The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-12-21
Gov. Ayers Explains
Position on III" Mess

III oldSllHS q ilCdAlilE " III
vestigate into the mess that has
developed at the Montana State
University between President Sim
mons and several members of the
faculty. Governor Roy E. Ayers
made the following statement:
Every person, whatever his sta
ton may be, employed by the State
University of Montana, owes a 10y
atty to the state and to the Uni
versity because ii is a State Uni
versity and is operated through reg
ular legal and constitutional chan
j nels. We, the members of the board
here assembled (meaning the state
board of education) consider it a
certain degree of disloyalty to be
working for and holding position in
the University and going about the
state criticizing and condemning
the action of the executive officers
of the University and of other en-
ployes of the University. If there
is any criticism to be made about
the management and the operation
of the University by any members
of the faculty, such criticism should
be made to the state board of edu-
cation, which is the constitutional
managing board of the University.
BY this statement, please under
stand that no member of the board
here present is trying or attempt
ing to try to interfere with or in
any way limit or curtail free speech.
however, we all do believe that any
faculty member who desires to con-
denim the University or any of his
colleagues or the President of the
local executive board, should make
his complaint to the highest con-
stituted authority in this respect,
namely the state board of educa-
ton. Every member of this fac
ulty knows that the state board
holds regular quarterly meetings
and undoubtedly each member
knows when the state board has
special meetings and it is the duty
of any faculty member who has
complaints to make to come before
the board We will hear you, and
always have heard you when any
such complaint was made.
I'VE 60 on the theory that any
faculty member who goes about |
he state condemning his colleagues |
,ondemning the president of this |
Institution, condemning the local |
executive board, or condemning the
tate board of education, has the
light the right to do so, but we
,urther believe that before he does /
10 he should resign and make such |
on his own response |
oility and not on any capacity as an |
Of the University BY the
resolution we have passed and which |
had just read to you, we have
liked board and place (the locaIY
executive board at Missoula) for I
you to make any and all complaints
which you have and upon any SUBJ
ect which you desire and that we
will then hold thorough, fair and
hearing on such COM
plants. That is the businesslike,
lawful and fair way to do such I
things and to handle such matters.
AS the highest authority in the
state over the entire Greater Uni
versity and all of its units, this
board directs that all members of /
the faculty and everyone else con-
nected with the University, refrain
from melting students into con-
over the faculty and the
personnel of this institution. We
believe that the big majority of the
student body is in favor Of this
dct1Un and we are certain that an
enormous majority of the parents
u the student body approves Of this
action.
All members of this faculty may
rest assured that their positions are
1ot IN jeopardy pending this hear
ng, in which we have invited all
If you to file your complaints, and
which will commence at 8 o'clock,
January Is, l940.'