Oregon daily emerald., November 21, 1977, Image 1

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Eugene. Oregon 97403
Monday. November 21. 1977
The more than 200 people present raised a cheer Friday when the Oregon State Board of
Higher Education voted to divest its stock holdings in South Africa The board voted 8-3 to
Photo by Stove Amen
divest the state s $6 million holdings in the apartheid system of the South African
government. The vote reversed a finance committee recommendation made last month.
State board dumps S. African stock
By RICHARD SEVEN
Of the Emerald
The State Board of Higher Education
voted Friday to sell stock it holds with U S.
corporations doing business in South Af
rica.
The board passed a motion 8-3 requiring
the board's investment managers to divest
all endowment fund investment in the 27
corporations identified by the board s fi
nance committee report as having direct
investment in South Africa.
Oregon s current fund investments in
those 27 corporations which include IBM,
Xerox, and Eastman Kodak, amounts to
about $6 million.
The new motion also prevents further
acquisition in companies that employ more
Three hours of testimony
lead to change of heart
than 50 persons in Rhodesia. South Africa
or Nambia that earn or invest more than
$500,000 in those countries.
The board reached its decision after
hearing three hours of testimony from more
than 30 different persons. Testimony in
favor of divestment came from church
leaders, ASUO Pres. Gary Feldman,
Oregon Student Lobby representatives,
and Portland State University students and
Thami Mhlambiso, U.N. representative for
the African National Congress. No tes
timony was given against divesture.
Mhlambiso told the board that by
FBI arrests former University
student, 4 Weatherpersons
A former University student and four
other members of the Weather Under
ground have been arrested by the FBI.
The FBI announced the arrests Saturday
of Clayton Van Lydegraf, 62, and two other
Weather Underground members in Hous
ton in connection with a plot to assassinate
public figures and bomb public buildings.
Two other members charged with in
volvement in the plot were also arrested by
the FBI in Los Angeles.
All five suspects allegedly made trips to
the Southern California desert near Bars
tow, where they took part in firearms train
ing.
An FBI spokesman, Ted Gunderson,
said the arrests capped a seven-month in
vestigation. The Weather Underground, a
group that emerged from the breakuo of
Students for a Democratic Society, went
underground in 1970 with a campaign of
“strategic sabotage” against government
and private industry.
Also arrested were Judith Emily Bissell,
33, Grace Fortmer, 30. Thomas Michael
Justesen, 27 and a man identified as
“Vince,” about 30.
economically abiding those corporations in
South Africa through investments, the
board was guilty of contributing to the racial
oppression of apartheid. He focused on
the inequality of educational rights in South
Africa.
“The government in South Africa spends
$517 per white student,” Mhlambiso said.
“They only spend $46 per African student.
How can such a denial of educational op
portunity be justified? What if your children
were subjected by this? You, the board,
must take a stand before it is too late."
Board member, Greg Moore, who said
before the meeting he felt divestment would
do no good, changed his mind after hearing
the testimony.
“Hearing the testimonies, I realized that
this oppression had been going on for 10
years and is growing worse instead of bet
ter," Moore said. “I previously felt by with
drawing our stock we would be removing
out last chance to do some good in South
Africa. However, I hate to admit it, but I don't
think we can do much anymore — so I am
voting in favor of divestment."
Board member Jonathon Ater was also
swayed by the testimony.
"At first, I didn't feel divestment was the
most effective course, ” he said. “Well, I
guess I was wrong. From hearing the tes
timony today, I feel this is one of the issues
we can and should take a stand on. Divest
ment is the proper course."
Other board members voting for divest
ment were Edward Harms, Jane Carpenter,
Ruth McDaniels. Betty Feves, Robert In
galls and Philip McLauren.
Board members opposed to selling the
stocks were Les Anderson. Louis Perry and
Loren Wyss.
Immediately after the vote results were
announced, the approximately 250 persons
in the audience stood up and cheered,
celebrating the board’s decision.
Feldman called the decision the best the
Mhlambiso:Take a stand
board has ever made.
"The state board showed a true concern
for its responsibility to the people of this
state,” he added.
Mhlambiso expressed his gratitude to the
people of Oregon, students and faculty of
the participating institutions, those who
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