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PAGE TWO
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1937
Shackles on Professors;
Is the Status Quo Utopia?
Nothing ever happens at the University
of Nebraska. There are no opinions in the
faculty that cause a ruffle in the stalwart con
servatism of the state. No radicals here, thank
(!oil. It isn't that there is repression. The uni
versity is just a wholesome community of satis
fied scholars.
In the first place, there is complete har
mony among all the colleges. In the second
place there is complete harmony between the
professors and the administration. In the
third place all professors say what they
think, especially those in the social sciences.
The latest theories of government are fully
taught and freely commented upon; uni
versity economists never clash with state
administrators because they see eye to eye
on all problems. This includes the pay as you
go policy of Nebraska, which differs so
strangely from that of the other 47 states
who benefitted from federal improvement
money by matching Uncle Sam's grants by
going further into debt.
The opinions of the university's sociolo
pists, economists, and political scientists is
that of the legislators and of the dear peo
ple of the state. All goes smoothly. All is quiet
at Nebraska.
In connection with the picture of our
serene bog of self satisfaction, The Nehraskan
reprints excerpts from an article in the bulle
tin of the American Association of University
professors, which shows the dire plight of
teachers in other schools. This article by John
lse. professor of economics at the University of
Kansas, since it does, after all. deal with the
condition of professors over the country may
incidentally throw some light even on Nebras
ka's satisfactory situation.
Dr. lse:
Financial poverty and insecurity
are not the worst aspects of his (the profes
sor's) job. If he could enjoy the rich privilege
of freedom of thought and expression, he
might still enjoy a good life. Hut of this preci
ous freedom he has little less than most peo
ple in financially remunerative callings. He
must hold the views that governing bodies
hold, or keep his peace. He is a hired man,
hired to present, not his own independent
views, but the views of those who control the
purse strings, hired 1o leach confonuily to
dominating ideas and traditions; hired, all too
frequently, to inoculate the students against
thinking about anything important.
The attitude of the people, and particu
larly of the most influential people, is
strangely inconsistent in this matter. They
tax themselves to support educational insti
tutions, skimp to send their children to col
lege to get an "education" which presum
ably should mean some ideas that they did
not have before p.nd could not get at home,
yet when the children come home with new
ideas on important questions, the parents are
likely to get into action promptly. The presi
dent of a college or university who tries to
make it an educational institution, as far
as the social sciences are concerned, must
fight formidable opposition; and he usually
finds that financial support is granted in in
verse proportion to the amount of worth
while work that the institution is doing.
Naturally the shackles on professors en
courage mental and spiritual atrophy and dis
honesty. Thinking is hard work at best not
the favorite pastime even of professors and
mental atrophy the general tendency of age.
The professor finds it useless to do much
thinking when ruling powers have already
written his answers. In fact, thinking is worse
than useless; it is dangerous, for he might
arrive at the wrong conclusions. He may, to
be sure, think and speak and write about cer
tain things: the communism of Plato, the
rugged individualism of Aristotle, the popula
tion problem of the Aztecs; but he will do well
to be guarded in his approach to such impor
tant present day. problems as socialism, com
munism, fascism, sex, military preparedness,
or economic, inequality. If he be wise, if he has
a proper regard for his family or for his own
peace of mind, he will learn to think mostly
about unimportant' questions and perhaps
iriini'.ln.ll v niimlt thA"
He will learn to be politically sexless. He
will become community-minded; join the
chamber of commerce and the Rotary club,
play bridge, and make speeches before the
women's clubs; he will attend faculty meet
ings religiously, seek membership on com
mittees, and help to guard the morals of the
students. If he is able to suppress all his
critical faculties he may become a secure
and respectable member of the faculty, and
perhaps rise to administrative greatness. If
he is not able to achieve the required stan
dard of conformity, he may become furtive,
dishonest, cynical, and unhappy in his role
of intellectual prostitute
To some extent our professors are free
enough, after all to the extent, that they are
recognised as impotent, ineffectual, innocuous.
No one can doubt that if our social science
teachers attracted a public following strong
enough to threaten important vested inter
ests, they would be promptly suppressed. A
feeling of helplessness and futility weighs
heavily on some of our professors, and well it
may, for there is discouraging evidence of the
flunky role that they play in human affairs.
For instance, almost all English and Ameri
can economists since Adam Smith have argued
against Ihe tariff; in literally hundreds of
books and articles-to what effect? Interna
tional tariffs arc the highest in a hundred
vears. Almost all economists, similarly, have
seen that the war debts were uncollectible,
ive insisted since the very tune of the Ver
es Treaty that the debts be forgotten to
what effect.' None whatever.
Sociologists have often pointed out the dis
astrous consequences oT the high birth rate in
poverty-stricken rural communities; but .Mont
gomery Ward catalogue advertisements of
feminine hygiene have had more effect on the
birth rale' than all the learned treatises on
population. Professors may make surveys, col
lect data, read scholarly papers at their meet
ings and publish them in their journals for
other professors to read; but important
public policies arc determined by economic in
terests. and not by professional lucuhialioii. . .
IN THE INFIRMARY
Robert Hansen, Lyons.
Marvin Piock, Lincoln. -
Eugene Shanahan, North
Bend.
Arlo Klum, Lincoln.
Nadine Boodleman, Dead
wood, S. D.
Leonard Mutkin, Omaha.
son and Naomi Richmond. Art
Randall and his orchestra provided
the music.
attended. Co-chairmen of the party
arrangements were Milton Gustaf-
h
sai
Daily Nehraskan
F-iirrert as aivonfl-ciaso mJte: ai the
fwtfSuf lire in Lincoln. N tir;ira, unl'i
a;t ol congress. March 3. l79, and at
PAULINE WALTERS
REIGNS AS QUEEN
OF FORMAL AT AG
(Continued from rage 1.)
dent affairs on the Ag campus,
where f,he is affiliated with Phi
Vpsilon Omicron, home economic:,
honorary sorority. She also served
as secretary of the Farmer's fair
board, and as a member of the
Coll-Agn-Kun board.
Miss Bennett Attendant.
Genevieve Bennett, senior in
home economies from Belleville,
111., was second high in the voting,
and attended the queen a.s maid of
honor. Other attendants were;
Naomi Richmond, Campbell: NMa ,
crior W.iverlv: Donna Hiatt, Bo-.
atrice, and Rachel Peterson, Lin
coln. All are students in the home
economics department.
The presentation of the queen,
which was planned by Harold Benn
and DcLoris Bors. was made from
a stage which was decorated to
represent a gypsy camp. The five
attendants formed a circle around
Miss Walters and just before the
announcement was made they
dropped to their knees, and the
new qm-en stepped forward into
the f.potlight.
Trnditionallv highly entertaining
and Informal, the party this year
was up to all expectations and
was attended by one of the most
enthusiastic crowds in the history
of the aifair. About 2."0 couples
GUARANTEED
IN 6 PRIVATE LESSONS.
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