UNIVERSITY OF NEB
LIBRARY
i f?
' ILA J.
MAY 10 1961
Vol. 74, No. 107
The Nebraskan
Wednesday, May 10, 1961
ID
rivate Eye Play 'I.
in Class
Spy
St. Onge:
Rejected in Nebraska . . .
May Stay at Ohio State
By Norm Beatty
A young instructor who wanted to go
west to teach has changed his mind ... or had
his mind changed for him.
Henry St. Onge, currently an assistant in
structor of English at Ohio State University
(OSU), and whose Wayne State Teachers Col
lege contract was recently revoked by the Ne
braska State Normal Board, may find he will
be teaching once again at OSU next fall.
Who Is
Henry
St. Onge?
Henry St. Onge is presently
an English instructor at Ohio
State University and until the
meeting of the State Normal
Board earlier this week, was
to be an instructor at Wayne
State Teachers College next
fall.
He is married and has
three children, one of the fac
tors that prompted him to
consider going to Wayne in
order that he might provide
activities for his growing fam
ily in the Nebraska area and
climate.
He it the founder of the
Thomas Tusser society, con
sidered by some to be a mys
terious, seeret movement,
probably entrenched with
Mandelian philophies. Others
claim that St. Onge created
the society as a joke.
Thomas Tusser was a poet
in sixteenth century England.
He wrote a handful of poems
about husbandry which were
reportedly terrible. As a re
sult Tusser was snubbed by
his own generation, let alone
the scholars after him who
have forgotten him. Tusser
died in a debtors prison and
presumably, accom
plished nothing.
St. Onge ran across Tas
ters writings one day and at
morning coffee sessions, with
tongue-in-cheek, proposed that
the coffee drinking group be
known as the Tusser society.
When questioned about the
society by other newspapers.
St. Onge kept the reporters!
guessing about the purpose of
tne society as he allowed his
joke to run its course.
The Mandel appearance cli
maxed the growth of a joke
that was suddenly more than
a joke and far from being
funny.
Today, St. Onge is despon
dent. He believes, "For all
practical purposes, I am a
dead duck in Nebraska. I
have no job next year. I have
a wife and three children. I'm
tired of being a nice guy."
He is reportedly a brilliant
scholar and a vibrant class
room personality.
Return Pictures
Students are reminded
that all pictures borrowed
from the Union Picture
Lending Library should be
returned to the Union Music
Room by Thursday or Fri
day. TODAY ON CAMPUS
Wednesday:
4-H Club Picnic, Peter Pan
Park, 6 p.m.
VHEA senior tea, 3421 E.
Summit St., 4 p.m.
University Faculty Wom
en's Club luncheon, 1 p.m.
Student Union ballroom.
"Children of the Sun,"
8 p.m., Ralph Mueller Plane
tarium, Morrill Hall
Thursday:
Block and Bridle Quarter
Horse Show, Fair Grounds
Coliseum.
Dairy Royal, Ag College
Horsebarn
Visiting poets, D. W. Snod
grass and John Frederich
Nims, informal hour, 10 a.m.,
115 Andrews
ROTC annual inspection,
parade, 5 p.m., 14th and Vine
Although there has been no
lormai action by OSU offi
cials, the chairman of the
English department said he
would "most certainly be
glad" to have St. Onge re
main on his staff.
In a telephone conversa
tion with the Daily Nebras
kan Tuesday, Dr. Robert Es
trich, chairman of, the Eng
lish department at OSU,
said, "I would be very glad
to have him continue in our
department."
Confusion
Estrich and other campus
figures admitted confusion in
connection with the recent
contract cancellation.
The answer to the Ohioan's
question, "why?", was giv
en in part Tuesday aft
ernoon in Lincoln by Dr.
Freeman Decker, state com-i
missioner of education and
also member of the Board.
"Speaking for myself
alone," Dr. Decker said, "it
did not appear that Mr. St
Onge would be a proper per
son to teach in Nebraska."
According to Dr. Decker,
the action by the Board was
unanimous.
