Arizona republican., 1918-03-26
f FACULTY STANDS | UP! FUR DOCTOR

The following strong endorsement of Dr. Blome, president of the Northern Arizona Normal school has been adopted by the members of the faculty of that institution:
 We, the faculty of the Northern Ari- zona Normal school (President Blome and his discharged assistants not par ticipating), feeling that grave injus- tice has been done to our faculty, to our school, and to our state in the re- moval of our president, Dr. R. H. H. Blome and his two assistants, and that proper respect for the citizens of the state entities them to know, and re- quires us to explain, the causes that have led to the present conditions in the school, do set forth that during the nine years Doctor Blome has been president of this Normal school, it has grown from an institution of less than fifty students to one of three hundred, despite the fact that most of our boys are away in the service of our country; that with the faculty cooperating for efficient work, with not a dissatisfied student in the entire student body, with all the students learning rapidly, with the demand for teachers exceed ing our supply of graduates, with IS of Arizona's counties, A states of the
 
 resented in the student body, with 90 per cent of the people of Northern Ari- zona satisfied with the general con- duct of the school, with the students l intensely loyal to their school, their several counties, their states, and their country, with those who know recog nizing and admitting that we had one of the very best schools in the south west and with unanimous recognition that it was largely Doctor Blome who had drawn this cosmopolitan body of | students together and obtained this splendid result, yet with all these at tainments to his credit he has been discharged without a hearing, although citizens of Northern Arizona requested a hearing before such an action was taken and so eminent an educator | dismissed.
 | We know Doctor Blome to be one of the best scholars and one of the most | successful educators in the southwest, as is evidenced by the many honors he has received from schools and educa- tional organizations. He is one of the strongest school executives, one of the most enthusiastic teachers and popular educational leaders, one of the most just presidents to teachers and stu dents, and one of the most loyal Amer
 
 associated. His loyalty is evidenced by the fact that he willingly and gladly offered and is sending both his sons to fight in defense of his adopted country
 The flag incident assigned by the Normal school board as a cause for his dismissal happened when most of us were here and has been ridiculously overdrawn and mis- stated. We have proof that other state institutions die not display the flag more than this ont did, yet no attention was given to theil omission. Our school in its rules re garding the flag was but following thu former practice that obtained wheI Doctor Taylor was its president. It is assigned as a further cause fo Doctor Blome's dismissal that he i pro- German. We are Americans, ar with him constantly and know hin best, and do not believe it. We cal for proof of his disloyalty. We appea to those who believe in fair play. | there in free America no justice fo American citizens of German birth wh contribute with their means and migh and Loyalty send their sons to figh against their own race?
 We feel sure from our own know ledge of school affairs and condition in Flagstaff that local difficulties an' matters of politics, and not a desire fo the advancement of the school, hay led to Doctor Blome's dismissal, an l we ask the citizens of Arizona are yo s going to allow a precedent to be set fo [ the future by permitting a most emi l nent educator to be dismissed withou 7 a full and fair public hearing fror e your school, in which he has been l splendid success, with no effort by yo I to correct this wrong? We ask yO = to correct it, that the education of you : children and the expenditure of publi I money be not sacrificed.