Evening star., 1935-04-23
INQUIRY ORDERED
AT MARYLAND i.
Regents Act on Charges
Against Dr.. Pearson's
Administration.
BY GEORGE PORTER,
STAFF Correspondent Of The Star

COLLEGE PARK, Md, April 23.-l
Affairs at the University OF Maryland
we're slated for full investigation to-
day as q result of reports OF unrest"
laid before the Board of Regents yes
terday.
Authorized at special meeting in
the home of George M. Shriver, chair
man of the board, at Pikesville yes
terday, the investigation is to consist
of q thorough review of the general
activities, the scholastic standing, and
the services performed by the uni
versity.
An official statement from Chairman
Shriver credited DR.. Raymond A.
Pearson, president of the university,
with proposing the probe. Mr.. Shriver
declined to disclose the identity of the
members of the special committee of
regents named to conduct the in
vestigation, or to state how they
would proceed, but said they would
begin work Immediately"
Weekly Criticized DIR. Pearson.
Board members made every effort
Yesterday to give the impression they
took no official notice of an editorial
in the Diamondback, student weekly,
which blamed DR.. Pearson for "loW
morale" among faculty members,
lowering of the university's scholastic
standing by replacing outstanding pro-
fesSors with mediocre instructors, and
failing to fight against new budget
cuts.
J. Marshall Matthias, student editor
~ ha
tho meeting was being held to answer
questions regarding the editorial, but
was not called before the regents.
Chairman Shriver's statement made
no reference to the Diamondback or
Matthias.
DR.. Pearson defended his actions
and denied all charges voiced by the
Diamondback's editorial of March rs
in a public statement issued several
days later The regents yesterday
said that they, rather than DR.. Pear
son, were accountable for the matter
of compensation"
Alumni Proffer Data.
The editorial, it was learned, caused
the university's alumni association to
gather certain data which was laid
before an executive session of the
board yesterday, which Dr. Pearson
did not attend. The executive meet
ing followed the regular meeting in
Chairman Shriver's home, which the
president attended.
Alumni who appeared before the
regents included Ted Van Doren, pres
ident of the Washington branch of
the univerSity's alumni association.
The alumni as well as all others
involved in the case yielded to the
regents request to let Mr.. Shriver be
their spokesman. He said:
"At meeting of the Board of
Regents of the University of Mary
land held today the board heard sew
eral members of the alumni of the
university who presented certain in
formation which they felt important as
rejecting unrest and perhaps mis-
understanding among certain of the
faculty members.
Compensation Cut Explained.
Evidently much of the dissatisfac-
tion grows out of the question of re-
duced compensation, for which it seems
the president was held accountable.
1T was explained by the board that
the matter of compensation was one
which the board itself in the last an
slySis was accountable for; that the
further reduction in the amount Of
the State appropriation was presenting
some difficult problems to which the
president and the board were giving
every consideration in an effort to
avoid further cuts in compensation,
and in this connection they were re-
ceiving sympathetic cooperation from
the Governor and the other members
of the Board of Public Works.
In response to the request of Presi-
dent Pearson the board appointed a
special committee to thoroughly in
vestigate and review the affairs of the
university, its organization, its schol-
sstic standing and the extent and
character of the services being per-
formed and its general activities"
Mr. Shriver said no definite date
had been set for the committee to re-
port its findings. The next regular
meeting of the regents is scheduled
for May II.
At yesterdays meeting Mr. Shriver
said the board also considered re-
organization Of the Live Stock Sani-
fation Service, but declared its plans
are still in the formulative stage.
A