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

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die Government Department Committee on Appointments studied the case for some thirty hours and voted 1 to 1 to reappoint Mr. Arm with tenure. The one man who opposed Mr. Arm. Mr. Hillman Bishop. favored re-appointment for one year. Only one other member of the department. Mr. Oscar Buckvar, opposed Mr. Arm. The next body to act in the case was the Faculty Committee on Personnel and Budget, which is composed of the chairmen of the various depart- ments. After a bearing, that committee voted II to 3 to reappoint Mr. Arm with tenure. l the same time. President Mead recommended that Mr. Arm be reappointed for a year, so that any doubts as to his qualifications might be cleared up. Messrs. Buckvar and Bishop, however, submitted their minority report, which, they claimed, impugned .Mr. Arm’s scholarship, to the City College Administrative Committee of the Board of Higher Education. Without studying the majority report, the Administrative G.littce. on February 8. voted to refuse reappointment to the tutor. For several days students ami faculty were too shocked to take any action. Then, the Government Department dis- patched a brief to every member of the Board. The Campus carried banner headlines and editorials in every issue. A letter stating the students' viewpoint was submitted to Board members. Mrs. Mcdalic was contacted personally, ami used her influence to secure a rehearing. Petitions were circulated among the students. Approximately 400 telegrams and letters poured into the Board, expressing the protests of students and graduates. The Student Council unanimously granted Mr. Arm a Major Insignia. The pressure of the various groups took effect. The Ad- ministrative Committee granted a rehearing at which the case for Mr. Arm was presented by the faculty, headed by Professors Guthrie. Overstreet and Joseph. The Committee adjourned without voting because there had been a division on the interpretation of the by-law on tenure. Student sentiment reached a peak at a Great Hall rally at- tended by over 1000 students, who heard Dr. Abraham Fdel, Professor William Bradley Otis and Mr. Jesse Mintes. Under- graduate leaders of the Arm Defense Committee collected over twenty testimonials from members of the Faculty, including Professor Emeritus Morris R. Cohen. A week later, the Executive Committee of the Board adopted the interpretation of its by-law that no tutor should receive tenure unless he had fulfilled the requirements for instructorship. among which is a doctorate degree. Mr. Vnn was one of nineteen tutors, passed by the Faculty, who had not received their Ph.D.’s. The Administrative Committee, which then met again, reversed its previous decision by vot- ing Mr. Arm reappointment without tenure. At the regular Board meeting the following Monday. Mr. John T. Flynn led the fight against Mr. Arm. Vs a result, by Tbo «homo of Ibo Collego »0» tko Boctions' Commilito. tbo»n 1« otlion (wo- ol vol ) bolo». Look of syilomotic bo oti«g o d toonli-g roiulled in froqoonl mitgpi.

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Ntoivrevt coxlovai ol lK« kind ik«»n (obo.«| d«id d l« ®f »“brjo iludent politicos. Included in tlis group ore tKreo condidotei for heiidMl 0f IW Student Council. Furnbock (luccoitM), Pecker end Steicker. unanimously recommended by the Romance [.anguage Com- mittee on Appointments. Clifford McAvoy having been granted a leave of absence, the same committee recommended appointment of John M. Mangieri to replace him as a teacher of Spanish. After an attack on Mr. Mangieri' scholarship by the Campus, the Department found that it could take care of the vacancy without a new appointment. Although the Department's action in reference to Mr. Gobi was challenged as reactionary. Gold was not re-instated. The new term was scarcely begun and the Gobi case hardly dead, when another test of the I’lynn by-law forced all extra-curricular activities into the background. Sigmund S. Arm had been a member of the City College teaching staff for six years and a tutor for three. It was generally underst..I that re-appointment of a tutor for a fourth year automatically resulted in his receiv- ing tenure. Following the procedure set by the Flynn by-laws ey . with booths in the alcoves, dancing in Lincoln Corridor, the coronation of the Queen in the Great Mall — without Larry Clinton. During the Christmas recess, the College was host, in it downtown Center, to the Xmerican Student Union Conven- tion. In the new platform, indicating a complete support of President Roosevelt's New Deal policies, collective security wa once more endorsed, and the United States Government's rearmament was not opposed. The Dies' Committee' search for reds was lampooned strongly in a rally at the Hippo- drome. The semester closed with a “hot election which ex- cited every class but '39. Karlicr in the term the Tech and Haskcrvillc Clubs had inaugurated a campaign to better the reputation of C.C..M.Y. and thus help graduate secure em- ployment. ilh merican Student Union backing, the Build City College Committee decided to run a ticket which was drawn up by representative of various clubs. United Action again contested a few Student Council office , 'flic Progres- sive Student Party, arguing that it opponents were merely interested in the peace question and not in ’ working for the class ami school , nominated candidate in the three lower classes. The Senior Class Presidency went to Bernard G. Walpin, elected with serious competition only from Mickey Mouse. I lie other members of the Council were Joel Slcigman. Vice- President: Reuben Morgowskv, Secretary, and Burl Jacob- son. Historian. Fasily defeating the U.A. candidates, Stanley Lowcnhraun. Gerard Tracy and Audrey Bayle were elected Student Council Representatives on the B.C.C. ticket. The new by-laws of the Board of Higher lul neat ion faced another test at the close of the semester. Non-reappointment of Hyman K. Gold, tutor in the French department, was 28

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a vote of 10 to 9. with two members absent, Sigmund Arm tviiK not reappointed. .Students realized they now had a long fight ahead of them, and redoubled their efforts. I heir cam- paign for a rehearing was implemented by resolutions from the Chemistry. Romance Languages and Government depart- ments. Having been given the ease by Mr. Arm, the readier Union swung into action. Most important of all. the supreme faculty body, the Faculty Council, with few dissenting votes, submitted its demands for a review of the question. Our last semester was not quite buried by the Arm case. Athletics jumped into prominence when the Reavers broke the Madison Square Garden jinx by trouncing the New York University five. 38—27. The suggestion by Hcnny Friedman that the teams of all the branches of the College of the City of New York In- amalgamated caused a heated discussion and much opposition, chiefly from Rrooklyn College. The Great Hall had its usual quota of meetings, among which were a belated Stoppage for Spain and a Science and Democ- racy rally. In addition. Morris R. Cohen gave a scries of wcll- altcuded lectures on the philosophy of law. Not content with leading the fight for Mr. Arm's dismissal. John T. Flynn raised further ire by inaugurating a movement to close Townsend Harris High .School. Graduates of T.H.H.S. fought the proposal by a counter-demand for a new building for the high school, so that the crowded Commerce Center might expand. The non-instructional slafT opposed Mr. Flynn’s new by-laws which attempted to place that staff un- der civil service. Fears that the Hoard was contemplating retrenchment, aroused bv the action in the Arm ease, were An «roviod » vd « body, oidod by on « uolly ore-.«d focvlty. k«ld o mott d«moAttroticA Greot HoM to ♦«pros th ir iKocked turptise Ov« Ike d'lmiisol of S. Arm. Tko « 01 oddrotsod by lofAOrd G. Wolpin, Profouor W.Kom E odUy Oti». ion o d Or. Abrokom Edtl.