Former
faculty
discuss
Red scare
BY GUS TESCHKE Hatcher... comes under fire
In 1954, at the peak of the Mc-
Carthy-era political persecution, three
University professors refused to tes- mentary film. "I came out admiring
tify before the U.S. House Un- other figures considerably less."
American Activities Committee. Al- A number of participants agreed
though none of them had committed that today this kind of persecution is
any academic misconduct, the three still possible. Wilfred Kaplan, who
professors, Chandler Davis, Mark was a University mathematics pro-
Nickerson, and Clement Markert, fessor at the time of the ousters, said,
were suspended by the University. "... one of my very good friends in
Davis and Nickerson were subse- the faculty who you'd generally say
quently fired, though Nickerson had is very fair, liberal, told me: you
tenure know, I don't want to be associated
Last month - for the first time with these [the video premier]
in 35 years - all three returned to events."
the University for a premier showing One member of the audience noted
of a documentary video of their or- Rackham Student Government's re-
deal. The video, Keeping in Mind, cent resolution to rename the Harlan
was written and produced by senior Hatcher Library because of Hatcher's
Adam Kulakow as his English Hon- role in the episode. Hatcher, who was
ors thesis. University president in 1954, estab-
About 500 people packed into the lished the faculty committees which
MLB Auditorium 3 for the event. investigated the politics of alleged
Although the film was serious in "communists," and he fired both
tone, the audience broke into a sym- Nickerson and Davis. In the video,
pathetic laughter as Nickerson de- Hatcher defended his actions, saying
scribed his son's remarks during the that HUAC would have further in-
HUAC hearings. The boy, who was fringed on academic freedom if he had
seven years old at the time of the not acted.
persecution, was being taunted by his Though both Davis and Nicker-
Ann Arbor schoolmates. He had son were blacklisted, moving to
heard numerous discussions about the Canada to continue their careers, all
first and fifth amendments and three successfully established them.
constitutional law around the house selves in academia. Markert became
and explained to classmates that his the Chair of Yale's Biology Depart-
father had gone to Lansing to "give ment. Davis is a professor of Math-
them a lecture about the constitu- ematics at the University of Toronto
tion." Nickerson continued his career as a
After viewing the video, theithree professor of pharmacology, and be-
former faculty discussed the events came president of the American
and their historical significance with Society for Pharmacology and
the audience. Experimental Therapeutics.
"I come out really admiring the Nickerson's departing advice to
three men who refused to testify," the crowd after living through the
said English Prof. William Alexan- 1954 witchhunt was: "Don't let the
der," who teaches American docu- bastards grind you down."
The Michigan Daily-Friday. May 5,1 989-Page 13
LSA Dean search committee
to suggest final candidates
BY FRAN OBEID
The LSA Dean search committee will recommend
several final candidates to the Provost for approval in
mid-May, said committee chair Prof. William Kelly.
"(The committee) is nearing the process of the final
round of interviews," said Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs Charles Vest.
Vest said he expects to receive the final names of
the candidates from the committee within the next few
weeks. Vest and University President James Duderstadt
will make the final selection for the position which
they must present to the University's Board of Regents
for approval.
"I feel this is the second most important position
- as far as the students and faculty of LSA are con-
cerned- at the University outside of the Presidency,"
said Rackham graduate student and search committee
member Brian Shull.
The 12 member LSA Dean search committee,
which includes two students, was formed in December
and has been meeting weekly since that time. Internal
and external candidates have been interviewed for the
position and an Affirmative Action policy is being
implemented, said Kelly.
"Searches of this importance and at this level typi-
cally require a full year," said Kelly, "The average is
11 months. As testimony to our committee, if they
meet the May deadline they will complete their search
in a third of the time."
The new Dean will take office in the beginning of
September when LSA Dean Peter Steiner retires after
his eight year term.
"Some of the big problems that the new Dean will
face are academic counseling for LSA students, class-
room sizes, and appropriating funds more equitably
among the different programs in LSA," said Michigan
Student Assembly President and Engineering senior,
Aaron Williams.
"If the new Dean wants to have a commitment to a
diverse community, I think the ethnic studies and eth-
nic programs should be promoted," said Trotter House
staff member Eddie Chu."That is where a lot of leader-
ship is needed."
Alk -
Counc
Continued from Page 3
ing to Hunter, "The police officers
have been asking for this for a long
time."
Dave Walker, an LSA senior,
expressed concern for an increase in
police power. "I think the current
law is sufficient. The Ann Arbor
Police are scary enough as it is. I
worry about giving them more
power."
Rally
- Continued from Page 3
Pam Nadasen, a representative of the
_ United Coalition Against Racism.
Speakers addressed the different
. experiences faced by women of
color, poor women and lesbians in
their efforts to attain reproductive
rights. Issues such as forced
sterilization and the need for afford-
able health care, they asserted, have
to be both incorporated and given
greater priority within the women's
movement in general.
"Pro-choice must be defined in a
Some councilmembers said that
passage of the new proposal will
hinge on amendments to its current
form. Currently, the proposal makes
allowance for citizen witnesses to
report infractions to the police.
"We would need to amend this so
that some tea-totaller doesn't start
harassing his neighbors," explained
Richardson.
Hunter suggested the possibility
of a "first warning" before police
issued a citation.
more inclusive way to mean the
right for all women to control when
and when not to have children," said
University graduate student Susan
Andrade.
"I think it's funny that the
punishment (for open alcohol) is
more than that for the pot law," said
Ann Arbor resident Brian Smith.
A similar proposal was defeated
last June by a close 6-5 vote due to
councilmembers' concern regarding
the ability to fairly enforce the law.
The probleni n enforcing the new
proposal was expressed by
councilmembers and it is uncertain
whether the proposal will pass final
approval in coming weeks.
"We have to talk about choice in
broad terms," said Barbara Ransby, a
UCAR member and Rackham
graduate student.
PASS
IT
r
AROUND!
I
OPEN MEETING
U of M Sailing Club
Thursday
May 11th0
7:45 p.m.
170 Dennison
Camille Colatosti, one of the
Each of the eight speakers ad- rally's organizers, said public rallies
dressed the definition and role of pro- and demonstrations like these are
choice activism. To believe the main part of the struggle to ensure repro-
goal of pro-choice activism is to se- ductive rights. It was the existence
cure the Roe v. Wade decision is to of a strong and organized women's
forget the all-encompassing struggle movement which originally secured
for reproductive rights for all the Roe v. Wade decision, not the
women, they suggested. courts.
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