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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 1957)
Poqe 2 ; , , ,.-. lej t. v t'0 bruce brugmann r1 Note: The following o'unin is pnmon of n artM-ie whth is tiring written fr a HationRl m-iRaxtne by Bm-e Brugmann. prist eoitor of The Nemki,ri. It u not me;int to reflect the ifW5 of tlie Summfr Nehrasknn. its staff, or the personnel summer sessions. The view enresseil are Bnifcmann's. own interpretation of reoent events with the iniversity. The Summer Net.rssfc.in twin that though tlw column is of .ifwl significance to men-hers of the faculty, this aiivanc release of the article is of interest to summer n1 regular session Miniums alike The recent decision of the Uni versity privilege .aid tenure com mittee, upholding three charges in full and three others in part that administrative officials had abridged the academic freedom of Dr. C. Clyde Mitchell, dramatically characterizes the self -i m paed po sition of the University of Ne braska. The six-member committee has confirmed suspectionsaggravated in 19S2 by the American Legion attack upon Dr. E. N. Anderson, in 1953 with a legislative attempt to institute a faculty loyalty oath, in 1954 with the pressure-soaked resignation of Bill Glassford as head football coach and in 1956 w ith the eruption of the. Mitchell controversy that 1 the Univer sity has been steadily falling prey to powerful pressure groups in the state, and (2 its administrative officials have become dangerously responsive to such outside pres sures. I In findings marked with care, scholarly judiciousness and rare courage, the committee report leaves little doubt that penalties inflicted uron Dr. Mitchell, in cluding his eventual demotion as chairman of the agricultural eco nomics department, were prompted by "continuing objections" to his politico-e conomic views by "groups within the state." (Among letters filed in the rec ord objecting to Dr. Mitchell were -ones received from Charles Mar shall, crustaceous president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau; Fred E. Owen, writing as president of the Paxton and Vierling Steel in Oma ha, and W. S. Henrion, writing as vice-president and chairman of the Woodmen Accident and Life Com pany In Lincoln.) Furthermore, it courageously ex poses the public treachery ot the administration (whose publicity releases lacked "candor" and in volved .an "unfortunate equivoca tion"), , in trying to slip the stiletto . to a professor on one hand while disgorging platitudes about academic freedom on the other, an unenviable practice matched only by the apparent un concerned support of the Regents. Wasn't it but four years ago that the Regents, adopting a na tionally acclaimed statement by Dean Lambert, affirmed that "the A wise old man (almost 40) said to me the other day, "You can gripe all you want as long as you do your job." And Harry Truman is reported to have told some of the five percenters, "Boys, you shouldn't be in the kitchen if you can't stand the heat." Two fine points to concern your selves with. Both are quite applicable as " as campus politics are concerned, I believe. It should be that those with the best grades become the greatest malcontents that is if they have the time to gripe. It seems that the admiaistratioa nU Mr the requests stu ck a ti r facalty members who have proved their interest ia academic life through hard work, lag hears ami all the rest. Wbei the day cames that the adminis tratis will Mtt honor the requests the real scholar -student or teacher thea the chaacellar and his fellow administrators bad bet ter get avt of the kitchea. However, I have found that the present administration has al ways been fair and has offered time and effort to those students who have approached Adminy Hall with legitimate gripes I'll qualify thf ii-i!i.r .iltoiU.lit f tlw Summer Itm.fMi ! .npifii iriffM to roaster. S. J.t- right to uphold, to discuss and dissent are . . . the strength of a great university"' and guaranteed the teacher's right to speak' as a citizen? j Wasn't it only last year, in the j heat of the Mitchell controversy, I that Chancellor Hardin said, ! "Never, in my opinion, are th? 1 best i:itere?ts of a university served by a violation of academic I freedom?" ! It w as only a month and a half I ago. following the publication of I the Mitchell report, that Chancel I lor Hardin " had no comment a. this time;" Dean Lambert had "no comment;" Dean Brecken ridge, who originally scotched the Mitchell rumors, was not contact ed this time, and the Board of Regents, singularly and collective ly, had "no comment," except to methodically issue a flock of statements expressing "complete confidence" in Chancellor Hardin. The tragic thing, of