Dr. Decker said there was
no question as to St. Onge's
political beliefs, nor was
there any thought that St.
Onge had violated any law.
Responsible
But, "again speaking for
myself, a member of a col
lege faculty must be respon
sible" and in his private life,
not reflect upon his employ
er, Dr. Decker said.
St. Onge came into the
public's eye in April when
William Marx MandeL out
spoken critic of the House
Un-American Activities Com
mittee (HUAC), spoke from
St Onge's back porch.
Ohio State University had
refused to let Mandel speak
on the campus. The OSU au
thorities said that St. Onge's
invitation to Mandel did not
constitute an official invita
tion by the University. St.
Onge is not regarded as an
U!u lacuuy memner, al
though he teaches the facul
ty load of nine hours a week,
according to Dr. Estrich.
St. Onge said his invitation
was issued because of inter
est in Mandel.
St. Onge, who had made a
personal invitation, was un
available for comment yes
terday. Backyard Talk
The Ohio State Lantern,
OSU student newspaper, re
ported the following to be the
main points of Mandel's
backyard talk:
That the United States
would be beaten disastrously
in any war with the Soviet
Union.
That the philosophy of
the House Un-American Ac
tivities Committee is "fas
cism and fascism is the rule
of the big business gone
mad."
That Communism is the
most popular idea in the
world today.
That the solution is "ac
commodation" with Russia,
a voluntary agreement on
the part of each nation to
yield some ot tne lis views.
Husher Delivery
The Cornhusker, Univer
sity yearbook, will be dis
tributed on Saturday May
13th from 1-3 p.m. and on
Sunday the 14th from 2:30
4:30 p.m.
The yearbooks, however,
will be given out as long as
they last.
Confused Instructor
est V J "
X-J?: v r my y
University coeds who will vie for the title of Dairy
Queen in the Dairy Royal Thursday night on Ag Campus
are (from left) Suzi Haberman, Kappa Alpha Theta
Who Is
William
Mandel?
The background on William
Marx Mandel, the instrument
that has apparently cost
Henry St. Onge his job at
Wavn Stafp was Tinrtrnvprt i
in tho lact iccno f tha u'ovo
Stater, the official college
newspaper.
William Marx Mandel, who
stood on Henry St. Onge's
back porch one night and
shouted a few defiances in
Ohio State University stu-Council desires that a
dents, was accused of being 'plan of student-faculty evalu
a Communist propagandist ation be instituted at the Uni
before the Senate Internal versity which would be pro-
aecurny ouu-toiiimniee :
through testimony given by
Louis Budenz on August 21,
1951.
Mr. Budenz was at that
time editor of The Daily
Worker. Mandel's refusal to
answer sucn accusations on
May 13, i960, when he ap-
peared before the House Un-
American Activities Commit-
tee was based on the Fifth :
Amendment
Mandel was a writer for the
Institute of Pacific Relations,
which was "a vehicle used by
the Communists to orientate
America's Far Eastern poli
cies toward Communist objec
tives." This organization was
added to the subversive list
after the Senate Judiciary
Committee Report 2050 of
July 2, 1952.
He was associated with the
American Russian Institute
cited by Attorney General
Tom Clark April 27, 1949, as
a Communist front organiza
tion. The ARI was also cited
by the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee on July 2, 1957, as a
Communist controlled organi
zation intimately linked with
the IPR. They were cited as
specializing in pro-Soviet
propaganda.
"The Soviet Far East," a
book written by MandeL also
came under investigation by
the Internal Security Sub-committee.
The Sub-committee
termed the book to be
"largely Communist propa
ganda." Business Fraternity
Elects ISeto Officers '
Delta Sigma Pi, business
fraternity, elected Ray Bulin
president for fall semester.
1961.
