Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1966)
Professor Refuses Texas Loyalty Oath By NANCY KOWERT Collegiate Press Service AUSTIN, Tex.—A retired Har vard English professor and Pu litzer prize-winning author has broken an agreement to teach at the University of Texas because he refused to sign the state - required “loyalty oath.” Howard ' Mumford Jones, who described the oath as “thorough ly vicious,” was to be a visiting professor of English during the spring semester. He had taught general literature at Texas from 1919 to 1925. It was the second loyalty oath case this year. Earlier, Bayard Rustin, a controversial civil rights leader, refused to sign the Maryland loyalty oath before ap pearing at the University of Maryland. Rustin did speak after the state’s attorney general ruled the oath was not necessary for one or two appearances. Due in February The 73-year-old Jones, an expert on American literature and cul ture, had made arrangements with the Texas administration to come to Austin in February. "Then, they sprang the loyalty oath on me,” Jones said. “It’s a disclaimer oath, not a loyalty oath,” Jones told the Daily Tex an by telephone, saying he feels Freemesser Gives Symposium Talk Bernard L. Freemesser, asso ciate professor of journalism, pre sented a paper on "Visual As pects of Journalism Education" at the Dec. 29 meeting of the third annual symposium of the Society for Photographic Educa tion in Chicago. The Society for Photographic Education is an organization of leading ph'oto-journalism educa tors, photographers, and editors. Freemesser, who was elected to the society earlier this year, is the only member from the north west. such oaths “assume a person is guilty until he proves himself innocent.” The oath, in its present form, was passed by the Texas legisla ture in 1953 and requires that every potential state employee (which includes all university personnel); • ... Is not and never has been a member of the Communist Party; • ... Has not during the pre ceding five-year period been a member of any organization which the U.S. Attorney General has designed as totalitarian, fas cist, communist, or subversive; • ... Has not during the pre ceding five-year period been a member of any communist politi cal or front organization. Students’ Different A similar oath required of stu dent employees omits the word “communist” and reads, in part, “I swear or affirm that I believe in and approve of the Constitu tion and the principles of gov ernment therein contained . . . and will not aid or assist . . . movements to subvert or destroy the government.” “This faculty oath violates the principles of the American Asso ciation of University Professors,” Jones wrote in a letter telling Chancellor Ranson of his deci sion. “It violates the principles of equity since attached to the form is a list of scores (a total of 290) of organizations alleged to be Migrant Labor Meeting Cancelled The Migrant Labor Project will not meet tonight as pre viously announced. A spokesman for the project said Wednesday that the meet ing, which had been set for 7 p.m. today in the Student Union, had to be cancelled. DID YOU KNOW That the D.Q. Also Offers: DELUXE HAMBURGERS - CHEESEBURGERS HOT DOGS - HAM SANDWICHES FRENCH FRIES - ONION RINGS DRIRV QUEEN FOR TASn^A FOOD FOR 13th & Hilyard 343-7512 subversive or disloyal on the grounds that they appear on some other lists compiled l know not how,” the letter continued. "1 have combatted this kind of oath all my life as a member of the faculty at various state uni versities and at Harvard Univer sity,” he wrote. Declined UCLA “I once (in 1950) declined to teach during the summer term at the University of California (at Los Angeles) because that insti tution then demanded an oath like yours." Jones went on to say that “the oath is an affront to me as a re sponsible American citizen who has worked for his government and several times taken an oath to defend it.” Students Receive 'Verbal Grades' KALAMAZOO, Mich. (CPS)— Some students at Kalamazoo Col lege are getting verbal grades. What they hear, simply, is the recorded voice of their profes sor evaluating and grading their term papers or lab reports. By replacing the red pencil with a dictation machine, several pro fessors have found that they can give students more than twice as many comments without in creasing the time it takes to grade a set of papers. The school has not had the opportunity to evaluate the sys tem scientifically but some ob servations, based on the 200 stu dents involved in the initial test, have been released. Thus far the system has been tried by professors in the Eng lish, history, philosophy, and chemistry departments. All the teachers who have tried the new form of grading plan to keep using it. John B. Moore, who introduced the system at Kalamazoo, says that student teacher contact is greatly increased. Moore originally tried the idea in an attempt to have grading time. Instead, he found he was spending about the same amount of time grading papers but was making far more detailed com ments than he did with a pen. There have been no student complaints and much praise from those who felt they were receiv ing more personal attention. “We get a lot more under standing just by hearing the tone of the professor’s voice,” one stu dent said. Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald is published five times in .September and five days a week during the academic year, except during examination periods, by the Student Fubli .-.itions Board of the University of Oregon. Second-class postage paid at Eugene, Ore gon 97403. Subscription rates $5 per year, 12 per term. 19 OREGANA 66 The Oregana Staff Wishes Every Student A Happy New Year and Takes this opportunity to remind every student that it could still be a hap pier year by buying a copy of the OREGANA. Be a happy owner of your University Year Book. The Oregana is conducting another drawing at the end of winter registra tion and Free OREGANA’s are going to be given away. You could be a lucky winner and it’s easy; you get your money back! Hurry now and buy your copy. Remember: Price goes up to $10.00 after winter registration. You can still save money now while the price is at $7.90. Buy yours during registration or from the OREGANA Office, Room Mill. Open 3 p.m.-5 p.m. daily. P.S. You can still get the 1966 OREGANA for just $7.90 ’til the 10th of January. Norman Ilackcrman, vice chan cellor in charge of academic n( fairs, said he "regretted Jones’ decision not to come to the uni versity." He said the university has a "neutral position” toward the oath. "Wo just administer it.” he said. "He said earlier this year that he would be glad to come,"'C. I. Cline, chairman of the English department, said "It was only when he got the official papers to fill out that he balked. We made him an offer of a salary beyond anything made by any professor in this department," Cline contin ued. Courses Shelved Jones was to teach senior and graduate level English courses in American literature. The courses will not be offered now that Jones is not coming. Jones is the first person to break an agreement with the University of Texas over the principle of having to sign the oath. Some potential professors have been unable to sign the document because of prior association with a “subversive” organization iden tified on a list attached to the oath, but Jones is the first to re fuse on principle Before he was hired at Harvard, Jones signed an oath, required of all U S. citizens who plan to teach in Massachusetts. That oath reads, "I do swear or affirm that 1 will support the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Mas sachusetts that 1 will faithfully discharge the ciiiiu*s of tin- p0s|. lion of (blank) according to the best of my abilities." Harvard Supports (’lark Hyse of the Harvard I.aw School, chairmen of the AAI'I’ committee on academic freedom, supported Jones’ action, saying the oath "is not an effective means of ferreting out commu nists and subversives. "The trouble with loyalty oaths is that they accomplish nothin#, harm people and create a suspi cion that is unhealthy in a dem ocratic society," he said. Jones was awarded the Pulitzer I’rixe in 1965 for "O Strange New World," the firs! volume of a history of American culture. Woodwind Quint Concert Friday The Woodwind Quintet con ceil previously announced for to day at the University will he held at 8 pm Friday at the School of Music auditorium. Selections to lie performed are Mozart's "Divertimento No 14 m H Flat Major.” arranged for wood wind quintet by Anthony Haines; Carl Nielsen's "Quintet, Op. 4:1 Klliott Carter’* "Woodwind Quin tet"; and Francis Poulenc’s "Ses tet for 1’iano and Woodwind Quintet ’’ The public is invited to attemt"' free of charge ami to meet the artists in the rehearsal room fol lowing the concert MINIT MARKET DOMESTIC AND IMPORTED BEVERAGES QUALITY MEATS AND VEGETABLES 536 East 11th Sun.-Thur. 9-11, Fri.-Sat. 9-1 13th Avc. Laundromat 365 E. 13th WASH DRYER Coin A Bill Changers Vending Machines Hair Dryers Weekday Laundry A Ironing Complete 24 hour Laundry Service Ke e p s a k e { ) I A. * ^ f J> M l J K I M O S Diamond engagement ring end marching wedding ring, intertwined to oopear at one ring. Advanced detlgn. *125 lautets of "tfl£ mlliOVl TftWlc! TOPMOST QUALITY UTMOST VALUE fine diamonds in newest k settings EASY TERMS Two ring* H'--| lit log«(h«f with iMtfoo’d^ory unify. 5t>!<»ndld ganulno diamond. Solid I4K gold. $150 Elegonce to a moil unuiual ^i AA degree. DJomond beauty Unequalled In o matching pair of tplendld ring*, $175 S'ond«r, grocoful moynlficonc# charocf*rfia Ihit mo»l charming ol diamond bridal »«rt. bo ih MK gold rings . • • STUDENT ACCOUNTS INVITED - NO MONEY DOWN-UP TO 2 YEARS TO PAY HARRY RITCHIE DOWNTOWN EUGENE 856 Willamette %/memb IS 343-1606
