The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1963-06-07
Somewhat Academic
By EDMUND FREEMAN, Missoula
I'D u urppIAM
DR.. H. C. MERRIAM

1
ferring an honorary Doctor of letter.
degree this week ON one of it's grea
builders. The list of his good work.
is so long that it may mask the mar
from our sight. His virtues are Sc
much those that Montanans worship
in the abstract that it would have
been great irony if he had become
the traditional prophet in his own
country.
Mr.. Merriam came as man of 80
from Reed College to be head of the
English department.. He was head
rather than a mere chairman. He
made the decisions, after comforting
with his faculty, and accepted what
ever criticism or burden they entailed.
He protected his faculty stoutly and
gave them freedom in the classroom
and in their own lives. This is doubly
meritorious in a man who has strong
principles which he wants to see pre-
vail. He was so firm in standing for
his principles that newcomers some
times thought he was more interested
in the principle than in the person.
Not so. In the end they saw that he
made persons, and they became his
lasting friends for, Like Walt Whit
man, she reached out his great hand
to me as if he was going ito give it
to me for good and ALL"
Mr.. Merriam was born in Massachu-
setts, schooled in Colorado and Wyo-
ming, then went as Rhodes Scholar
to Oxford, and finally studied for adj
vanced degrees at Harvard and CO.
lumbia. Before coming to MSU he
taught at Beloit, Whitman and Reed
Colleges. With this academic back
ground he had rich resources to draw
On when his department needed cam
lidates or recommendations or lee
,urers. And he acted with great dis
patch.
He was pioneer spirit in operating
he English department. He soon put
emphasis on the study of American
md contemporary literature. He i'm
nediately started student magazine,
HE FRONTIER, which rapidly grew
o give voice to life in the Northwest
hat carried over the nation. He
rought vigorous and talented men
o the department and its various in
titutes: Sidney Cox, Alexander Dean,
ohm Mason Brown, Lennox Robin
on, Robert Penn Warren, Andrew
Jorry, Wards Fisher, Joseph Kinsey
Howard and others still in the depart
nent among them.
Mr.. Merriam was one of the shap-
rs of the first Budget and Policy
Committee in 1921, the committee
7hich President Olapp said in 1927
has brought as near an approach to
emocracy in the University, with re-
ulting harmony and friendliness. as
erhaps is possible, and certainly be-
ond the approach that has been pos
ible in most institutions" He was
ne of the first petitioners for a
harter in the AFT in 1887. He took
barge of the Federal Writers PROF
ct for Montana in the destitute
hirties. He initiated the Montana
Institute of the Arts in 1913 and is
ill leader in its activity. He re-
red from the faculty in 1854.
To describe the extra loads of work !
e imposed upon himself and the han
leaps that came his way too often
'om callous officialdom would only
nbarrass a man who probably agrees {
lat "what people could have done
mainly what they've in fact DONE"
is friends have seen him hold dog
sdly ON his way, fine instance of c
e Puritan conscience, a true con- !,
rvative and real individualist, and l
e happy that his rich contribution |
our region and our state is being
luted by the University.