Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1918 [PAGE 630]

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624

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[December 11,

The following persons were called and examined, to wit: W. H. Kerrick, Bloomington; Mrs. John N. Po'meroy, Urbana; Professor P. L. Windsor, Urbana; Mr. C. M. Pearson, Member Local Exemption Board, Champaign; Rev. C.R.Adams, Champaign; Mr. Bert Spalding, Champaign; Dr. Cleaves Bennett, Champaign; Mr. John W. Stipes, Member District Exemption Board, Champaign; Mr. Charles M. Weber, Postmaster, Urbana; Mrs. N. A. Riley, Urbana; Miss Ruth Wheeler, Urbana; Professor Thomas E. Oliver, Urbana; Professor H. J. Barton, Champaign; Secretary H. E. Cunningham, Urbana; Professor C. S. Sale, Urbana; Mrs. Mary E. Busey, Trustee; Professor Camillo E. Weiss, Urbana; Dr. Heinrich Waldemar Nordmeyer, Urbana; Dr. Oscar Friedrich W. Fernsemer, Urbana; Dr. James Garfield Stevens, Urbana; Professor Arthur Charles Cole, Urbana; Dr. Queen Lois Shepherd, Urbana; Professor Richard Chase Tolman, Urbana; Professor William Abbott Oldfather, Urbana. Your committee urged all persons present to assist the committee in every way to secure information on the subject matter of the investigation; and every person whose name was mentioned as one who might enlighten the committee was sent for and requested to appear. The sessions of the committee were open to the public, and opportunity was offered to every person present to examine witnesses. There have been persistent rumors throughout the community of Champaign and Urbana that there is some disloyalty to the United States Government in the University Faculty. Diligent efforts were made to find the source thereof, without success. After careful investigation, the committee is of the opinion that there is no disloyalty in the University Faculty. The state and nation wide publication that there was such is sufficient to be worthy of your attention. We submit first, there must be none; and second, those in whose custody is the moulding of the next generation, upon whom will fall the responsibility of reconstruction, must be even above suspicion of disloyalty. It therefore behooves the Faculty to so conduct its deeds and speech that the world may know they are affirmatively loyal. Their academic freedomof speech and idealism in government affairs is now limited by this war to such as may by no means be construed as unsympathetic, either with the fact that we are at war, or with the principles involved therein. In this* State University not even neutrality should be tolerated, but in its entire administrative and faculty force active and aggressive loyalty should prevail, until it permeates the entire student body and creates a patriotic citizenship for the future of our country. Your committee recommends that the entire Faculty be advised that the Board stands for that character of Loyalty, and no other conduct on their part will satisfy. We think this procedure will end the rumors that have prevailed, which were the subject of this investigation. Respectfully submitted,

ROBERT F. CARR LAURA B. EVANS CAIRO A. TRIMBLE, Chairman