ACADEMIC
FREEDOM-WHAT IS IT?
(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of five articles on the role and meaning of academic freedom.)
By BARBARA EPSTEIN Daily Trojan Editor
A group of faculty and students gather to discuss and debate a film, a Congressional committee, a point of life.
A few students decide to “watch” certain professors by means of tapes and by “monitoring” classrooms.
A professor comes up with a startling new theory, completely contradicting prevalent beliefs.
Another professor is “reminded” about discussing a controversial topic in the classroom, or in a public forum.
An assortment of unrelated incidents? No.
All particular aspects of a vital, particular part of university life, they help bring reality to the concept which hovers quietly over the true educational process — academic freedom.
The first incident represents a reward of
academic freedom; the second a misunderstanding of it. The third shows an achievement of academic freedom; the fourth an encroachment upon it.
What it all means is that academic freedom, unlike motherhood, is a concept that not everybody understands, cares about or accepts. It Ls a concept which most are willing to accede to in the abstract when the water is calm, but which some threaten to abandon when the sea becomes troubled.
The sea today is not calm.
It is often shaken by tremors which can engulf academic freedom if a watchful guard is not posted.
On this campus the “guard” takes form in the USC chapter of the American Association of University Professors, headed by Dr. Ronald E. Freeman, associate professor of English. Designed to cope specifically with the problem of Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure is Committee A of the AAUP.
At USC there are among approximately 480
full-time faculty members, 240 members of the national organization of the AAUP. There are 190 faculty people in the local USC group.
The concern over academic freedom results partly from encroachments made upon it and attempts made to curtail it, and partly from attempts made to change its meaning through redefinition — attempts which have been made in the past and doubtless will be made in the future.
In the early part of this century, for example, the concept of academic freedom came in for a beating by the New York Times, which had this to say about the 1915 formation of the AAUP:
“Academic freedom, that is, the inalienable right of every college instructor to make a fool of himself and of his college by . . . intemperate, sensational prattle about every subject under heaven, to his classes and to the public, and still keep on the payroll or be left therefrom only by elaborate process, is cried to all the winds by the organized dons.”
Today William F. Buckley Jr., and others, would define academic freedom as freedom for administrators and financiers to supervise the educational activities and aims of the schools they oversee and support.
Academic freedom, however, is not a matter for sophist definition and distortion. It is a prime requisite for the academic profession, which requires it to seek after and attempt to find truth of all manner.
This is why academicians fight determinedly for it.
According to one distinguished editor. “Academic freedom is the principle designed to protect the teacher from hazards that tend to prevent him from meeting his obligations in the pursuit of truth.”
Over the many years since Socrates first delivered his eloquent defense of himself against the charge of corrupting the youth of Athens, at-
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Editor Lauds Approval of Center
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DAILY
Southern Cali-fornia
TROJAN
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Track Coach Predicts New Win Streak
VOL. Llll
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1962
NO. 112
USC OKs International Center
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Poet Dorothy Parker to Speak
Lecturer
Modern
to View Coed Defends
4
Writers Row Position
In Bias Issue
Critical humorist Dorothy Parker, one of the most popular writers of the century, will speak today at
3:15 in 133 FH on “20th Century Writers.”	B> ABUNE kaplan
Miss Parker, who became famous in the 1920s with Fraternities and sororities
the publication of her books of light verse, is appearing
I under the auspices of the English department’s Bing Foundation Lecture series.
For today’s lecture Miss Parker has a background of
personal experience to draw from.
Well Qualified
James Durbin, lecturer in English who will interview Miss Parker for the library archives, presented three reasons why she is well qualified to lecture on 20th centrury literature.
“First, she has made a not-inconsiderable contribution to literature herself,” he commented, referring to her volumes of witty verse and short stories.
Second she has been associated closely with some of the other writers who have contributed to contemporary literature, especially through her magazine writing connections, be said.
Noted Critic
“Third, Miss Parker has had as much experience as a critic as a creative writer,” he noted. “Obviously she has read extensively and critically while she has been both a fiction and drama critic,” Durbin said.
Beginning her writing career as a drama critic for Vanity Fair, she later became a book critic for the New Yorker and now is editor of a book column for Esquire.
“Miss Parker’s criticism is individual and. in the best sense of the word, idiosyncratic. You recognize her tone of voice and know who is speaking when you read her writing with her wry way of phrasing,” Durbin said.
In her book reviews, she does not use the book to display
Missionary Gives Views On Marxism
Communism, an alternative faith to Christianity, cannot be discounted by rational arguments, Dr. Charles C. West, associate professor of Christian ethics at the Princeton Theological seminary and China missionary, said yesterday.
Speaking on the religious and philosophical background of Marxism, Dr. West was sponsored by the Graduate School of Religion and the Westminster Foundation.
“Since communism doesn’t appeal on the level of philosophy it must be confronted by another faith,” he said. “This is a confrontation of two different realities.”
