R l -, -. Y. - '4 - - - V A Letter to the Pharaoh By THOMAS HAYDEN To his Potentate, the Pharaoh: IT IS THE custom of those who are anxious to find favor in the eyes of a pharaoh to present him with such things as they value most highly or in which to see him take delight. Hence offerings are made of precious stones, golden cloths and such ornaments, worthy of the greatness of the pharaoh. Since therefore I am desirous of presenting myself to Your Magnificence with some token of my eagerness to serve you, I have been able to find nothing in what I possess which I hold more dear or in greater esteem than the knowledge of the past which has come to me through continual study. And having pondered long and diligently on this knowledge and tested it well, I have reduced it to this essay which I now send to Your Magnificence, hoping you might find it acceptable. AS YOU most certainly areĀ° aware, this day we mark an historical event of great signi- ficance. It has been precisely fifty. time spans since the Absolute War- destroyed all life in the land to the North. -Our ancestors who dwelled in the lands called Africa, Oeana, and Ostrailia were the lne sur- vivors. They struggled prodigious- ly to re-establish the race; nd it seems they have succeeded. From the mouth of the Nile to the sluggish waters of the Eu- phrates we have taken root, bud- ded and flourished. Of course, it has taken many time spans. BUT ENOUGH. It is not my pur- pose to reiterate the facts which have already been penned by our great historians. Rather, I wish to point out certain happen- ings which our historians- seem to have overlooked; specifically a number of alarming sociological patterns which, in my opinion, hastened the downfall of the most powerful nation of that epoch -1 The United States of America. I do not necessarily contend that they "exist in our society. However, traces of these pat- terns are visible in nearly all so- cietiesrand should be brought to the public's attention. TIerefore I present here a brief outline of those patterns which developed in America many time spans ago. The Malleable Man IN THAT span known to the Americans as the Twentieth' -Century, there developed a novel brand of Man. The evolution of this creature was noted by several of the period's leading thinkers (who have become obscure in our time). David Rieseman called him the "other-directed" personality.; Wil- liam H. Whyte, the "organization man;" Ortega. Y. Gasset; the "mass man;" Ebenstein, the "authoritarian personality. The new man was nebulous by definition; however, certain char- acteristics seemed ,commnon to his kind. He was a man apparently lost in a vast crowd. Ortega Y. Gasset characterized his as "wan- dering desolately ,in a drifting world." Living in this crowd he became gregarious -rather than individual- istic; all society became the dom- inating force, instead of the indi- vidual. Society beingthe force, the new man tended to conform to those patterns acceptable to so- ciety. The most significant charac- teristic of all, however, was that he showed'a definite susceptibility 'to manipulation by others. He could be hammered, stretched, molded' to one's own liking. For Thomas Hayden, a member of The Michigan Daily, looks into the future in his article to see how historians may judge Man had become a very small and insignificant figure ng one -hundred million dollars annually. It was responsible not only for leading world opinion but for educating each member of its populace. Among countless other tasks, it stimulated scientific re- search, regulated atomic energy and medicine, controlled food and drugs and providedold-age bene- fits. What had happened to the in- dividual? The answer is quite simple. He was dwarfed by life; it had become too complex to understand. This lack of knowledge, coupled with the tendency we have al- ready discussed (susceptibility to manipulation) created a strange and frightening society. I NOW FEEL it necessary that I elaborate on the specific meth- ods by which the Power Oligarchy dominated, or if you will, manip- ulated, the Malleable Man. In American democracy an in- formed, responsible electorate was of first importance. The concept of popular sovereignty insisted that the people elect their repre- sentataives and make decisions on fundamental issues of public policy. Government by majority rule assumed that man would act rationally and, consequently, im- prove his condition. However, particularly during the Twentieth Century, Man gave up the vain notion that he was rational, and accepted the theory commonly held today: that Man is, more often than not, quite ir- rational. He is, as one social scientist said, "a bundle of daydreams, misty hidden yearnings,-guilt com- plexes, and irrational, emotional blockages." A significant hypothe- sis was advanced by Walter Lipp- man, probably that era's most in- teresting political theorist, who noted that people, without an awareness of the issues involved, will support or reject a proposal when. led by an individual or group capable of intellectually mastering -the problem involved. MOTIVATIONAL research; the study of, those factors which motivate Man, became the object of much research. By learning that certain factors pressed the public to action, scien- tists were able to manipulate people's minds below the level of awareness. The channels employed to in- fluence public opinion were chief- ly the prevailing systems of com- munication - radio, television, the newspapers. Advertising was the instrument used by the power oligarchy to corrode. The public was bombard- ed by the mass media even before they could read and write. Truth was not the great persuader; the manipulators used every possible device by which they could ap- peal to the consumer's emotions. EVENTUALLY, the manipulators invaded the field of politics, which became a contest not of issues, but of images; not of plat- forms, but of personalities. One politial leader was quoted as saying his faction had "a great product to sell. You sell your can- didates and your programs the way a business sells its products." By. the 1960's honest public opinion had dwindled to a shad- ow.