The Undergraduate Chair
A QUICK glance at issues of The Dartmouth published during the month after Carnival gives the decided impression that the student editors both the old and the new ones spent at least three of the four weeks thrusting the name of the College before Senators, Representatives, lawyers, embassy secretaries, and sensational columnists in the Nation's Capital. If these scattered public servants had ever compared notes, their consultations would undoubtedly have resulted in an addition to the list of special interest groups badgering Congress and each other 13 months a year. And thus would have been born the Dartmouth College Lobby.
But unjustifiably so.
The reason for the unprecedented telephone-telegraph traffic between the White River district and the District of Columbia was curiosity: The Dartmouth's nose was smelling out three suspected news "leads."
The first was the story of the Congressional investigations into academic subversives. The nasal discovery was a sweet smell - that looked like it might ferment at any moment.
The second was the rumor that President Eisenhower was coming to speak at Dartmouth.
And the third was the state of Premier Stalin's health.
"Leads" two and three produced nothing—not even the suggestion of an odor.
On February 10, the Daily Princetonian called Rep. Harold H. Velde, chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee, and was told that the investigation of Communists in education would be held in Washington, and that "no particular college would be investigated. Velde had told The Dartmouth earlier in an exchange of telegrams that the College would not be investigated. But this was contradicted by a Manchester UnionLeader story of the same week, quoting Velde: "Dartmouth will be investigated." The student newspaper, not knowing who to believe, re-telegraphed Velde. The answer was "I can only re-iterate....
Perhaps, said the editors, Dartmouth will be investigated by the Senate Committee instead. Maybe that's where the story was. Sure enough, The Boston Globe carried a story a week later revealing that Sen. William E. Jenner and his Senate Internal Security Subcommittee would be in Boston within the month, to investigate "prominent New England colleges. Har vard, it was said, would definitely not be investigated. Dartmouth was not mentioned.
Out came the telephone again, but Senator Jenner was "not at home," and, besides, said the operator, "his phone is unlisted."
This was a blank alley. Clearly something had to be done. Two days later, editors again called long distance, and asked this time for the office of the Senate subcommittee. An undersecretary answered the phone, and, not knowing quite what to do, trapped the unsuspecting Chief Counsel, Robert Morris, into die phone conversation. Morris, who had been evading newspaper reporters for a month on the same question, had to answer or hang up. Being a polite man, he answered, and the next day the Campus learned that "to my knowledge, Dartmouth will not be investigated."
There was a little more meat to the second "lead." Drew Pearson, in his syndicated column of February 3, had said that President Eisenhower had made pre-election commitments to speak at only two colleges: William and Mary, and Dartmouth. This, apparently, was news to people in town — especially to those in the College Administration. A private letter to Sherman Adams 'ao, the obvious laijon-man (if there was one), brought the reply: "I'm sorry I cannot help you in this matter."
Perhaps the President was coming to Great Issues. A delegation of Dartmouth reporters confronted Prof. F. Cudworth Flint, G.I. Course director. He didn't know anything about it. Of course, he said, there was the possibility that someone in the Administration had made the arrangements, without telling him. But that, of course, would be highly irregular.
Several people asked President Dickey about the rumor. The answer was given out to be that, as usual, Drew Pearson knew more about this than Mr. Dickey did.
Obviously, there was just one thing to do: On March 7, Hanover called Drew Pearson in Washington. Could Mr. Pearson confirm his prediction that Ike would speak in Hanover?
"I don't remember making any such prediction," said the columnist. "Was it on the radio?"
Assured that it appeared in one of his columns, the obliging Mr. Pearson dug in his files. Ah ha, said he. Here it was:
"A delegation from the University of Florida went to Eisenhower at the end of January. He told them he was not making any more speaking commitments, but that he had already promised to speak at William and Mary and Dartmouth."
This clarified the situation. Only one angle further remained to be explored. And on Saturday, March 7, The Dartmouth explored it.
