Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-09
BEARD QUITS COLUMBIA
BECAUsE0F TRUSTEES
Attacks Obscure and Willful" Groun
In Letter to President Nicholas
Murray Butler.
V1sIoNLEss AND NARROW
Resignation Is Outcome of Recent
Summary Expulsion OF Professors
Cattell and Dana for Their Pacif,st
Agitation.

NEW YORK, October s-professor
N''ieS a. beard resigned to-day the
chair or politics at Columbia University
In letter attacking "a small group Of
trustees OF that institution and tho
precarious tenure OF Office Of pro fessors
generally His resignation was the
outcome of the summar, expulsion OF
Professors Cattell and Dina because of
their pacifst agitation.
Professor Boards letter. addressed to
President Nicholas Mural Butler. fol-
lows. in part:
Having observed closely the inner
life at Columbia for many Years. I have
been driven to the conclusion that The
university is really under the control
OF small and active group of trus-
tees who have no standing In the
world Of education, who are reaction
airy and visionless in politics, narrow
and medieval in religion. Their con-
Duct. TO use the language of a. resolu-
ton adopted last spring by onl Of the
mos, '%Dortan. faculties. D rays
function OF university in the ad-
vancement Of learning How wide and
deep is this conviction among the pro-
fessors only one intimately acquainted
with them can know.
III these were ordinary times. one
might more readily ignore the unhappy
position In which the dominant group
In the board of trustees has placed the
teachers. But these are not ordinary
times. We stand on the threshold Of
an era which will call for all the
emancipated thinking that America can
command.
AMONG FIRST TO URGE
WAR WITH GERMANY
LAS you are aware. ! have. from the
beginning, believed that n victory for
the German government would plunge
all Of us into tho black night Of mil
itary barbarism. l was among the
first to urge declaration Of war by
the United States. and l believe that
we should now press forward with all
our might to just conclusion. But
thousands of my countrymen do not
share this view. Their opinion cannot
DO changed by curses or bludgeons.
Arguments addressed to their reason
are our beat hope.
II am convinced that while I remain
In the pay OF the trustees OF Columbia
University l cannot do effectively my
humble part IN sustaining public opin-
ION In support OF the Just war on the
German empire, or take position OF
independence in the days of reconstruc-
ton that are to follow. For this rca-
son ! herewith tender my resigna ton
i-a
on the morning of Tuesday. October 9.
1917.
las think of the scholarships and
worldwide reputation Of my col
leagues and compare them with the
few obscure and willful trustees who
now dominate the university and ter
rorize the young instructors. l cannot
repress my establishment that America.
offs all countries. has made the status
OF the professor lower than that OF
the manual laborer, who. through his
union, has at least some voice in the
terms and conditions of his employ
ment.
"Holding his position literally by the
day. tho professor is liable to dismissal
without hearing. without the 5udg-
ment Of his colleagues. who are his real
peers l am sure that when the peo-
pie understand the true state or at
iairs in our universities they VIII
speedily enact Legislation which VIII
strip boards OF trustees OF their abso-
lutte power over the Intellectual life OF
the institutions under their manage
mcnt.'
In closing, Professor Beard pays
high compliment to President Butler.