Jackson Advocate

Seven Faculty Members Of Famed University Of The South Quit Over Refusal To Admit Negro Students

SEWANEE, Tenn., Nov. 10 - (Special) -- The Dean and six faculty members of the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee resigned their positions because the trustees failed to reverse a decision not to admit Negro Theology students at this time.

The mass exodus, effective the end of the academic year in June, will leave only one seminary faculty member. The action, announced by Dr. Edward McCrady, vice chancellor, was described as a follow-up to a threat by the professors to resign in 1953 unless the trustees reversed a decision not to admit Negro students to the Theological school at this time.

Dr. McCrady said that the Episcopal church-supported university accepted the resignations with deep regret. He said he believes that with patience and forbearance on both sides a solution of the issue might have been reached.

The letter of resignation, dated October 6th, was sent to Dr. McCrady during a recent meeting of the university regents. However upon the plea of Bishop Edward Dandridge of Tennessee, the action was withheld and the vice-chancellor and the faculty members had several meetings. Signers of the letter were the Rev. F. Craig-hill Brown, dean of the seminary; the Rev. Robert Malcom McNair, the Howard A. Johnson, James A. Reddick, the Rev. Fredick Quentin Shafter, all professors and the Rev. Richard Hooker Wilmer, chaplain.

The letter read as follows: "We re-affirm the principles we enunciated in our statement of June the ninth. In that statement we took our stand with the synod of the fourth province. The synod had recommended that Negro candidates for the ministry of the Episcopal church be admitted to the school of Theology of this university.

"To this the trustees replied that the enrollment of Negroes should not now be encouraged.

"The question was at that time (last June) a clear one: Shall this Christian School of Theology be open to Christians whatever their race may be? But since last June the issue has been obscure and virtually eclipsed by considerations not relevant to the basic questions."

When the controversy first became public Chancellor R. Bland Mitchell of Little Rock said there was no university policy excluding Negroes, but that he had been advised that such enrollments would be in violation of Tennessee Law.

No Negroes have ever applied for admission to Sewanee, the bishop of Arkansas added.

In announcing the action, Dr. McCrady also presented the university's "observations" he said:

"The action of the trustees, in advising against the immediate admission of Negroes, was definitely neither informed nor in intentions.

Special committee of the trustees is currently examining the whole issue.

"The university must insist that it stand thoroughly committed to principle and the practice of complete academic freedom. The university holds that an attempt to resolve the question by a resort to threats or to bring organized pressure to bear, is an infringement of academic freedom. Even so, the university has not taken, and had not proposed to take any punitive action against the petitioners."

The professor that did not resign and reportedly took no part in the protest, is the Rev. Bavard H. Jones, according to the school.