Faculty Group at U. of Washington Asks That Scholars Drop Boycott

The University of Washington faculty senate last week called on scholars to drop their boycott of the institution, affirming its faith in President Henry Schmitz and the regents as supporters of academic freedom.

The boycott was caused by Schmitz' veto of a Washington Department of Physics request that J. Robert Oppenhiemer '26 be invited to give a series of lecturers there this summer. At the same time that it asked scholars to end their boycott, the Washington faculty group voted, 56 to 40, to condemn Schmitz' decision to be Oppenheimer.

Several faculty members here had joined in the boycott. Perry G. E. Miller, professor of American Literature, last month canceled a lecture scheduled for April 7, at the University of Washington, saying, "No self-respecting scholar could speak there now."

Two weeks later, Konrad E. Bloch, Higgins Professor of Biochemistry, and Bert L. Vallee, associate in medicine, joined five other Eastern scientists in withdrawing from a scientific conference slated for April 7 and 8. They wrote President Schmitz charging that his action had "clearly placed the University of Washington outside the community of scholars."

Another scientific conference was recently canceled when Western professors withdrew, charging "a violation of academic freedom."

Schmitz has announced no reasons for refusing to approve Oppenheimer who was denied security clearance last spring by the Atomic Energy Commission, but University of Washington officials have conceded that the government's action may have been an important factor.