City College of New York - Microcosm Yearbook (New York, NY)

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The I.iuli Creat in an utterly reprehensible course of conduct char acterized by breaches of College discipline and of (-ommon decency,” which was responsible for all the trouble, said a minority report read at the same time. The majority report was adopted by a vote of five hundred nineteen to two hundred seventeen. In the spring term of 1936, the Student Council and the Campus hastened to press the advantage of- fered by the ssociate Mumni report. They proposed a school-wide referendum on the issue, but their at- tempt at its execution were halted by Charles II. Tut- tle, chairman of the City College Administrative Committee of the Board of Higher education, which was investigating the Mumni's charges. He warned the Council that any attempt lo hold such a vote “would be regarded as gross insubordination and a serious breach of discipline. The Student Council then voted to conduct a six point referendum including the proposition: The Student Council shall hold a referendum on Frederick B. Robinson's fitness for office. letter from Mr. John T. Flynn of the Board’s dministralivc Committee declared, even a refer- endum on whether a referendum on the President should be held, would be gross insubordination.” On April 22. thirty-five hundred students massed into the Creat Hall for the anti-war strike. The stu- dents enthusiastically passed resolutions advocating the Oxford Oath, the removal of President Robinson, a campaign against the government’s propo-ed mili- tary expenditures, and the unconditional reinstatement of the twenty-nine students ex|N lled since 1933. Mr. Morris I . Schappes, popular young instructor of Knglish, delivered a fiery address against the war- mongers and the forces of reaction. In less than twenty- four hours, a storm of controversy was raging on the campus. It began when Mr. Schappes received from Professor Horne, Dr. Krowl’s successor as chairman of the department, a letter informing him that he would not be reappointed to bis position, since his efficiency as a teacher of Knglish had not been sufficiently notable. Student-faculty opposition to Mr. Schappes' dismissal was brought to bear upon Professor Horne ami President Robinson. The modern technique of in- dustrial conflict was adopted by twelve hundred stu- dents who, for six hours staged a sit-down strike in front of Dr. Robinson’s office. Requests for an ex- planation of the President’s stand were made by the group, but in vain did they sit, for no word came from the office, and the President left without making any communication. The situation was considerably sof- tened, however, when Dean Turner had a rug laid on the floor for those seated there. The Board disposed of all cases like Mr. Schap|M s' by resolving that all tutors who had served for three years or more be re- tained unless there exist strong compelling reasons based on teacher-qualifications for their separation from the service. Mr. Schappes and six other tutors at the College were retained. The close of the term was near, but peace was not yet. The Campus Xssocialion forced the Cum pus to suspend publication because the latter refused to ac- cept the Xssociation's choice for editor. The suspen- sion lasted for two issues because of flagrant flaunt- ing of authority on the part of the staff.” The Student Council seized U|»on the occasion to edit the Student, perennial symbol of revolt. The difficulty was short- lived. and the Campus soon reap|R ared, victorious in the right to select its own editor and editorial policy. 23

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military -ciente courses optional. In September of 193.» undergraduates won a further concession when tlir Faculty voted to make Hygiene five and .six elec- tive for all. Thus the ROTC courses lost any added inducement that they may have had and became pure electives. At the same time Colonel O. I . Robinson became the new head of the department. Two students who hail been suspended at the close of the spring term were reinstated ami thirteen of the fifteen who had been ex|M lled in the welcome of the Fascist students, were | ermitled to return to the College on probation. Julian l.avitt, Herbert Robinson, and ictor xelroad became president, vice-president, and secretary of the Student Council for the following semester. On November 8, forty-five hundred students packed the (ireat Hall to the rafters at the greatest |x ace demonstration ever staged at the College. Students and faculty had cooperated in making plans for the meet- ing, hut the cooperation extended only to a certain point ... to the Oxford Pledge. The students favored its presentation In-fore the assembly: the Faculty un- conditionally opposed it... and the Faculty prevailed. When President Robinson and Charles II. Tuttle, tin- chief speaker had finished, Student Council president Robert Brown, arose to deliver his message. With his concluding statement, the tension of the meeting be- came manifest. He said that, although the Oxford Pledge was banned, he was sure that hud it been introduced, it would have been approved unanimously. A roar went up from the audi- ence. Students stood up and cheered for three minutes. Presi- dent Robinson, advanced to the front of the stage and pointed out that an oath not to defend one’s country in any case, was in direct contradiction to the spirit of the Constitution; it was, lie said, The essence of bad citizenship. The excited boys were in no mood for a rebuke, and they replied appropriately to the President’s words. Shortly afterwards, the City College |w t of the merican Legion announced an eight-point plan, im- mediately submerged by the attacks of students and in- structors, to mericanize the radicals. The meri- can Student I nion, a student organization, encom- passing all shades of political opinion from liberal to the extreme left, was formed in Columbus, Ohio, during the Christmas vacation of 1935. The Student Council of the College chartered the first unit of the newly formed organization. l once the administra- tion stepped in to block this action. The charter of the Sl was referred to the Board of Higher education by the Faculty Committee on Student Affaire. This procedure was extraordinary, ppeals to the Board met with continual |H»stponement of action. renewed impetus was given to the oust Robin- son movement w hen, on January 27, 1936, there was issued the ssociate Alumni re| ort on its investigation of the President’s administration. The President lacks the human qualities necessary to achieve the w idespread confidence of his faculty and student body, and to provide genuinely inspired, resourceful, and socially imaginative leadership. recommendation was made to the effect that the Board of Higher edu- cation take appropriate action. It was a relatively small group of students .. . who has seen fit to engage J. B. Harvey

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Tilt ( lass Council approved the majority report of the Mumni, ami passed a resolution urging '38 men to join the Sl . Once more the Spring informal yielded a magnificent profit when a fifty cent balance wa discovered by the ferreting Student Council auditors. The Student I nion parly swept elections for the fall term, when all its candidates but one gained office. Herbert Kohinson. Louis Burnham, and vra- ham S«dle became president, ice-president, and sec- retary of the Student Council. The class voted a straight SI ticket electing Jack Besansky, Lewis Zuckerman, and Joe Brody to do our worrying for us. For the first time in several years, Jingo Day passed peacefully. With tin- permission of the Faculty an orderly counter-demonstration was held on Convent vonue and later in the Croat Hall, where Professor Morris B. Cohen spoke on the history of the anti- ROTC movement at City College. In refuting the arguments of the proponents of military training, Professor Cohen pointed out that if it were educa- tional, it probably would be taught by educators and alized when, on the night of December 12, members of the class and their best dates danced and dined in the French, Colonial, ami Arabian rooms of the Hotel Park Central. Robert Burke, who had been expelled from Columbia the previous spring for having been a leader in an anti-Nazi meeting there, was forbidden to speak here by Dean Turner. The troubles of other colleges must not 1r- made the troubles of City Col- lege, said the Dean, in explaining his decision. Not long after, the Student Council launched another of- fensive for the removal of Dr. Robinson, lie was labelled as one of the most dangerous enemies of academic freedom in the I nited Stales. On October 27. delegates of the nation's four polit- ical parlies addressed the student body at a sympo- sium in the ( real Hall. In a poll conducted by the Carn nis. the student body voted its opposition to the military science courses by a vote of fifteen hundred fifty-one to five hundred sixty-seven, and its support of the American Youth Act. President Roosevelt was