Illinois Conservatives Claim Rights Abrogated

A dispute over academic freedom now raging at the University of Illinois is the only case uncovered by this survey in which conservatives claim their rights are being infringed by liberals.

The controversy centers around the economics department of the University's college of commerce. According to elder members of the department, Dean Howard R. Bowen and department chairman Everett E. Hagen, both of whom got their positions in the past few years, are trying to force out the conservative economists at Illinois and replace them with "New Deal pinkos."

Blodgett Center

The case has crystallized around Professor Ralph W. Blodgett, who is leaving Illinois after 13 years to take a slightly higher-paying job at the University of Florida.

Professor Donald S. Kemmerer, a long-standing friend of Blodgett, charges that Bowen and Hagen forced Blodgett out because he was conservative. Kemmerer points to the fact that since Hagen became chairman and Bowen, dean, two of Blodgett's main courses have been taken away from him and given to professors hired by Bowen. Moreover, texts written by Blodgett were formerly used in classes attended by 2,100 students, are now used in classes totalling 30

Committee Set Up

Bowen denied that political views had anything to do with Blodgett's leaving, and asked that a special committee investigate the situation. Such a committee was appointed, despite protests by Blodgett supporters that the matter should have been handled by the university Senate academic freedom committee.

The three-man special committee filed its report with Illinois President George D. Stoddard last week. The report is expected to be largely of the fact-finding rather than judgment-passing variety.

The report is believed to say that, in a strict sense, Boldgett's right to teach as he wished was not infringed upon.

But the report will note that morale in the economics department has deteriorated badly and that many older members feel that they are being pushed out by the many young men imported by Bowen since he became dean.

Now that Stoddard has the report, the straightening out of the tangle will be largely up to him.

Legislature Interested

However, the case has stirred up some interest in the state legislature, where certain legislators have rallied to Blodgett's defense. They have warned Stoddard that if he doesn't "clean up" things, they may get after him.

In the background of the case are Stoddard's efforts to build up the academic standards of Illinois. Stoddard imported Bowen to improve the college of commerce, and it was under these instructions that Bowen brought in many new men, including several who worked on New Deal agencies

This influx of newcomers has been emphasized by the Blodgett case, and aroused angry comments in the local press. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Urbana News-Gazette, commenting on the Blodgett case, looked "askance at the 'outsiders' whom Bowen hired and allows as how it was much nicer when there were only 'comfortable' profs around who belonged to the local Kiwanis and Rotary clubs and thrilled to the deeds of the Illini gridiron heroes."

Student reaction to the case has been mixed. One former student of Blodgett wrote the Daily Illini, university newspaper, "Are you students going to give up Blodgett without a fight?" But 13 graduate students replied with a letter declaring that they felt that there was no departmental attempt at indoctrination in any one philosophy.