The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-06-26
'JORDAN'S
|RONRULE
N[ARSEND
Stanford University Trustees
Decide to Abolish Power
of President
Enactment Provides Right OF
Appeals Tor Professors
When Dismissed
Turmoil Caused by Arbitrary
Removals Viii Be Averted
in the Future
Recent Trouble May Cause the
Extension OF Privileges
to Students

By an enactment IN the annual re-
port of the board of trustees of STAN
ford university, which will be pub
lished shortly, the long reign of Presi-
dent David Starr Jordan as the absoA
lutte dictator of the tenure of the men,
bers of the faculty will be brought tc
an abrupt end. Hereafter no professor
can be dismissed by the head OF the
university without the right of appeal
to the board of trustees. The measure
is said to be so drastic that the ques-
ton of the competency of the faculty
members is to be the only thing left
to the decision of the president.
This action on the part of the trus-
tees is the direct result of the recent
dismissal of DIR. Julius Goebel as the
head of the department Of Germanic
languages. DR.. Goebel has the repu-
tation of being one of the most bril-
liant German scholars in America, and
his summary dismissal from the Stan
ford faculty caused much comment at
the time. No charges were preferred
against the distinguished scholar. and
his demands for public trial were ig-
nored by DR.. Jordan, who persistently
refused to discuss the case.
CAUSED BY GOEBEL CASE
Unable to. obtain any relief through
the president or the academic council.
DIR. Goebel employed attorneys to take
an appeal to the board of trustees, but
they discovered soon that the rule OF
the founding grant cOnferrinS dicta-
torial powers on DIR. Jordan had rem
dered the supposed governing body OF
the university impOtent in matters Of
faculty discipline. DIR. GOebePs in
sistence caused the original charges.
which were of serious nature. to be
taken up by the academic council. 1t
is said that DIR. Jordan was unable to
prove these allegations. and they were
withdrawn to be replaced by the
sertion that the German professor had
been dismissed to promote harmony in
the faculty.
This explanation satisfied neither the
friends of the deposed- scholar nor the
members of the board of trustees, and
the latter at once began to work on
plan to limit the arbitrary power OF
the president, and it is generally be-
lieved that the recent trouble at Stan
ford will cause the trustees to add
soon a clause to the rule which will
permit the students the same right OF
appeal. 1t is said that the new rule
has been in force for some time, but 1t
has never been made public. The few
undergraduates and alumni who have
been made aware of its existence are
already at work on plan to have the
students who incur faculty displeas-
ure included in the new rule.
TURMOIL THROUGH DISMISSAL
From the time of the foundation OF
the university JOrdan's penchant for
dismissing professors without the for
mality of a trial or public charges has
kept the institution in almost constant
turmoil. The most serious of these
was the famous Ross case. when Ed
ward AlswOrth Ross. the head OF the
department of economies. was dis
missed. ostensibly because he had de-
livered political speech which did not
agree with the views entertained by
Dr. Jordan. Ross was one of the most
brainy members of the faculty and he
has since attained national prominence
as an economist. A large number of
Ross collea CUES supported him, and for
a time the faculty was rent in twain
by the dispute which ensued. Among
the most prominent of the Ross sup
porters was Prof. William Henry Hud-
son. whose work as a member of the
Stanford English department had at
tracted world wide attention. He re-
signed from the faculty and went to
England where he is now residing.
Hudson took some of the leading mem
bers of the faculty with him and their
places have never been adequately filed
since.
HOWARD FEELS IRON HAND
George Elliott Howard. the famous
American historian, was the next vic
tim of DR.. Jordan's wrath. Howard
was a friend of Ross. and after the
latter's dismissal in a lecture to his
class he took occasion to eaustically
criticise the president for his action
in the matter. The historian was at
once summoned TO the Office Of the
president and when he refused TO re-
tract his criticism he was summarily
dismissed from his position Professor
Howard is now at the head of the de-
partment of history of the University
OF Nebraska and colleague of Ross.
who is a professor of economics in the
same institution
Edward Howard Griggs. professor OF
ethics at Stanford and later famous as
the actor preacher and perfect man."
also ran afoul of DR.. Jordan's iron rule.
but il is said that he was given the
unusual privilege Of presenting his re-
signation-
Since the Goebel affair there have
been no sensational dismfssals, but it
is openly rumOred in faculty circles
that the new rule will probably save a
well known professor who is now enjoy
ing his sabbatical leave. His competency
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