Word: olivet
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...Olivet College's President Aubrey L. Ashby's action in ridding himself of thorny Barton Akeley [TIME, Oct. 18], is to be commended . . . Watchdogs of the American intellect are no doubt waiting eagerly for his next step...
...little Olivet College, a school of Congregational leanings in Olivet, Mich., T. Barton Akeley, 47, had taught political science for twelve years. To townspeople of rural, conservative Olivet, Akeley was a queer fellow: he wore a goatee and a beret, held unpopular opinions, and once appeared downtown in shorts. Some of the alumni looked askance at him: he was critical of fraternities and intercollegiate sports. And to some of Olivet's 17-man board of trustees, Akeley's self-admitted "general disposition to be critical" about college affairs was a stiff pain in the neck...
...Olivet had a brand-new president, cigar-puffing Aubrey L. Ashby, 62, a onetime vice president and general counsel of NBC, and no man to tolerate academic nonsense. He had grave doubts about Olivet's tutorial system, in which Akeley had been a leader. Said he: "A college is like a business-plus . . . When you defy constituted authority, all you have left is anarchy. Student expression has been allowed to run wild here over a period of years. We're not against student expression, but it must run through channels." And faculty critics were worse...
...Even Break." Board President Frank W. Blair was certain that Akeley's dismissal would help debt-ridden Olivet increase its endowments; potential donors, he said, had been "discouraged" by the views of "some of the faculty." Olivet's respected town banker, George C. Tyson, was obviously one of the discouraged. Said he: "I couldn't accuse them of being Communists or Reds but they were . . . pink . . . Seems to be in all the colleges-even permeates the churches. A number of us businessmen of the town were hoping to get an administration that would give the businessmen...
...American Civil Liberties Union was not so hopeful about Olivet's future. Reported its investigating committee: "It is apparent that Dr. Ashby does not understand the traditions and conditions of academic freedom and responsibility...