Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-16
UTAH PROFESSORS
DISMISSAL SCORED
One of Men Doing Probing, Roscoe
Pound of Harvard, a Former
Nebraskan.
PUNGENT CRITICISM IS MADE


SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 10.
The complete report of the COM
mittee of inquiry. appointed by the
American Association of University
Professors to investigate conditions at
the University of Utah, made public
here yesterday, concludes that of
the four charges given by the presi-
dent of the university, as reasons for
dismissing professors last spring,
three specify no proper grounds for
such action and the fourth is with
out basis in fact" The report is
unanimous and is signed by R. A.
Seligman of Columbia. John Dewey
of Columbia, Frank A. Fetter of
Princeton, James p. Lichtenberger of
Pennsylvania, Arthur o. Lovejoy Of
Johns Hopkins university, Roscoe
Pound Of Harvard and Howard q.
Warren OF Princeton.
Not only does the report find that
Profs. Knowlton Wise, Snow and
Bing were dropped without cause,
but it gives pungent criticism of the
conduct of the university by Prof. j.
T. Kingsbury and the board Of re-
gents.
Speaking of the grounds for dis
missal, the report says, for instance:
"The government of the university,
like that of many others IL America,
is a government of men and not Of
law
Must BE Resented.
Commenting on conditions at the uni
versity the report says in part:
"If our state universities are TO con-
tinue to be institutions in which self
respecting scholars can serve or in
which the true character of a university
is maintained. it is essential that all such
attempts be vigorously resented, and
that no ground be given even for the
suspicion that teachers in these institu-
tions are under pressure of the sort ex-
emplified in the first case cited by Prof.
Roylance.
There may be room for legitimate de-
bate concerning the proper limits OF free
dom OF teaching; there can be no room
for debate as to the improperly of per-
mitting powerful individuals outside the
university whether in or out of public
offices to dictate to university presidents
respecting the utteance of university
professors. And the resistance to such
attempts must necessarily come first and
chiefly from the presidents OF the state
universities.
ITO the committee it seems that Presi-
dent Kingsbury, while personally de-
sirous OF maintaining a due measure OF
freedom in the University OF Utah. has
not sufficiently resisted pressure of the
sort mentioned, but has rather at times.
permitted himself to be used as an in
strument through which such pressure
was transmitted to members Of the fac
ulty.
what Hits Hardest.
Nothing has done so much TO
strengthen the widespread feeling of dis
trust which has unquestionably been en-
gendered by recent events at the univer-
sity as the attitude stin held by the
board OF regents: persistent refusal to
permit the disclosure OF all the facts in
such cases. always gives color to the
belief that there exist facts unsuited for
disclosure. The committee gathers that
the persistence Of the board In its pres
ent position has aroused on the part OF a
large section OF the local public, includ-
ing many Of the alumni and a majority
of the students, a degree OF suspicion,
and even hostility. which must be con-
/, tinuing detriment TO the university's eff
ciency as an instrument Of public eduoa-
tion. and must affect disadvantageously
the position and the work of teachers in
the institution
Roscoe Pound of Harvard. named in the
foregoing as one Of the investigators, 10
a graduate Of the college OF law Of the