Thus from James C. Hagerty, presidential press secretary, came word that "President Eisenhower has not yet determined whether he will be coming to Dartmouth to speak some time in the future. A definite decision on this," said he, "has not been made."
The third and last "lead" petered out quite unexpectedly. With the first reports from Moscow of Premier Stalin's illness went the first Dartmouth telephone call to the Russian Embassy. Who, they were asked, was Stalin's likely successor?
"Well, they wouldn't like to comment on this question."
And what, they were queried, was the reaction of the Russian people? "He is seriously ill."
And what, if they pleased, would the effect on Korea be?
"That is all we can tell you." Thank you very much, said The Dartmouth.
"Not at all," said the Russian Embassy. The next day, Stalin died.
A student government reversal spotlighted the month's news. Last month, it will be recalled, the Undergraduate Council refused to surrender control of fraternity discriminatiqn to the Interfraternity Council. This month, realizing that their Review Committee had fought the discriminatory houses to a standstill, the UGC reversed itself, and, by a 31-11 vote, transferred discrimination review functions to the IFC, in the hopes that a new angle of approach would appear. The Interdormitory Council, in a surprise piove several hours before, had voted support of the pending shift. IFC President William T. Chaffee '53 cited the IFC's "increased responsibility," and the immediate result was the election of a chairman on discriminatory clauses in each of the 23 campus houses.
Almost as important was a re-orientation of the freshman orientation program, voted unanimously by the UGC on March 3. The new plan, developed after widespread dissatisfaction with last fall's "leniency program," retrogressed slightly to the old days of Vigilante severity. This time, strictness, but with honor.
The biggest change of the new program is the formation of a Steering Committee of nine chairmaned by Palaeopitus. On the committee are the three upperclass presidents, Green Key president, and the Executive Board of the Sophomore Orientation Group. The new committee will "better delineate the program," and also "act as a psuedo-court, giving minor sentences to freshmen who remain recalcitrant even after the Sophomore Executive Board has discussed the trouble with the violator."
And the inevitable miscellanea: Students-turned out in force to help the Hanover blood donor program early in March, and drew praise from town officials. 291 fathers of '56 visited the campus during Freshman Father's Weekend, for the biggest total in the four-year history of the event. Holy Cross turned a steel eye of revenge on the Green's upset-happy basketball team, and the only happy outcome was the Crusaders' failure to score 100 points against their former vanquishers. Final score of the tussle was a close 99-50.
The Administration hit 527 men, or eight per cent of the College, with routine disciplinary action after the first semester marks were issued. A Lord Hall freshman "ham" jammed radio reception for miles around, and a delegation from Deerfield Academy left campus with just one impression: "Gee, you guys dress sloppy!"
Latest development on campus came from the Great Issues Public Affairs Laboratory: a strict WARNING was issued to seniors not to write too much in their G.I. journals for the second semester. If they did, they would incur "an automatic grade penalty." Thus, said seniors, ended full self-expression in the G.I. course.
Topic for next month's consideration: the "Why People Have Their Doubts About G. I." contest. Answer in 150 words or less. ...
THE LITTLE CHAPEL: Dr. Roy B. Chamberlin, Chapel Director, shown conducting a morning service in the small devotional chapel that has been created within Rollins Chapel for daily student use. The furnishings were recently enriched by the altar on the right and the small lectern, provided by the Tucker Foundation and beautifully made of Honduras mahogany by Virgil Poling, director of the Student Workshop. The hand-carved cross was made and contributed by Dr. James M. Stewart '43 of Rochester, N. Y.
ON THE ALUMNI CIRCUIT: John H. Sigler '53 (left). President of the Undergraduate Council, and Brock Brower '53, former Editor of "The Dartmouth," will be visiting many aiumni clubs this month, when Sigler addresses the Dayton and Columbus (O.) clubs on April 8 and 9, and Brower meets with seven clubs in the Midwest and West between March 31 and April 10.
