and dissent are the moral
fiber of America's greutneit.
They are likewise the strength
of a great university.
If we want to understand the
working of a true democracy, we
have to read the history of this
excellent move
the University.
We have to realize that a candid
discussion of the economic aspects
of the controversy, and of the prin
ciples of academic freedom in.
volved in the controversy, by
everyone concerned and in par
ticular by the student body with
Ken Rystrom and Ruth Raymond
as Nebraskan editors led to
such a constructive and positive
solution.
Indeed it would be somewhat dif
ficult to suggest that the 195B
move of the University, relieving
him as chairman of the agricul
ture department, should have
nothing to do with the issue of
academic freedom in 1953.
And anyone who has participat
ed in seminars in the department
of agricultural economics will
realize that the demotion of Clyde
Mitchell will be a great blow to
the University and the state of Ne
braska. The University of Nebraska has
suffered a severe blow as the dis
cussion of liberal views may be
looked upon as a possible CBuse
for recrimination.
There remains the distinct pos
sibility that such kinds of con- '
formity may tend to pattern it
self into other departments and col
leges. We have great faith in our col
leagues, in our student body and
in Bruce Brugmann as editor of
The Nebraskan. They have can
didly discussed the issues involved.
It is our genuine hope that Clyde
Mitchell will return to Nebraska
and help us with his advice, lead
ership and concern with the vital
issue! of our state and University.
DR. HERBERT JKHLE
Profewior of Phynics
t
t.
1
,t.
