THE KEY REPORTER THE PHI BETA KAPPA NEWS MAGAZINE resident within postal service AUTUMN 1950 VOL. XV NO. 4 This issue goes to the more than 106,000 members NEA Opposes Federal Aid Board of Directors Elects New Associates for Private Education liaison officer with At its meeting in July the National Thomas C. Desmond, president of Department ofState Senate. Education Association considered vari the Phi Beta Kappa Associates, has an the United States M. of Illi ous problems confronting education nounced the election of the following John Stalnaker, Winnetka, Beta Kappa of today. The shortage of teachers in ele Regular Members by the Board of nois, Phi University specialist in tests mentary schools, the conditions of Directors: Chicago, educator, rural schools, the increased danger of J. Harold Ryan, of Toledo, Ohio, and measurements, professor of psy Institute of Tech loss of academic freedom, and the need Phi Beta Kappa Yale University, chology, Illinois director of studies for the for federal aid for education all came business executive, vice-president and nology, Com Association of American Medical Col up for discussion. treasurer of the Fort Industry Depart The association went on record as pany, director of Standard Tube Com leges, consultant to the State opposing federal aid to private educa pany and Ohio Citizens Trust Com ment. Mechanics- tion by passing the following resolution pany. Williatn W. Strong, of on federal aid: "The National Educa Charles A. Shull, of Asheville, North burg, Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa tion Association believes the American Carolina, Phi Beta Kappa University Dickinson College, physicist, author. Buckhan- tradition of separation of church and of Chicago, author, editor, lecturer, Arthur A. Schoolcraft, of Phi Beta Kappa state should be vigorously and zeal professor emeritus of plant physiology, non, West Virginia, Marietta ously safeguarded. The association re University of Chicago. College, theologian, educator, professor of education and head of the spects the right of groups, including George E. P. Smith, of Tucson, Ari dean and West religious denominations, to maintain zona, Phi Beta Kappa University of department, registrar, Wesleyan College. their own schools so long as such schools Vermont, civil engineer, educator, pro Virginia Roger of New New meet the educational, health and safety fessor of irrigation, University of Ari Stefan, York, standards defined in the states in which zona, and irrigation engineer, Arizona York, Phi Beta Kappa Ohio State Uni they are located. Agricultural Experiment Station. versity, journalist, educator, banker, "The association believes that these Evelyn C. Rusk of Aurora, New vice-president of National City Bank of New York. schools should be financed by their sup York, Phi Beta Kappa Wells College, professor Carson of Chapel porters. The association therefore op dean of the college and of W. Ryan, Hill, poses all efforts to devote public funds mathematics, Wells College. North Carolina, Phi Beta Kappa Har to either the direct or the indirect sup William S. Rusk, of Aurora, New vard University, educator, author, edi port of these York, Phi Beta Kappa Wells College, tor, Kenan professor of education, Uni Another resolution advocated bar professor of fine arts, Wells College. versity of North Carolina, cultural George of Cold attache with the Department of State ring Communists as teachers. The A. Shor, Spring, New association also voted to exclude Com York, Phi Beta Kappa Brown Uni assigned to the Fulbright educational munists and members of subversive versity, director of plan and research exchange program. groups from the N.E.A. for the American Weekly. Earl P. Stevenson, of Newton, Mass of Phi Beta In a report entitled "Report on the Louis Martin Sears, West Lafay achusetts, Kappa Wesleyan Enemy," Dr. Harold Benjamin de ette, Indiana, Phi Beta Kappa Uni University, chemist, business execu president of Arthur D. clared that public education is being versity of Chicago, educator, author, tive, Little, professor of University. president of the board of undermined by attacks from various history, Purdue Inc., trustees, of Wesleyan University. organizations. He mentioned specifi Wilbur Henry Siebert, Columbus, Phi Beta Kappa Ohio State Uni Frank A. of cally the National Council for Ameri Ohio, Southard, Jr., Washing emeritus re D. Phi Beta Kappa Pomona can Education, headed by A. A. Zoll. versity, educator, author, ton, C, Dr. Benjamin, dean of the School of search professor of history, Ohio State College, economist, educator, United States Executive Director of the Education of the University of Mary University. Inter pub of national Special land, stated that these enemies of Henry Bailey Stevens, Durham, Monetary Fund, As Kappa sistant to the of the lic education are "prepared to whip up New Hampshire, Phi Beta Secretary