course, is that the report will accelerate steps already long in motion to assure that never again will an other Mitchell report be laid bare to embarrass the administration before its constituency. All avenues of communication are being carefully sealed, includ ing a tightening up of the Uni versity Press and the latest of a series of moves to emasculate The Nebraskan; and a number of the more courageous, outspoken pro fessors, particularly those asso ciated with the Mitchell case, will become victims of promotion ma nipulations, minimal salary raises an innuendo campaigns. The damage wrought by the Mitchell case, but one of a series of less-publicized incidents, stands as a. successful invasion of the Uni versity by private interests, im periling not only the climate of the independent mind but the at mosphere of free university. The University of Nebraska, traditionally and potentially a great institution of higher learn ing, may regain its former status , only if an alert faculty realizes that the Mitchell report fine in it selfis nothing more than a dam age report, doing little to either solve the problem or insure effec tively that never again will the in- stitution be blemished by external j assaults or internal defections. dick sbugrue that; The administration has been fair as long as the knowledge ex ists that the student is doing a good job. I cannot condone the sluggard who has time for griping but no time for work. I cannot believe that anyone who spends more time looking for trouble than looking for books in the library has much of a place in the University com munity. Harry Truman's words bold true today. They are probably en shrined in Kansas City. They should be enshrined in Lincoln at the cor ner of 13th and R Streets. Maybe it should read a little differently. Something like this: Now look,, all you hot shots who think a University is for words not actios. Your first re sponsibility is toward the freedom to think straight and to work bard. You can insure academic freedom best by avoiding fancy phrases and by embracing hard work. Make yourself aware of the problems at the University and approach those sources which can alleviate them best. Become first a searcher for education and then, only if necessary, a roaring cru sader for reform. The Summer Nebraskan It's with undisguised relief that the editor turns in the last page proof on the last edition of the Summer Nebraskan. Six hot edi tions, hot in the sense of swelter ing offices and perspiring editors, hrve left the tiny siaff wondering if the Steve Wilson type newspaper offices are not just a figment of some non-journalistic mind. The joke of the summer a faculty member who remarked in my presence, without knowing who 1 w as, that "the Summer Rag cer- j tainly is dull reading. Why don't j they get a controversy going?"! ! ! j Mj advisors, William Hall and , James Morrison, and I had a friendly spat over responsible journalism and its definition. Con- 'rary to the opinion of a lot of fac ulty members, student e a i t o r s don't always enjoy stirring up con troversies some of them even have a few qualms about what they print, and spend a few sleep less nights wondering if they are doing the right thing. It isn't that the student editors feel they must declare war on any and all action taken by faculty and administration, but sometimes at o: - ooooo - : - 'I I1 I flferJ$ BOOK STORE come I " l-lliHll.l.l.i.uit.NiiH i ook O Amidst all the wonderful newness, you will find the friendly sales people who know books, fine selections of books for children and adults, your favorite magazines, and a good choice of pocket books and better paper backs . . . the qualities that you have come to expect of Miller's book department. Come see how comfortable and convenient shopping can be in Miller's new Book Store. MILLER'S sort? ones nineteen and twenty they still have a few ideals shining and still be lieve in some of the platitudes taught in their classes. The worry of public relatioiis and "What it looks like" are still less important to them than what is the right thing and how it ought to be. Rumors fairly well confirmed indicate that the Daily Nebraskan will have an advisor next year in the form of the newest addition to the school of journalism staff. It's things like this that make editors wonder. USED BOOKS AT PEDEN'S (Across From Sell Your Books Here 1245 R 2c - oi 0 -We have moved . . brand see our Store BOOK STORE, 131 SOUTH XI Lincoln Thursday, Ju.y 25, 1957 WANTKD- 2 or 3 pass-ener to ;. rxpnjM to F-oirland, Oregon, lesiinir 2nd or 3rd of Augmt. Writ or cell James l.ightner. St. Rdward. Ner: Phone 12. NOW TliQ r; E CI i i 4 I a t 1 1 VILL HAUNT YOU FOREVER! 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