Regional Oral History Office University of The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California

THE LOYALTY OATH AT THE , 1949-1952

Interviews with:

Howard Bern Ralph Giesey Mary Tolman Kent Deborah Tolman Whitney

Interviews conducted by Germaine LaBerge in 1999

Copyright © 2004 by the Regents of the University of California

TABLE OF CONTENTS--The Loyalty Oath Controversy at the University of California, 1949-1952

INTERVIEW HISTORY i

INTERVIEW WITH HOWARD BERN iii

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION vii

I BACKGROUND 1 Childhood and Education in Canada 1 Family and Religion 2 World War II Service 3 Interest in Science: L.A. School and UCLA 5 U.C. Berkeley, Department of Zoology, 1948 6

II THE LOYALTY OATH 9 Reaction in the Department of Zoology 9 Philosophy Behind Opposition to the Oath 10 Friends Espousing Similar Principles 12 Reasons for Signing 14 The Three Deans and Monroe Deutsch 15 Role of President Sproul 17 Young Radical at UCLA 17 Administrators and Regents 18 AAUP Meeting in the Early Fifties 19

TAPE GUIDE 23

INTERVIEW WITH RALPH GIESEY 25

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 29

I. A STUDENT OF ERNST KANTOROWICZ REFLECTS ON HIS PROFESSOR AND THE LOYALTY OATH 31 Background 31 Seminars at Home of Ernst Kantorowicz 32 Other Teaching Assistants 34 Hearings for the TA Non-Signers 35 Who was Fired? 36 Ernst Kantorowicz' Background Before UC Berkeley 37 An Offer from Monroe Deutsch 39 Colleagues 39 Eka's Mesmerizing Presence in the Classroom 40 Eka's Papers 41 Short History of Eka's Circle of TAs 42 Ralph Giesey's Dissertation Related to The King's Two Bodies 44 More on The King's Two Bodies 45 Teaching Assistants' Stance and the George Circle 46 Eka's The Fundamental Issue 47

TAPE GUIDE 51

INTERVIEW WITH MARY TOLMAN KENT 53

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 57

I. FAMILY BACKGROUND 59 Edward Chace Tolman 59 Kathleen Drew Tolman 62 Faculty Wives, Section Clubs, Other Professors 63 Biography of Edward Tolman 65 Mary Tolman's Childhood and Education in Berkeley 66 Meeting Jack Kent in Inverness 67 Early Married Life 68 World War II: What the Tolmans and the Kents Were Doing 69 Family Reaction to Marriage Plans 71 Religion and Politics 72

II. THE LOYALTY OATH CONTROVERSY 73 Setting the Scene 73 City Planning Department at UCB and Democratic Politics 74 Jack Kent's Involvement 75 Edward Tolman and the Group for Academic Freedom 77 Consequences for Personal Life 78 Visiting Other Universities; Dedication of Tolman Hall 80 Repercussions in the Sixties 81 Jack Kent's Participation in City Politics 84 Group of Little Thinkers 84 Bill and Catherine Wurster 85 More Thoughts on the Loyalty Oath 87

TAPE GUIDE 89

INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH TOLMAN WHITNEY 91

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 95

I. BACKGROUND 97 From Evanston, Illinois, to Berkeley, California 97 Tolman Family Background 98 Meeting Kathleen Drew in West Newton, Massachusetts 99 Deborah Whitney's Education, at Home and Abroad 100 Father's Graduate Students and Family Friends 102 Political Background 104 Radcliffe College, Teaching and Writing 106 Meeting Jim Whitney; Early Marriage Years, World War II 107

II. THE LOYALTY OATH, 1949-1952 109 Jim Whitney, Psychiatrist at Cowell Hospital 109 First Remembrances 110 Effect on Mother 110 Edward Tolman's Philosophy 111 World War II Service for O.S.S. 112 Repurcussions, Friends and Foes 114 Dad's Personality 116 Media Attention 117 Religious Background 118 The Whitneys' Political Activities 119 The , 1964 120 The Loyalty Oath Symposium, October 1999 121 Last Thoughts 122

TAPE GUIDE 125

INDEX 127

i

INTERVIEW HISTORY

In October of 1999, a University of California symposium (“The University Loyalty Oath: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective”) explored the loyalty oath fifty years after its imposition