Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-28
wTTMER SAYS PEPPER
WOULD CONTROL IDEAS
on RELIGION AT PENN
PSYCHOLOGY Professor. De-
clares Trustee Seeks to
Limit Doctrinal Beliefs.
Mass-meeting of Free
speech Advocataes Urged

4.,nortant developments in the contro-
over the dismissal Of DR.. Scott
,.s,,ne from the teaching staff of the
,.s,soreitv of Pennsylvania were brought
,,sht today. Among them is the publl-
..,oo of q statement by DR.. bightner
w,,mer. professor of psychology at the
...,..rsitv. supplementing recent accusa-
wade by Wharton Barker and as
s,oo that George Wharton Pepper
sht 10 impose his religious ideals"
s,oa the University.
rssolution adopted by the Central
II,ion made public today, pledges
LayOh hodv TO stand with the public until
sha' a'ttotversitv of Pennsylvania has been
ma of a stain put upon Its name
9. tbe trustees, and the right of free
nh s becomes the foundation for It's
usefilness."
,,,.rtsor S. Morris, executor of the
.ns.ton estate and an ardent supporter
i'r,octor Nearing, has also given assur-
W mat II will not be long before his
.s.ir, that capital and monopoly are unit
~ 10 suppress free expressions of opin-
,es n the University will be substantially
1lustrated.
naotor winners statement today Is the
..s,,it of a recent denial on the part OF
III Pepper a trustee of the University
~. he had ever advocated any action in
snAs nA.ntion with Doctor Nearing which
ss,.h, no construed as blow at religious
,,hsrtv in the University.
w1TMER DEMANDS REPLY.
noo,or wilmer calls upon Mr. Pepper
:. state "frankly the extent to which hes
sould permit his religious convictions 10
Sstsruine his actions as a MEMBER Oh the
sssrd of trustees in voting for or against
nsrtic,,lar candidate for an office OF
pstIo,, . He also asks MIR. Pepper to
nssroc, him II he is wrong in asserting
sSst he (Mr Pepper cast the only vote
.nsorded against new curriculum re
..stiv adopted by the trustees-one OF
~ most liberal existing in this country
!. no nresent time. Doctor Wilmer con-
tnues:
n have reasons for believing that Mr.. Pep,
..rtbIngs that the college curriculum shoulu
u rednced 10 q minimum number or suplects'
eaa g tbat the content and methods Of instruc,
sar should aim at molding the MIND aha an,
r'os. :ssrsSiSr 0S5 0i ethiasI siHesn's IDEALS
Al another point in the statement DOC
Tor Wilmer observes:
professor Nearing represents PERHAPS one one
sttremo Of educational thory and practice.
All Mis- students, / believe. call attention 10
"a TACT that he is a good teacher because
IA makes them think. Mr.. Pepper rs sup,
Tosed TO represent the opposite extreme, and
ssalis.! @ssti Z he had the power put his Ideal into
Much attention is being given a letter
issued by Albert Journeay. captain of the
isll football team; Homer r. Sullivan
editor of the Punch Bowl; Paul T. Beissel
and Edgar Cope, Jr., as student commit
tea and sent to alumni of the University
II asserts that for two years the students
At that institution have been held up tc
rdcule of the student bodies Of every
University of our size and standing in the
country because of the reactionary atti'
Jude Of our board of trustees towarc
academic freedom" 1t calls upon the
Students and alumnae to demand Doctor
Nearing's retention.
The communication says. in part:
We have right to expect that the Board oi
Trustees shall pay less attention to their per
s0nal interests and give more heed to thelI
trust Their action in waiting for the closing
ef the University before taking this step car
emily be regarded with suspicion by this
Students, when they recall how undergraduate
examinations have met similar attempts ir
the past.
that It is unusual for notification OF dismissa
70 come through the dean, not later than th'
spring months Neither of these precedent
vas complied with. These things are more
fgniheant when we consider that other mem
Aefs Of tho faculty have also been discrlm
mated against.