- Through the mass media, the government, business and social groups held a devastataing power over the mind of the masses. A we i g h t Le s s leach had been fastened to their necks. An in- visible tyranny had been set up under the guise of democracy. A mist of propaganda shrouded any view of the truth. It had become next to impos- sible for the free thinker, the original man, to slash through the oppressive fog. (Concluded on Page 12) This photograph of the interior dates from between 1871 and 1909 when President Angell was in Office. Wives of fwaulty members had gathered as guests of Mrs. Angell (standing, third from right). In a growing changing University thepresidAent's home remains ALasig Link i w ith 'thle -Past. By SARAH DRASIN this reason I chose to call him the' malleable man. MAN,as an individual lost in a vast crowd, was flung into a- constant search for a unifying, stabilizing force. He appeared in youthful America at the same time a need for centralized power w.as evolving. The principal of equality was one of the basic doctrines of the new nation. Every person was to have equality of~ opportunity and equality before their various ju- dicial bodies. It seems here that in a society where everyone is theoretically equal, where one man's opinion is as good as another's, the import- ance of the individual is lessened while the importance of society is inflated. All men are reduced to an equal_ mass. They are distin- guishable not as individuals but as part of the mass, or rather, as the mass itself. Society is the individual's source of direction.hHe learns it is dis- astrous to violate its codes. Man, because of his equality, is at the same time independent and pow- erless. He usually agrees that whatever government represents society has more knowledge than he; therefore, he is usually will- ing to place his trust in that gov- ernment. - IN THE WORDS of Riesman, the American became "other-direct- ed." He seemed to have a desire. for comfort and, accordingly, a dread of troubles. The govern- ment became his security. It pro- vided for him and took his defense in time of peril. Thus, from the ideas forwarded, we may at least get an overview. Man had become a very small and insignificant creature by the 1970's. It was very difficult for the individual to break with so- ciety. Instead, most people seemed satisfied to sacrifice their indi- vihn-mfo. the eneft oi- They were easily influenced by the opinions of the powers repre- senting the group. Apparently those powers could shape and mold the opinions of the indi- vidual to their own interests. Man had become malleable in the full- est sense of the word. The Power Oligarchy PARALLELING the rise of the Malleable Man in the Twen- tieth Century was the evolution of another class. This group, which I have chosen to name the Power Oligarchy, also defied ac- curate definition. Basically, it appears to have been composed of two major groups: powerful business and powerful government. The two separate yet non-separate bodies developed together; indeed, the increase in governmental powers seems to have sprung largely from the growth of business. Alexis de Tocqueville, apparent- ly an American by choice rather than birth, observed that -the American had a peculiar bent towards industry. He pointed out that industry was the simplest' way by which the American could satisfy one of his major drives: namely, for a sense of accomplish- ment. In democratic countries, de Tocqueville said, Man was often discontented with his fortune since he sometimes found himself less rich than his father, and feared his son would be less rich than himself. Man feels the "most imperious of all necessities, that of not sinking in the world," de Tocqueville claimed. Therefore since most men were desirous of obtaining wealth, they naturally turned their attention to trade and manufacturing which ap- peared to offer the "readiest and most efficient means of success." more appealing to the conserva- tive element which had forced his predecessor to resign. Nevertheless, he seems a liberal sort of'man himself pressing for a non-sectarian University and continuing the fight for a more liberal academic program with the introduction of pharmacy courses and modern languages. In 1869 President Haven moved out of the Ann Arbor residence and into a similar one in Evan- ston, Illinois, when he became president of Northwestern Univer- sity. He was succeeded by Henry S. Frieze, a professor of Latin here, who became the acting pres- ident until 1871. THOUGH brief, his administra- tion was notable since it was the first to endorse an anti-bias clause guaranteeing the "right of- every resident of Michigan to the enjoyment of the privileges af- forded by the University," and as- suring all-that "no rule exists in any of the University statutes for the exclusion of any person from the University who possesses the requisite literary and moral quali- ties." Faculty and student body howled in protest and were even more appalled when in 1870, tak- ing advantage of this clause, Miss Madelon Stockwell became the first female student at theUni- versity. The growth of the modern Uni- versity as we know it today, rives not really begin, however, until the coming of James Burrill An- gell whose tenure was certainly the longest and perhaps the most notable of any Michigan president. Arriving in 1871, President Angell remained in office until 1909. A MAN of eastern birth and training, President Angell was appalled at the physical state of affairs and refused to accept the office unless something drastic was done to "the house." So fresh paper and paint were liberally applied, bathrooms with 7 hot and cold running water were installed and central heating re- placed the warmth afforded by the seven fireplaces. Once in the house, President Angell was still not satisfied and added a semi-circular library wing in 1891 on the west- side of th 1house. Previous to this, a third story and a kitchen wing had beer added to the once square' littl t house giving it new proportions. THE UNIVERSITY too wa given "new proportions" dur- irig the Angell administration. The faculty of thirty-five grey e to be ten times that size and th r student body of a little over 1,001 y swelled to over 5,000. The gradu t ate school visualized- by Presiden Tappan