The other officers elected
are: Doug Teaford, first vice
president; Larry Fiori, sec
ond vice president; Gaylan
Abood, treasurer; Ken White,
assistant treasurer; Gary
Brooke, secretary; D a r y 1
Swanson, chancellor; Roger
Stuhr, historian.
amd , iMiiaw)l - ,m.mi'mwi fci-inrnnin 1 1 1 1 1 mi i mi. lir"" ,iiIB1m)IMmM
DAIRY QUEEN FINALISTS
Council Adopts Faculty Rating
Asks Professional Evaluation
By Ann Moyer
The final report of the Stu
dent Council faculty rating
committee was accepted by
the Council recently with the
! recommendation
that it be
submitted to Chancellor Clif
ford Hardin for considera
tion. The approval of the report
by the Council means that
lessionally prepared, admin-
istered on a University wide
undergraduate scale and that
it be voluntary with the stu-
1 dents and faculty.
The committee research on
the faculty rating program
indicated
ueiJBHC iiiiercsi
-t!"C.' ?:Tm.b.yihad ever tried one of the
I 'nii'Arcirv cftitntc and f o i
f, f ,lri,nlc
, r-. . ,
Sn?2
be worthwhile. Also, of the i
m , , .
29 departments which replied j
to the committee inquiry CT
a. tin.n.1. i. rvAr in .!
Freedom Lecture
Prof. J. W. N. Watkins
of the London School of Ec
onomics and Political Sci
ences will lecture on "Hu
man Freedoms" today in
the Love Library audito
rium at 9 a.m.
Solons Ask
By Nancy Whitford
Informing each state senator of the stu
dents attending the University from his
district would be a definite aid in strength
ening ties between the two groups, said
Sen. Ross H. Rasmussen of Hooper.
At present there are few University stu
dents who visit the legislature to see how
it works, he said.
Rasmussen feels ties could also be
strengthened if a third party, such as in
dustry, would come back to the legislature
and tell how it has benefited from the Uni
versity's educational programs.
Rasmussen said it is hard for an institu
tion to "brag about itself."
"The University needs to be supported by
the groups which benefit from its educa
tional facilities."
Sen. Elvin Adamson of Cody said Uni
versity relations with the legislature can
be improved if the University will "come
directly to the lawmaking group with its
problems."
Adamson criticized a recent report that
the University had contacted outstate
alumni to write letters to the Budget Committee.
sophomore; Karen Moesiger, Alpha Xi Delta junior;
Jean Olsen, Chi Omega sophomore; and Judy Birnej,
Alpha Phi freshman.
ceiving a systematic evalua
tion by students of the in
structors .in their depart
ment. The faculty also definitely
indicated that they would
like to participate in the!
preparation of any rating
system which might be de
vised. i
The committee polled other
schools which have used an
evaluation system and the
results indicated that such
programs had proved suc-
c e s s f u 1 to administration,
. a I i r 1.
siuuenis ana iacuuy.
Replies were received from
30 of 42 schools solicited con-
cernmg the matter. Fourteen
jreponea uiey idvoreu sw -
ident faculty ratings, seven
,had never tried such a sys
item and none of the schools
,,.. i, j ,r-i,t;
contemplated by the
(committee. In most cases
a,h-r, .ho r, ,nff had hppn un.
the eVaiuatron ad-
, v j w-.
ministered had not been pro-
fessionaIlv DreDared
lessionally preparea.
The Universities of Pur-
1 due, Michigan, Minnesota,
Iowa and Washington con
tributed documented studies
of their rating systems.
These studies show that stu
dents ireat lacuuy raungsian expectant father" in
with respect and do not give awaiting the budget outcome,
biased answers based on per- Newspaper coverage of the
sonal prejudice. I meetings between the Uni-
The reports also indicated : versity and the budget com
that there was no correla- j mittee has been accurate, he
tion between the evaluation 1 noted.
Closer Ties with Nl)
He said this action was "an attempt to
bring pressure on the legislators from the
people at home which is very easily de
tected." Adamson, a member of the Education
Committee, said that at times there ap
pears to be a feeling at the University
that the legislature is attempting to dic
tate policy.
- "In turn, the legislature often feels the
University is indifferent," he said.
