The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-18
Voice Of the PEOPLE
I'nculty nn,I I,rcsI,Icn,

\ 90, rnculty ana President.
70 the Editor of The Times Dlspatch
| SIT am instructed by the faculty
~ Hoanokc College TO send you the
| ,,ncioseu statement of our defense OF
i nstir n, M0rehead. who has been Nh
'of academic freedom.
very truly yours
! }. -. RODEFFER,
ca,a Secretary of the Faculty
saien. Va, April l5
The faculty OF. Ronnoke COLLEGE do
sirT 10 make the following statement:
rected against Roanoke College in
cohnection with the adoption and use
i Il, h fso,i, History OF the United States
,me oaG n have preferred hitherto to
unuke no formal reply. This course
MIS- chosen, not because of our dis
regard OF public opinion when fairly
a aiu properly expressed, but because. in
i Ing first place. ihc muin points at
| issue were covered III some length by
me action Of the board of trustees.
nru, Iur,her. because. the discussion OF
,.ouuction Of personal issues. But
When personalities become such MS TO
reject et upon the honesty and fair deal
nan rmS VI While .me president Of this coicgc-a
any dishonorable act aud whom wa
| IeShrd as much with affection as with
a,,,,'t.;, are imDelled 10 utter an
SSnipHatic protest. President Morchead
nus beeh away from Salem since tho
meeting OF the board referred Ia nhovn
anr I is nCt iuily Informed OF the at.
thuuchs Which hure been made upon
~ ,,,ih. nut we wish az u faculty 10 say
| ~ ms absence that we are iinwillin1
inat he should be selected as the
! Spceial object OF criticism his views
IN this matter are precisely tho vir,ys
81 every regular professor In the col
ieEc. and IL odlum attaches TO his
with him Sfu'tS
The present statement is evoked es.
inIe a, by the resolutions OF the VIII
am a,,, waits CamD of Confederate Vet
iIus az lheir recent meeting in Roa /.
nokc. And here we desire TO say
mat we have the highest respect FOR
, ne C2niederate veterans. and feel sure
that they have not been fully informed
on all points involved In this uues-
lion otherwise they would not have
passed, among others. the following
We deplore the stand taken by
| PRESIDENT Morehead. who after pro,nis. .
ing to abolish the history, kent il. And
| is sun keeping 1t in use"
W G regard this as a serious i,nnuta
MOI. Won !, on the character OF President
MofeGcad. To all who know him init
| nra.eiS such a charge Is absurd. Ii ref
oi the board OF trustees. passed at
us meeting on March I, upon The rcS.
I eira n Ton Of the president, we de-
follows: io 'eauS as
In view OF these facts and In vIev
o. nc Tact that Dr. Thorstenberg does
| ueemins as he does. the question OF
textbook not Of vital Importance, il Ia
,,i resolved. at his suggestion,
That the use of the text book be dis.
| continued; and that his proposal tina
ne assign topics without a text book.
ana ana that students be required to obtain
their material from any accessible
sources without responsibilitv IN n :
phrt Of the professor, be approved"
That action has been conscientiously
ni ,nf TO-. The professor of history
| immediately discontinued the use OF
tls9n's book. and since that time has
| MADE no reference whatever 10 IL lr his
work. lie has not encouraged any stu.
Gent to use It. The trustees did not
nircct that the books be taken ol,t Of
! ne hands of the students who owned
mem ana mat has not been done, The
~ ~, aie inc students private proper
! ". BUT In order 10 make more efTective
inc topical method. q number OF vol
umeS treating Of tho period now being
Sludied nave been added 10 our lbra-
~, which was already we'll equipped
WIN historical works. 1t Is precisely
this method OF work-the work Of
c con. z various authorities. OF get
independent judgments and following
| no man TIL he proves his case-that
M, mas been fostered in the department OF
ments of Roanoke College.
In view of the many false rumors
| and persistent Misrepresentation. in
r r,eEard TO The position Of Roanoke
desire to set forth the facts in the
matter: The curriculum which weIlt
INTO elect at the beginning of the pres
ent session provided for an advanced
course in American history. The pro-
lessor In charge found difficulty in SO.
curing text OF suitable scope for tho
work. While there are numerous cle-
mentary texts on the subject those arc
much too brief for the advanced course
provided for. Other works cover Spc-
Giai peaiods only. or are too voluminous
ana expensive. lie adopted tho Elson
as being practically the only availa Bile
single volume covering the whole field
OF american history and discussing
topics with sufficient fulness to stimti-
late further thought and study Neither
| Inc professor of history nor the presi-
aent OF the college, nor any member
errors of lslson. But we hold that
tho mistakes OF u historian can be met
and nullifed only by clear reasoninc
and by the dispassionate presentation
Roanoke College is Southern in
stitution with Southern traditions: and
IT'S faculty. composed, as, IT is. chiefly
Of Southern men. has no desire that
It should be anything else our PROBES.
sor Of history, IL is true. is not OF
southern birth but we know him to
ne man Of irrcproachable character
Of exact learning. and one who is
absolutely abpvo sectionalisn and pref
| ndicc. We have known him for four
years, and trust him. we have not
discovered that any student has been
rendered less loyal 10 the South through
his instruction If there should be any
antt-Southern Influence eXerted In any
| OF our class rooms. the students would
| be the first 10 detect ii and protest
aGainst II. Every member OF the fac
ulty, from whatever section. has the
greatest admiration for the men who
| fought the battles of the Confederacy,
but we cannot forget that we are also
icitlZens of the United States. we be-
tile bitterness and animosities of The
| past. but to train young men for pres
cnt day duties and to patriotism th8t
embraces the Whole country {
AS faculty we are not greatly coI,-
ccrned with this or that particular
| textbook. inasmuchJ as no text book
determines the character OF the in
struction given Incur class rooms but
we are vitality concerned with the cues
[tion of academic freedoms. by which we