Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-14
ton committee; T. H. Robertson, sec
rotary administration committee
Second Resolution

rotary administration committee
Second Resolution
Resolutions by the executive COM
mittee of the board of trustees of
Mercer university:
BE it resolved by the executive
committee of the board of trustees of
Mercer university:
First, that President Rufus w.
Weaver be instructed to demand the
resignation of DR.. Henry Fox as d
member of the faculty.
"'Second, that the president be in
structed at once to provide success
sor, and that as soon as his place
can be supplied, DR.. Fox be asked
to cease giving instruction to his
classes.
"'Third, that in taking this action,
we do so in full appreciation Of the
scholarly attainments of DR.. Fox,
and his well-known efficiency and
| faithfulness as a teacher.
This action is taken because of
| the fact that, in his written express
sion of his views as to Christianity,
| he shows that he is out of harmony
with the principles on which we hold
the Christian college to be founded.
The principle is set forth in each an
/ y ,
under the heading The Mercer Uni
versity IDEAL A Christian school
| is a group Of gifted and thoroughly
trained communicating personalities,
organized, communicating with God,
through Jesus Christ, and commune
eating for Jesus Christ to the eX-
banding minds of the youth whom
| they teach
Personal Regard Expressed
"In transmitting you these reso-
lutions, l wish to express for you my
high personal regard, and to assure
you that SO far DIS | am able to form
an honest judgment, you have OBJ
served every regulation, and have
taught your classes in harmony with
the educational policy of this insti-
! tuition, which has been affirmed and
reaffirmed by the board of trustees.
This policy requires of all the
| professors in teaching any subject,
theological or scientific, to distin-
euish clearly between the theories
and facts, and not to become aVoWed
| partisans of any theories, but to set
! forth fairly and thoroughly the arSu-
| ments for and against the theories,
leaving to the student the conclu-
sions to be reached.
FdClS are " ne pISSSHIeu DIS lclClo
and given full emphasis as they af-
| feet any theory. This educational
policy calls for fairness and thor
oughness of investigation, for the
! judicial mind in consideration Of any
theological or scientific theory, and
| for loyalty to truth, as that truth is
firmly grounded in fact.
81 regret that the judgment Of
! these two bodies, the one possessing
the moral right, and the other the
| legal right to control Mercer univer-
sity, should not be favorable to your
continuance until the termination of
your contract next June.
Evolution Not Involved
"As l endeaVor to interpret the
reasons which have led to this judg-
ment, I am persuaded that it does
not involve the question Of evolu-
ton.
you have not taught the theory
Of evolution as an established fact.
| In your classroom work, you have
always represented its hypothetical
| character.
This theory is one which every
student in science must know, and
[ am glad that, in your presentation
of it, you have never shown a dog
matte or arrogant spirit.
Therefore, [ am led to the con-
| clusion that the real reason for the
course taken by our two governing
bodies is the statement of your be-
| liefs made to a committee appointed
| by the board of trustees, in which
it seemed to this committee that your
attitude toward certain basal evan
gelical beliefs would prevent you, in
giving any instruction, from present
ing the facts of science in such a
way as to strengthen the faith of
the students in these doctrines which
evangelical Christians hold to be
most essential.
1T is true that, in your depart
ment, the points Of contact have not
been many. and l am informed that
you have always avoided in your
classroom any discussion of subjects
that would have bearing upon theo-
logical issues.
Conduct IrreprOachable
1T follows that the trustees and
the officials of the Georgia Baptist
convention hold TO the conviction
that. to he an acceptable interpreter
Of any subject taught in the institu-
ton, there must be on the part of
the instructor an earnest desire to
promote the faith as ii is held by
the evangelical Christians.
Il thank You most heartily for
Your faithful services as a teacher.
for the splendid record your stu
dents have uniformly made in the
medical schools of the nation, for
your high scholarly standards. and
for the :rreproachabIe life YOU have
lived among US.
with every expression of esteem.
[ remain.
CORDIALLY yours,
RUFUS ". WEAVER.