The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-05-08
Students

department, / wish he were here 10
help us out"
An article appearing in the Michi-
gan Daily. by jim Conant stated,
approximately three years ago
Clayton, Ph.D. from Pennsylvania.
was the most promising man for a
vacancy in the mathematics depart
mcnt At that time, Prof Carver
said. he failed 10 receive en- appoint
ment because no one would take
he responsibility OF saying yes or
no 10 the appointment of Negro
Clayton had the stuff" Prof
Carver pointed out He was per-
feet gentleman, a good mathema-
tician by any standards. Negro or
white. and had the personality for
a teacher"
Although his candidacy for an in
structorship was endorsed by sew
eral faculty members, Prof. Carver
indicated that the recommendation
for the appointment never reached
the desk of the president or the
board OF regents.
Prof, Carver firmly believes that
III Clayton's appointment had gone
through. il would have me, with no
opposition from the administration.
I am confident that neither the
president nor the board OF regents
would turn the application down
FOR racial reasons"
Also speaking highly OF Clayton's
ability was Prof. Raymond l.
Wilder, an associate worker. -C1ay-
ton Is one Of the outstanding Negro
ma.hemsticians in the country. As
a scholar and a teacher. he was
good"
The following universities en-
ploy Negro instructors: the Uni
versity OF Chicago. Harvard uni
versiV. New York university,
Northwestern university. Loyola
university. and the City college OF
New York.
Michigan university has employed
Negroes as technical assistants and
readers. Prof. Dewitt H, Parker
chairman OF the philosophy depart
ment, gives the reasons for faculty
hesitaricy in recommending them
for teaching positions.
This particular problem has
never confronted our department.
n /: had, however. there might have
been some feeling that students
would be embarrassed by Negro
instructor. and that the appoint
ment would not go through the
authorities With regard 10 gradu-
ate students. Of course. Negroes
have always been on an equal foot
irg with every other student"
However. a poll conducted by the
Michigan Daily indicated that Prof
Parker was thoroughly wrong in his
belief that the employ OF Negro
instructor would become embarraSs-
ing 20 students.
The poll. taken on Thursday
pointed out that only five per cent
OF literary school students would
raise any objection TO a Negro in
s,ructor Too. President Alexander
C. Ruthven stated squarely and
firmly that the university has never
made racial distinctions in consid-
erng applicants for teaching jobs
Secret ballots were distributed
among the studerts in 10 classes.
the question: Would you object
"a a Negro instructor"
Only II out OF 2lS students ques.
;.oned answered yes" while 202
stated that they would have no OBJ
lection. Two blank ballots were re-
corded.
The classes were in The fields Of
German. physics mathematics, phi
,osophy. English, and economics
eight in all. including two divisions
~ freshman English.
Fourteen highly emphatic replies
we're included among IN. g. NOS"
Of the total 81 philosophy Strdents
polled. A predominancc Of girls was
in these classes No Negroes were
polled in any OF the classes.
One student among those ques-
toned answered. NO, I would no.,
object because. after all they are
no different than We" Another
asked. IF man has enough brains
to teach me. why should | have
any objections"
A lone yes" statement read
About the time we get Negro in
strnctors long. Michigan"
Beginning with the university
president. leading instructors were
interviewed in connection with the
/ investigation made by the Michi-
San Daily.
President Ru,hvcn said. In con.