Montana labor news., 1937-01-07
THE CASE OF PROF.
JEROME DAVIS

Legal restrictions o the teaching
| profession by means of public opin-
ion and by donors of colleges limit
freedom of expression in the field
of education. Since the World War,
the opinions and views of college
professors have resulted in o. dis
missals and more cases of d~isciplin-
ing than in any other similar period
in our history, according to the
| pamphlet "'The Gag on Teaching"
| published by the American Civil
Liberties Union.
The most recent case to arouse the
interest of teachers and the general
public is the dropping of Professor
| Jerome Davis from the faculty of
the Divinity School of Yale Universe
ty.
The following is a summary of a
report submitted of their own ac-
cord by four outstanding American
teachers to the American Associa-
ton of University Professors, which
was made public by the New Re-
public of November Is. The four
teachers are Charles A. Beard, Col
ston E. Warne, Paul H. Douglas and
Edward A. Ross. The summary fol-
lows:
/. When DR.. Davis was considering
a call to a full professorship at the
University of Wisconsin in 1925, the
dean of the Divinity School at the
time promised to recommend his pro-
motion to a full professorship at
Yale at the end of his existing en-
gagement.
2. When promotion was delayed in
1890, the dean approved DR.. Davis
work and expressed the hope that
promotion would come at the end of
the next period.
5. When the Divinity School facul-
ty was considering DR.. Davis promo
ton in 1886 it was informed that the
administration and the Corporation
were opposed to it; and the faculty
then merely recommended reap
pointment for three years.
4. Competent men in his field have
given evidence that they look upon
III. Davis as a competent scholar and
teacher.
s.. Members of the Yale Corpora
ton and administration have brought
sharp criticism against him for (a)
taking part in trade-union educa-
tional activities opposed to open-shor
interests; (b) advocating the recog-
milton of Soviet Russia; (c) attacking
ing the methods of Samuel insult ir
the utility business; (d) accepting
the findings and conclusions of Pro
fessor Fay and Professor Barnes or
the question of responsibility for the
origins of the World War; (e) in
viting Ferdinand Pecora to lecture al
the University; and (f) inviting Sen
ator Nye to be the annual speaker
for the Henry Wright Cottage of the
Divinity School.
6. Whether DR.. Davis was right o.
wrong in taking the positions which
evoked these criticisms, he was
within his rights as a citizen anc
as a scholar.
z. The nature of the criticism.
brought against DR.. Davis and harsh.
ness of the language employed by
those who made them reveal an ami
mus and temper that are foreign t.
Scholarships animus and temper
not appropriate for university au
: thorities, even when they are sorely
tried by outside pressures and insti
| tutional difficulties.
g.. The circumstances surrounding
the dismissal of DR.. Davis presen
positive elements involving academil
liberties, the rights of the scholar a
a citizen and the correct %procedur'
of the university authorities in deal
: ing with such liberties and rights
S This is not to say that DR.. Davis i
t without faults, but that there is
: weight of evidence which great.
tips the balance on his side. It is
: therefore, fitting that the America
Association of University Professor
should make a thorough examination
. of the controversy.