"Several professors feel they aren't wel
come at the legislature. Thay should m-et
more with committees and have a first
hand, knowledge of the problems dis
cussed." He said professors should let it be known
to the chairman of a.comittee that they
are available for questioning on technical
subjects.
He said the University "should be heard
more during the lawmaking process rather
than complaining about it afterwards."
Adamson said students should also at
tend the legislature more often.
' University students are conspicuous by
their absence," be noted.
submitted by the student and
that particular instructor.
The first attempt by Uni
versity students to organize
some type of faculty evalua
tion came during the spring
semester of 1957 when the
Daily Nebraskan took up the
cause in a series of editori
als. The Student Council as
signed the investigation of a
student-faculty rating to
committee but no further &c-
tion was taken by the Coun-
! :
I.U.
In November of 1960, Coun
cil member Steve Gage
asked that a special commit
tee be appointed to esti.
, gate a faculty rating system.
Faculty Senate
Approves Report
The Faculty Senate unani
mously approved the reports
of the policy and liaison
committees at its May 9
meeting.
Chancellor Hardin, in a
brief discussion of the Legis
lature's budget committee
meetings with the University,
said the outcome was not yet
clear, but that he "felt like
Leaders
Say Not
At NU
By Mike MacLean
In a recent newsletter pub
lished by Cowles Magazine!
Inc., the publishers of Look,
a private investigating agen
cy claims it has planted its
agents in classrooms of a
number of colleges to inves
tigate those it calls "contro
versial" professors.
The agency, the newsletter
says, has written to several
school presidents advising
them that a number of other
schools are already using
the system and finding it
"very benefciial and inform
ative." Dr. Adam C. Brecbenridge,
Dean of Faculties at the Uni
versity, said, "I have never
been contacted by such an
organization and am not in
terested in their services."
The organization's agents
enroll, attend classes like
regular students, the news
letter continued, then report
to the agency, which in turn
analyzes and reports to the
administration of the client
school. In its letter of solicitation
the agency assures the presi
dents that almost every de
partment of a college has a
teacher that meets a "con
troversial" description and
could bear watching.
"The college administrator
who places undercover
agents in classrooms must
feel terribly insecure and dis
trust his institution's staff,
its method of faculty selec
tion and retention, and his
own judgement," says Breck
enridge. "One can not comprehend
the undercover agent in the
physician s office, he con
tinued, "nor in relation to the
lawyer with his client. Nei
ther can one comprehend the
unidentified agent in the
classroom."
More Exhaustive
Appraisals of prospective
staff members for colleges
and universities are probably
more exhaustive than any
similiar employment, he ex
plained. These appraisals are made
bv careful consideration of
their past achievements and
records and by contacting
those who know them best,
those who have had close
contact with them.
An instructor's retention
and promotion depend on the
continuing observation of his
colleagues once he is on the
staff.
An instructor's fellow work
ers will soon perceive whether
objective presentation of ideas
are the norm in his teaching
methods.
'Great Purpose
Breckenridge feels that
"the great purpose of most
education is understanding
the necessity for the free ex
change of ideas and methods,
in whatever areas of knowl
edge."
If an instructor cannot
freely promote this exchange,
he would be a spokesman for
a partisan cause rather than
a teacher, he added.
If the student is to be able
to learn, new knowledge must
be introduced to him as soon
as it is gained. The progress
and failures of trials and ex
perimentations must be ana
lyzed if we are to learn in a
free society, said Brecken
ridge.
Dean Breckenridge thinks
that the object of placing an
undercover agent in the class
room is to define exact limits
on what is to be learned.
When this is done, the stu
dents, and all of society are
the losers to those who fear
knowledge.
"If there are to be under
cover agents of this kind to
watch over the faculty I
should want a group to watch
over the watchers," Brecken
ridge said.
Nu-Meds Meet
The Nu-Meds will meet at
7:30 tonight in the Student
Union Little Auditorium. Dr.
Paul Peterson will speak
on rhino-oto-larynxology.