A communist cannot be convinced of the truth of the American way of life because there is no truth in his dogma to which an appeal can be directed. He can only be convinced by the witness of a Christian life, he explained.
Dr. West, who taught on the China mainland during the Communist agitation between 1947 and 1950, claimed Marxist concepts orginated out of a 19th century German philosophy that saw God as a symbol of man's frustrated aspirations.
“Before 1750 man was believed to live in an alien and uncontrollable world,’’ Dr.Iher wit, but the wit is always West said. “The main question! there, which makes her writing of the day concerned man’s | a joy to read, Durbin contin-salvation from that world. lued.
should not be the pioneers in racial integration, Mary Memory, president of Panhellenic, said yesterday.
Speaking at a meeting of Al pha Lambda Delta, women’s scholastic honorary. Miss Mem-101-7 declared, “Fraternities and sororities are established within society, are a reflection of society and have the standards of society.
“To expect the Row to pioneer in racial inV:,i ation is pushing the responsibility in the wrong place and asking too much,’’ she said.
Change Standards
Miss Memory claimed that the standards of society must change first.
“I, personally, would like to see this change come about,” she said.
“Sororities and fraternities function on a social basis, and so far in society inter-dating and inter-marriage have not been accepted to the point where it is natural to integrate the Row,” she said.
A student from the audience countered Miss Memory’s remarks on the controversial sub-
Hopes to Buy Acacia House
Efforts to establish an International Center on the Row moved a step nearer fruitation yesterday with the announcement by President Topping that the university would be willing: to lease the Acacia house, 801 28th St., for that purpose, should the university acquire the property.
RECEIVES HONOR - President Topping (rear, right) is shewn at Occidental College where he received an honorary law degree at ceremonies yesterday. Other
—Daily Trojan Photo by Frank L. Kaplan honorees ar (front, left) Arthur S. Adams and (rear, l-r) James C. Sheppard, Franklin D. Murphy and Topping. With them is Occidental's president A. G. Coons.
Dr. Topping Receives Honorary Law Degree
ject by claiming that the youth of today cannot be excused by saying they are a reflection of society, for they are part of society and integration should start with them.
No Discrimination
When questioned whether j there was discrimination in lo-ical rushing. Miss Memory said "Any girl may go through fall rush.”
Nancy Seid, secretary of Sigma Phi Omega, the oriental sorority on campus, said that some of the oriental freshman girls feel left out and discriminated against in rushing activities.
President Topping received an honorary degree of doctor of law from Occidental College yesterday at a formal con vocation opening that school’s 75th anniversary celebration.
Dr. Topping, who was one of several top California educat ors on hand to participate in the celebration, appeared in academic cap and gown for the traditional ceremony.
He was presented for the honor by Benjamin H. Culley, Occidental’s dean of men, who described Dr. Topping as “a scientist, educator and community leader.”
“When Dr. Topping became
Honorary Taps 23 Men
The 50th annual pledge class of Skull and Dagger, all-uni-Vei-sity men’s honor society. Ivill make its bow on campu-. today as 23 students attend classes dressed in the traditional tails, top hat and bermuda shorts.
Skull and Dagger, the oldest men’s honorary at USC—dat-in back to 191traditionally has new siudent mem bers dress in this unusual attire to mark both their initial presentation on campus and their informal initiation.
The new group of 23 students. 13 faculty and 22 alum-
conjunction with Alumni Day.
A formal dinner-dance will be held in honor of the new members at the Huntington -Sheraton Hotel on June 9.
The men’s society annually taps a select group of undergraduates, faculty, alumni and friends of the university who havo high scholarship and/or have shown outstanding servlc’ to the university and the community.
This year’s class drew special praise from John Morley and Don Simonian, permanent and worthy grand masters of the society.
ni-honorary tappees w M hr- “We feel that this is one of formally initiated at a break- the most outstanding classes in| fast to beheld this Saturday in,the society’s history,” the twoj
officers said. “While academic standing is only one area of consideration, it is interesting to note that the average accumulative grade-average for the 23 student tappes was more than 2.9.”
Nearly 1.400 members have been tapped into the organization in the past. Included in the ranks are such familiar names as Eugene Biscailuz, Walt Disney, Tom Kuchel, Joe Shell, Harold Lloyd, Chick Hearn, John Wayne, Dr. Frank Baxter and Gwynn Wilson. New student members are: PAUL ALWINE Outstanding Service VERNE ASHBY Basketball Letterman
THOMAS BERGENDAL
Outstanding Service DARRYL BURROWS President, I.R. School CHAPMAN COX Outstanding Service WARREN FARLOW Track Letterman STANLEY FOX President, School of Dentistry’ MICHAEL GLESS I.F.C. President MICHAEL GUIIIN Knight President WILLIAM HEERES Songfest Chairman HUGH HELM ASSC President STEPHAN HILL Basketball Manager (Continued on Page 2)
the president of the University of Southern California, he had been for six years the vice president for medical affairs of the University of Pennsylvania, gaining a national reputation for research and administrative work in medicine and education,” Dr. Culley said.
