2. The responsibilities of citizenship.

3. The right, as a professional person, to freedom in research and to publication of the results thereof, limited only by the precepts of scholarship and faithful performance of other academic responsibilities.

4. The right, as a professional person, to free and thorough expression in the classroom.

The rights to uphold, to discuss and dissent are the moral fiber of America's greatness. They are likewise the strength of a great university.

One confused exchange is worth quoting verbatim:

"The trouble is there's been so much comment about his department. Its teachings are clear over to the right," he added.

"I (McConnell) asked if he really meant right, or left?"

"Which do I mean?' he said. 'Right or left? Well, you know, the way we don't want it to be. We think the regents should do a lot of investigating of that department. It's so radically different from what it used to be under (Mitchell's predecessor)."

On the heels of the Farm Bureau charges, a member of the Board of Regents, J. Leroy Wolsh, waded into the frey. "Several times I have complained about the writings and speeches of this individual made over the state and have brought this to the attention of the University." Speaking only for himself he said, "I am glad to have a group like these farmers pay attention to this sort of activity and call attention to it. I have no brief for anyone in a tax-supported institution who favors the destruction of the free enterprise system."

Favored Rigid Supports

Mitchell's controversial magazine article was basically an argument in favor of the existing rigid price support program. He criticized the flexible support plan on the grounds that "no one has yet proved that farmers will make the economic response to price flexing... There is good evidence that most farmers will not. Much of a farmer's coats is fixed and much of his properly is in sunk investments, in specialized equipment and skills, which force him to keep right on producing even though the price is falling."

Mitchell stated that rigid supports provide a solid base for planning and raise farmers to almost even terms with industry. "I'm not too concerned over charges that the inefficient are rewarded' or the farmer is regimented," he wrote. "Farmers have concluded that one of the freedoms they enjoy under production controls-a good price-is more valuable than the supposed freedoms they might have under an unsupported program."

Press Backed Mitchell

Local newspapers spoke out in defense of Mitchell's right to express his views-no matter how controversial. Campus groups praised the professor and denied allegations that he had tried to indoctrinate his students.

Without delay the Board of Regents asked Mitchell's superior, W.V. Lambert, dean of the College of Agriculture, to investigate and report to them as soon as possible. Lambert subsequently opened his remarks to the regents with a powerful statement of principles (see box) which they liked so well that they adopted it and incorporated it in the University's records as a declaration of university policy.

During the meeting Lambert told the regents. "If teachers and research men in our public institutions are to make contributions to social problems, they must have the solid backing of the governing bodies of these institutions. I urge you as strongly as I can to give such backing in this case."

Mitchell was exonerated from all charges and was in fact praised as a "good teacher, honest and courageous."