finally came into being'a did the School of Education, th - first of its kind to be affiliate - with a university. n In his thirty-eight years at th helm of the University, "Prexy - Angell became a much belovei y figure of both students and fac of manufacturing lowered the sta- tus of the 'workman, it created- an aristocracy in the administration of the science. After twenty years of making- heads for pins, not much could be intellectually expected of a workman. He became more and more skillful at his task, but he otherwise was degraded, no long- er' belonging to himself, but to his trade. "The art advances, the arti- san recedes," deTocqueville com- mented. On the other hand, the import, ance of the trade as a whole drew the educated man into the field of administration. As the Twentieth Century be- gan, that phenomena known as Big Business had begun to de- velop. The effort to control com- petition had been manifested in the corporation. It grew to fantas- tic size in its efforts to crush all opposition. By the middle of the century, 200 corporations held control of nearly three-fourths of American business. Increased powers of govern- ment stemmed largely from the development of the monopoly. The public demanded some sort of control. ANOTHER reason for the expan- sion of government activity can be found in the technological ad- vances made by Big Business. The development of atomic en- ergy, systems of communication, factories, autombiles - all illus- trate the vast changes which took place at that time. America, because of larger in- dustry and because of involve- ment in two wars, became an im- portant world power. An impo-I tent government could never have coped with the serious problems of policy which constantly arose before the rulers of the land. The national government, faced by staggering problems, enlarged to grand new dimensions. By the 1970's the government was spend- BRICK by brick, Michigan's more revenue. Faculty also fought links with the past are being faculty as jealousy was rife and .nuncontrolled due to theJlack of carted away. A long hallowed line executive control. of well-worn buildings have suc- cumbed to the wreckers' crow bar. A STEP toward more control Last spring, they pounded into came in 1850 with the appoint- oblivion the Romance Language wfent of the first University presi- Building and left a bare cement dent, Henry Philip Tappan. His slab lined with bare cement powers did not approach those of benches. This fall, Progress tore today's executive, to be sure, but the pharmacology from the econ- this was, at least, an attempt to omics building, leaving an empty support and control the unstable plot of land and a bleak, nearly University. windowless wall. Into the home on South UnI-= But even at.Michigan, tradi- versity moved President Tappan But venat ichgan trdi-and to this man of culture and tion can make a stand and the education thehuse as past resides with comfortable elo- well as the University, must have quence in the gray stucco home at been somewhat of a shock. 815 South University - the Presi- At the time of President Tap- dent's House. ttetieo rsietTp pan's appointment the house was UILT in 141 as one of folittlemore than a square, two- "professors' homes" (total story brick and stucco affair con- "proessrs omes (ttalsisting of the traditional parlor cost for all four: $30,850) it is room, sitting room, dining room an original building and the old- and kitchen downstairs and sev- est belonging to the University. eral bedrooms on the second floor. The other three once stood on the To this were added a private cis- sites of the Natural Sciencet. o Building, Chemistry Building and tern bain, fence for livstock and Alumni- Memorial Hall. But, the stile but, one imagines the win- president's house, though redec- ter nights got a bit nippy even orated, remodeled and expanded with all seven fireplaces ablaze. many times, still stands. PRESIDENT Tappan reacted It has stood while the Univer- quickly and firmly to the rigid sity and the community have ex- academic system at Michigan perienced great change. Ann Arbor has left the days 1 when it was a little town of 2,000 population, boasting four churches, two newspapers, nine x doctors and seventeen drygoods stores because the Indians still traded here. which emphasized the classics and mathematics to the exclusion of virtually everything else. Stimulated by new methods in German education which he had viewed firsthand, the new execu- tive insisted on the introduction of practical scientific courses and attracted many progressive new faculty members. There was a break from the strict program of humanities with freer student in- vestigation being encouraged. His administration saw the germination of a graduate school theory, and the growth of both the medical and law schools. But early prejudices and jeal- ousies persisted,' and President Tappan was scored again and again for his "radical" theories He was also attacked on mora grounds because he did not be- long to any organized church and drank wine with his dinner in th European style. Finally, under much pressure, he left angrily from the South University stree residence. HE WAS replaced by the Uni versity's second exective, Eras- tus 0. Haven, who served from 1863 to 1869. President Haven, being a Meth odist minister, was undoubtedly THE GIANT University of today I has emerged from a pasture, now the central campus, when a gate on each professor's home kept the cows out and when the professors' children were able to play in the orchards which spread from the, back-door of each of their homes. The school had many a tumultuous early day when it was highly criticized for "extravagance" and sometimes "radical" departures from conven- tional means of education. Those were the days when the student body; unbelievably small in number and, of course, entirely male, would rise in the wee hours to chop wood, attend- chapel and a class or two before breakfast, retiring by seven in the evening to reduce the high cost of expen- sive candles. Those were also the days of conflict. The faculty opposed the students who met secretly to form the outlawed fraternal orders. DI ,LE conm while the ed, nce Today 1 housie is occupiedl and Ha