“President Topping has been broadly ‘active in civic and community affairs since assuming the USC presidency,” the administrator noted in review of the president’s qualifications. “It is with great pride that I present to you as a scientist, educator and community leader, Norman H. Topping for the honorary degree of doctor of! laws.”
Occidental President Arthur G. Coons commended the USCj president for his work toward j“new sights and goals” in education.
from the State of California, I now confer upon you, honoris causa, the degree of doctor of laws.”
Dr. Topping will return to Occidental today t;> participate in a panel discussion of ways the natural sciences can help answer challeges to Western civilization.
Also on the three-man panel will be Dr. Franklin D. Murphy, UCLA chancellor, and Dr. Vernon L. Bollman, dean at Occidental.
The university, he said, is now in the process of purchasing the vacant fraternity house, which the newly formed International Center Committee would like to turn into a focal point of foreign-American student activities.
“If we acquire the Acacia house and the students think it would be a valuable adjunct to good relations between international students and American students, and can arrange for financing the center and can develop a worthwhile program we will do everything we can to help them and give them a chance,” Dr. Topping said.
Lease House
He said that if the univer sity does acquire the property, arrangements could probably be made to lease the house on a month-to-month basis.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm by Russ Deck er, chairman of the Interna' tional Center Committee, which has been campaigning vigorously for the Row-located center for the past month, with the support of newly elected ASSC president Bart Leddel.
Financial Support “This is the beginning of a new era,” Decker said. “Now we will have a solid base and direction from which to work toward providing a real meeting ground for understanding between international and American students.”
Decker and his committee have already been approaching sororities and fraternities and other campus organizations for financial support for the center. Decker estimates that it will cost approximately 5800 monthly to run it.
Speaker Calls P aywright Angry Man
By PONCHITTA PIERCE
August Strindberg, Swedish author and dramatist, was fantastically successful in attacking the political, economical and social evils of the society of h i s time, visiting historian Dr. Karl G. Hildeb-and told a Founders Hall audience yesterday.
“As an angry young man lashing out against a country of uniform officialdom and con servative traditionalism, his early writing shocked many people,” said Dr. Hildebrand, director of Sweden’s University of Uppsala’s economic institute.
“Norman H. Topping, bachelor of arts, doctor of medicine, you have had a distinguished career in public health and are now displaying an equally commendable aptitude as administrator of an old and respected independent California university,” he said at the outset of the traditional acceptance.
“You are successfully developing new sights and goals for that university to meet the demands of the future from higher education in this state,” he continued.
Preview of Opera Will Be Presented
A preview of the School of| The translated production of Music's coming production of “Macbeth,” which will be pre-Verdi’s opera “Macbeth” will sented at 8 p.m. Saturday, and
be presented today at 12:15 in the Music at Noon program in Bovard Auditorium.
Dr. Walter Ducloux. head of the Music School's conducting and opera department, will give an illustrated lecture on the opera and several scenes will be presented.
Appearing in the scenes will lie Marjorie Gibson, who played Babs in “The Rake’s Progress,” as Lady Macbeth; Gene Allen, who played the tenor Tom Rakewell in the same production, as Macduff; and William
May 4 and 6, will mark the fifth production in USCs Verdi Cycle.
Under the direction of Dr. Ducloux, the production will feature the Opera Chorus and the Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Ducloux explained that although Verdi’s “Macbeth” follows the original Shakespeare play closely tho music production is stripped of subsidary characters so it won’t be long and unwieldly.
“It is changed into a platform so that it can become the expressive explosion that
Vennard of the music department faculty, who portrayed j music can make it, as music “Therefore, by the authority Fiesco in “Simon Boccanegra,” alone enhances emotion so vested in me under its charter as Banquo.	I well," he said.
Red Room
He added that “Strindberg’s “Red Room,” written in the last decade of the 19th century to satirize the abuses and frauds in Stockholm society, was something new in Swedish fiction and made its author famous.
Later when the young rebel left Sweden for a 13-year spree in other parts of Europe he collected many concepts that had been unknown in his country.
He returned home isolated from his conservative country,” Dr. Hildebrand said.
Tom between a feeling of revolution and a desire to give Sweden a realistic tradition, Strindberg began using a nostalgic pen to match his earl:er bitter Sweden wih that of oJt'-en days, country cottages and mid-summer nights.
Symbolizes Hope “Spring symbolizes hope and generates an aura of liberation for Swedes.” Dr. Hildebrand explained. “It is an understanding of this significance that, gives such dramatic tension and forte to works of Strindberg which would otherw ise be classified as very dull.”
Dr. Hildebrand, who is a literary figure himself, noted that Strindberg also aimed at becoming a Swedish Shakespeare and interpretator of Swedish history.
“Ho introduced a new history for his country—a history which spotlighted the people rather than the king,” Dr. Hildebrand said.
“But what made the critic-revolutionist truly real and to an extent international was his sense for the rationality and suffering of mankind,'’ Dr. Hildebrand said.
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