Word: conants
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...this point the "Granstein Plan" rears its mathematical head; for in 1937 there was a revolt among the Faculty which led to an entire revision of the appointment apparatus. The problem of tenure had become increasingly difficult for President Conant because his predecessor had personally decided to retain men on the Faculty who had not qualified for permanent appointments. During the depression these men were a decided strain on the budget and Conant felt he had to start trimming the payroll. He gave orders that all non-permanent appointees, with a few exceptions in each department, would have to leave...
...this point the Faculty banded together in protest. The two instructors were both to the far left in their political leanings, so the cry of academic freedom was heard, though the matter was simply a budgetary one. Relations between Conant and some professors became increasingly strained, and resulted in an unheard-of request by the teaching staff...
...hundred and thirty-one non-permanent teaching officers asked that eight professors--and not the Administration--study the entire tenure problem and specifically make recommendations about Walsh and Sweezy. The eight men, including Professors Morison, Shapley, Schlesinger, and Felix Frankfurtor, wrote to Conant asking that he appoint a special committee as the instructors had requested and adding that if he would not, the eight would not, the eight would investigate anyway...
...reports issued by the Committee of Eight one dealt exclusively with Walsh and Sweezy, recommending that they be kept on. The President took this proposal to the Corporation, who vetoed it. The incident shows the advantage to the President in his dual role of Administrator and Corporation member. Had Conant turned down the request again, there probably would have been more hard feeling within the Faculty. Since the action was the Corporation's, however, Conant was not blamed...
...unique problems of the department, the ad hoc committee can either support the department's own choice or recommend a different name to the President. And for his part, the President can ignore both recommendations and select a wholly new man to put before the Corporation. Both Pusey and Conant are sold on the ad hoc system, however, and would rarely throw out all the committee's findings in favor of their own candidates. In Lowell's time, direct nomination by the President was more frequent...