On September 20, the Olivet Teachers Union jumped into the battle. It charged that the administration had rudely interrupted the progress toward a tenure system made under ex-President Dana's administration: had thrown the college into turmoil: and had "imperiled the financial future of the college."
A. C. L. U.
Eight days later, the administration was berated by a field investigating team of the American Civil Liberties Union. "By his autocratic attitude and by his and the Board's apparent lack of understanding of the traditional American guarantees of academic freedom and tenure, Dr. Ashby has placed Olivet College in grave danger economically and as an educational institution." the A. C. L. U. stated.
"The contention of Dr. Ashby that it is 'kinder' not to make charges against Professor Akeley's not a matter for Dr. Ashby to decide. Professor Akeley resents such innuendo and justifiably wishes to face his accuser or accusers because it is his contention that Dr. Ashby is chiefly interested in silencing and removing a liberal professor. The failure of a 'red scare' to remove Professor Akeley two years ago lends weight to Professor Akeley's contention. At that time, nothing was proven which was detrimental to Professor Akeley's reputation."
Throughout the month of November, the faculty continued to press for hearings on the Akeley case and for a comprehensive tenure system. But a statement of Ashby's to the Detroit alumni on December 9 diverted attention to another issue.
Referring to the Student Action Committee pickets, Ashby remarked, "Ninety percent of the student picket line were of a certain race and from a certain section of the country." Six days later Ashby told a student protest meeting that he had not meant to deprecate any one race, and that he still believed in Olivet's traditional non-discriminatory policy. But when asked what race he had in mind in his statement, Ashby replied, "Draw your own conclusion."
So far, Olivet had only lost two of its teachers. On December 8, two faculty members resigned in protest, and on December 17, four were fired and another was given a one year terminal notice.
The first four dropped were Tucker P. Smith, professor of Economics, Julian Fahy, head of the Political Sciences Department, Arthur Moore, director of the Fine Arts School, and Herbert Hyde of the Music Department. The fifth was Carleton Mabee, head of the History Department and Puitzer Prize winner in 1944.
These men had been dropped for "economic reasons," the Trustees said. Dean James F. Mathias amplified on this statement:
"In order to become an accredited college, we must have a certain number of the faculty with proper degrees. Smith with his master of science does not fit in. We would like very much to keep Moore and Hyde. Fahy and Mabee, like them, are capable of commanding higher salaries than we can afford. We've given them as much advance notice as possible to help them find other jobs."
Other Reasons?
Other considerations may have entered into the Board's action, however. Smith had been the Socialist candidate for vice-president and was head of the Teachers' Union. Fahy, Mabee, and Smith had condemned Akeley's ousting in the first student newsletter. And all five discharged teachers were connected with the union.
At this point, the Echo, student newspaper, became quite vocal on the controversy. Its editor accused the Board of union-busting and called for Ashby's resignation.
Indignation mounted. One hundred thirty-nine out of 250 students signed a petition refusing to return unless the administration monded its ways. Some 50 students signed a petition expressing their loyalty to the administration.
On January 28, 13 faculty members moved to organize Shipherd College, a move branded by Ashby "an ingenious device to attract public attention. . ." But despite the Board's granting of life tenure to a few teachers, the exodus was on. Three instructors resigned early this year. Another dropped out on March 1. Mobee and another teacher quit on March 2, two more on March 3, another on March 9, and another on March 11.
The group expressed regret at leaving Olivet, but in letters of resignation the instructors attacked Ashby for his alleged anti-Semitic speech and charged the administration with "during key personnel, absence of an adequate tenure system, attacks on faculty members, abandoning democratic procedures, and failure to accept arbitration."
New York Site
Later in the Spring a planning committee of students, faculty, and alumni selected Sackets Harbor, New York, as the site of Shipherd College, started a campaign, and selected a president.
Back of Olivet this week, the college was nearing the end of a bloody year. Eighteen out of 35 teachers were gone. Olivet faced blacklisting by the American Association of University Professor: a majority of the present students were planning not to return: and educational and administrative policy had changed drastically--all since summer, 1948.
And it was a matter of conjecture which college more closely resembled the school which Father Shipherd had founded--the old college in Southern Michigan or the proposed new one in Northern New York.