Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-13
DTSMTSSALS HELD UP
AT BRYN MAWR UPON
ORDER OF DIRECTORS
Committee Takes Step in In
vestigation of Alleged Auto
cratic" Actions of DR.. M.
Carey Thomas
HEARINGS SCHEDULED

Dissatisfaction among aumnae. faculty
members and students of Bryn Mawr Col
lege over the alleged "autocratic" man
agement of the Main Line school, today
resulted in the notification of five in
structors marked for dismissal that their
cases We're being held in allegiance.
A special committee of five directors
Investigating the charges against DR.. NJ.
Carey Thomas, president of the school.
which decided last night to postpone"
the dismissals will hold further meetings
this week. The petition of the faculty
to change the Bryn Mawr charter so as
to remove the sole power of appointment
and dismissal of instructors from the
president will be considered. The student
petitions of protest against the dismissal
of the five instructors and the petitions
supporting Doctor Thomas also will be
heard.
A new, phase of the controversy came
TO light today when 1t became known that
many of the students have been hailing
Dean Marion Reilly as our next presi-
dent" Dean Reilly, who handed In her
resignation few months ago, declined
today to make any statement as to the
cause of her resignation which, in the
light of recent developments, became Of
intense interest and Importance to the
alumnae and the student body. She de-
clared that all the news to be printed
about her resignation was printed two
months ago and declined to make any
comment when told that she was
favorite with the girls at the college.
Dean Reilly also asked to be excused
from commenting on the controversy he.
tween the senior faculty and the president
She gave no hint of any previous <nowl.
edge that the students looked favorably
upon her as a future president of the
school
Hints of jealousy over Doctor ReiIly's
i'm hp Nil ht,t
no person connected with the school would
comment on it. Doctor Reilly was gradu-
ated from Bryn Mawr with b. A. degree
in 1901, and studied at Nenham College.
Cambridge University in the spring of
1907, and at the Universities of Rome and
Vienna in bile Her plans for the
future have not been made, she said
Doctor Thomas, calm in the furore
which the protests have created, declared
she welcomes, an investigation which
would ''reformN the college. Her action
in removing the five instructors. she said,
was to provide means for greater research
which would enable the institution to
maintain its position. The changes de-
manded by the alumnae and students, in
Guiding the curtalment of the presidents
power and the eligibility of persons other
than Friends to the board of trustees.
have been under consideration for some
time she added
I'VE simply met to discuss the years
budget" said Doctor Thomas, when asked
about last nights meeting "The five
instructors have not been dismissed. We
do not dismiss anybody at Bryn Mawr."
Besides Doctor Thomas, those at the meet
ing were Thomas Raeburn White, Prof.
Rufus Il. Jones. of Haverford College, a
member of the Executive Committee
Miss Il, d. Kirkbride, and others
In the case of Dr. Arthur Russell
Moore, assistant professor of physiology.
virtually every member of his class signed
petition asking that he be retained be
cause of his efficiency and thoroughness"
The other instructors scheduled for dis
missal at the end of the term are DR.
Richard Thayer HolbrooS, associate pro-
fessor in romance languages DIR, Ida
LangdOn, niece of Mark Twain, and DIR.
Edna A. Shearer, both senior readers in
English. and Miss Clara Whitney Crane.
also reader in English, and DR.. Regina
X. Crandall, associate professor in Eng
lish
A document prepared by one of the
professors for a report on the trouble"
at Bryn Mawr happened to fall into the |
hands of a reporter 1t had been pre- |
pared for another faculty member, This
report said:
1.-THE character of despotism under
which we live is the cause of our troubles. |
Communication between the trustees and |
the faculty should be made through more |
than one person. The relation is COM
pHcaleu Dy tne personality Oh the pTesl- |
dent"
1t has been reported that not a single |
member of the senior faculty sides with |
Doctor Thomas, but the faculty members, |
1t would seem from attempted inter- |
views. have learned their lessons" and |
refuse TO make comments for publication |
Condemnations of President Thomas
methods and of the system at Bryn Mawr |
were made by Prof Franklin IL. Giddings, |
leading member of the faculty of Column
bia University; Prof. William A. Neil |
son, one of Haryard's exchange profess
sors at the University of Paris; Prof. |
Alvin S. Johnson, of Cornell, editor OF |
the New Republic, and Prof ]. II. Hud-
dilston, of the University of Maine-all, |
at one time or another, members of the |
teaching staff at Bryn Mawr, while a
defense of President Thomas. mingled |
with SONG criticism, was made by Prof.
Charles NJ. BakeWell, of Yale, who was
at Bryn Mawr from 1898 to 1900. Prof. /
Thomas A. Jenkins of the University OF
Chicago, declared that the unreasonable |
practices at Bryn Mawr constitute an
"evil of some 20 years standing" and
are disgrace to the State of Pennsyl-
vania."