The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-21
A Worthy Movement

When Charles Austin Beard resigned from Co.
lunbia university back in 1917, he charged that the
university professor was treated no better than a
lsborer who might be fired summariy without
hearing. AS an actual matter of fact the college
professor has been off in this respect than the
general run of skilled labor in the country
The latter has been fairly we'll organized and in
position to fight back in case a member of union
was discharged without cause
Teachers in our country have been il-organized
common unskiled labor The Association of
American University Professors has been very efficient
in reporting particular cases of academic assassna
ton, but it do little to remedy the abuses. Like
WISE the work OF the American Civil Liberties union
necessarily Is limited in it's application to teachers
The one movement directly designed to bring
strength dignity and independence to the teaching
profession is the so-caed teachers union. This Or
ganization celebrated its fifteenth anniversary at
luncheon at the Hotel Astor Saturday. The vitality
and increased strength of the union is largely a
tribute to tie DEVOTION courage and industry of its
founder Dr. Henry Linville.
Dr. Lnville prepared for teaching in the biological
sciences and took his Phi. D. degree from Harvard
university He began teaching at the De Witt Lincoln
high school in New York City. He soon proved him
self courageous fighter for honesty and justice.
Principal Buchanan was believed autocratc and
him, to find himself deserted by those who had
urged him on in rebellion He was transferred to
Jamaica high school, but held his job with promo
tos until he resigned in 1920 to give all his time to
the teachers union.
When the World came, DR.. Linvlle approved
our entry, but he opposed the bulldozing of those
who held the opposite view. Consequently, he fought
the patroteers in their silly methods of tyranny He
has battled consistently against politics in the edu
cational system of New York City, when it in
volved defending his old enemies, Drs Tildsley and
Ettinger
A year ago he organized with efficiency the emf
nently successful celebration Of John Dewey's
SEVENTEEN birthday He long has been leading
member of the American Civil Liberties union
But the chief interest Of DR.. Linvlle in the last
decade and half has been his Teachers Union. This
began as the Teachers League 1914 and became the
union in 1916 If tn teachers of the country clearly
could have discern ed and courageously followed their
own interest they would have hocked to his banners,
but it has been slow, uphill fight. Why should this
have been so?
In the first place, unionization of teachers is at
tended with danger AS in general industry, the
organizers are likely to be picked of. Further, de-
partmental eaousies petty politics and the like have
divided the pedagogs
But far more fundamental is the operation Of the
psychology of the leisure class While impecunous
enough in practice the teacher group thoroughly has
taken the aversion Of the ruling economic classes
to any stigma of servility manual labor
Unions have been associated with the workers;
indeed workers with their hands Hence. it has been
very difficult to the idea of unionizaton to those
who cerebrate only and lend intellectual reputabity
to salons of the rich and well-born.
Yet if the professors would turn historical and look
into their own origins, they would find plenty Of
precedent for association with lowly an in
stitution as union The very terms university (un-
verstas) and college collegium) originally
cated with corporations guilds of workingmen The
medieval university movement grew from the models
provided by these organizations Of laborers No other
class could find better logical historical justification
for unonSation. Further the teachers should realize
That union Is an indispensable instrument for pro-