Fay, McIlwain, Perry, Five Others to Retire This Year

Finally confirming what has been known to the undergraduate grapevine for over six months, the Corporation last night officially announced the retirement of eight faculty members, several of whom remained active beyond the normal retirement age in order to help out the University during the critical wartime manpower shortage.

They are: Charles H. McIlwain, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, (effective July 1); Ralph Barton Perry, Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, effective July 1); Sidney B. Fay '96, professor of History, (effective July 1); Arthur F. Whittem '02, associate professor of Romance Languages, dean of special students, and director of University Extension, (effective September 1); Louis J. A. Mercier, associate professor of French and Education, (effective September 1); Frederick G. White '19, faculty instructor in English and secretary of the Division of Modern Languages, (effective June 30); William J. Cunningham, James J. Hill Professor of Zoology, as curator of marine invertebrates, (effective June 30).

Ralph Barton Perry, at Harvard since 1902, and a full professor since 1913, is one of the best known American philosophers of this century. A voluminous author, his books range over a wide variety of subjects but focus on ethical philosophy. Perhaps his outstanding theoretical work is "The General Theory of Value" and his course, Philosophy 6, covers the same ground. Of his other courses, Phil 4a is an introduction to ethical theory, while two more advanced ones deal in American philosophy, Professor Perry's "The Thought and Character of William James" won the Pulitzer Award in biography in 1935.

History Department Hit

Already depleted in the past year by the retirement of William Scott Ferguson, McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History, and the death of Roger Bigelow Merriman '96, Gurney Professor of History and Political Science, the History Department will be further weakened by the loss of two of its best known figures. Avoiding new appointments until return of its absent members, it will attempt to pull through the interim period with the assistance of visiting lecturers, four of whom were announced earlier this week.

Professor Fay has concentrated during the past few years on History 32, a survey of Modern Europe, which before the was taught by William L. Langer '15, Coolidge Professor of History. Next year History 32, as well as Professor Fay's own course on modern Germany, will be given by Yale's Harry R. Rudin.

The return of Charles H. Taylor, Lea Professor of Mediaeval History, will alleviate the shortages of specialists on the middle ages but will not all the gap caused by the departure of Professor MclLwain, whose courses on English Constitutionalism will be temporarily discontinued.

Friedrich To Take Gov 5

Professor McIlwain is best known to undergraduates for his survey on Political Theory (Gov 6) which has been flooded this year by students wanting to take a last course under the venerable scholar. Gov 6 will be taken over, next fall, by Carl J. Friedrich, professor of Government, whose Gov 5 and 121 deal mainly with modern political thought. Professor McIlwain's best known books are "The Growth of Political Theory in the West" and "The American Revolution," a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1938.

Mercier has done a good deal of magazine editing, outside his work with the French Department which he joined in 1911. From 1927 to 1930 he was associate editor of "The French Review;" since 1935 he has been associate editor of "Education," and he has held the same post since '37 on the "The New Scholastic." His courses deal with French composition and seventeenth century French literature.

Whittem has been with the University since 1904 and has branched out from his teaching of Romance languages into several administrative posts. From 1918-20 he was director of the Summer School; since 1922 he has been dean of special students and director of University Extension.

Professor Cunningham became a lecturer on Railroad Operation in 1908. By 1915 he had risen to a full professorship in Transportation and the next year he received the James J. Hill chair in that field.

Clark taught Zoology here between 1904 and 1935, at which time he became associate professor, emeritus. His retirement, June 30, is from the post of curator of Marine Invertebrates at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, to which he was appointed in 1928