Treas on all sorts of topics Dartmouth ury. indignation ... College, writer, educator, from the deleterious effects of John fruit grower, director of University Ex Charles Pelot Summerall, of Charles tension of New South Phi Dewey's philosophy on the incidence Service, University ton, Carolina, Beta Kappa relation Hampshire. Hobart retired of juvenile delinquency to the College, Army officer, construction activities in Horace Harrison of president of The Citadel. ship between Smith, Washing Swarth of the fifth grade and a lack of respect for ton, D. C, Phi Beta Kappa Smith Simpson, Mexico City, the national more College, foreign service officer, (Continued on page 6) www.pbk.org THE KEY REPORTER Autumn, 1950 nating students with communism, fascism, so To the Edilor: They Say cialism, etc. is not the point which is really at With respect to the Edward C. Kirkland arti Crisis" 3 issue, as they well know. The real question is cle, "Intellectual Freedom in a Time of "How is it to take us to wake think Phi long going up [The Key Reporter, Vol. XV, No. 2], I Beta Kappa and Freedom of Teaching and demand an oath of allegiance and a non- Mrs. Carabelle M. Stitt of Willoughby, Ohio, has To the Editor: Communist oath, and any other oath we want, answered it completely and I congratulate her in your Appearing Summer 1950 edition of of those who flourish and wax fat on the taxes upon taking such a forthright stand. Most of us The Key Reporter a of is remarkable letter writ the people of the United States, whether they Phi Beta Kappas are tired of certain professors ten Edwin S. by Smith, Executive Director, be teachers, accountants, diplomats, or scien and teachers using the cloak of "Academic National tists?" Freedom" Teachers Division, United Public to shield their communistic beliefs and Workers of America. Carabelle M. Stitt, housewife, mother, and teachings and to excuse them from signing a Mr. Smith took pen in to a former nail on hand broadcast few teacher, hit the the head in her loyalty oath. Why are they entitled to exemp ideas he holds on the subject of the teaching pro letter in the same issue in which Smith's letter tion! The labor leaders sign it and the rest of and added fession, some more heavy oil to the appeared, when she said, "Why all the fuss us are ready and willing to sign should it be " loyal!" fire over burning the so-called Intellectual Free unless of course you are not required of us. We should feel it a privilege to dom " question. Heavy oil burns with a thick Herman J. Garretson, Jr. sign! black smoke, and smoke obscures the light of Los Angeles, California We disagree heartily too with Edwin S. Smith's day. Mr. like "liberal" Smith, the Professor rejoinder. Illustrative of his loose thinking and would have us Kirkland, believe that the question To the Editor: false reasoning is the statement in his concluding of whether a Communist has a right to teach . The value of a in only loyalty oath is paragraph that in no reported case of the ousting our public schools is not the matter at issue. that it lays legal grounds for conviction of of a Communist or alleged Communist teacher Both these writers, and many others who have perjury where the oath is falsely taken. This is has the charge been made that the teacher was contributed to The Key the previously Reporter, only restraint the oath would have for a seeking to indoctrinate his pupils. The answer "witch-hunting," insist that it is whether they Communist. to that is that a Communist can never be objec call it that or to require a teacher to take The of not, joint report on freedom teaching ap tive in his teaching; his thinking, training, and an oath which labels the taker as a loyal Ameri pears correct as concerns "the impartial analysis associations have made it impossible for him to can in the largest sense of the citi and evaluation of citizen, word any and all literary, political, be an objective teacher of theory without being zen. Such writers are tenets." not concerned with the first economic, social, or religious There is a propagandist; he is committed to direct action question the loyal citizen asks, namely, "What no evident reason for denying the right to believe and he will endeavor to indoctrinate his students. schools?" right have Communists to teach in our or analyze or evaluate the doctrines of democ I am not saying that communism as an eco Nor are prepared to they explain, on intelligent racy, socialism, Protestantism, Buddhism, or nomic and political theory should not be studied that Communists have right. even communism. we arguments, any Perhaps might even pre in our colleges. What I am saying is that no The words "Solemnly swear to preserve, pro sume that a person should be free to believe in Communist should be permitted to teach it or and defend the Constitution of the or tect, United polygamy, anarchy, robbery, even murder.