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Father Upsets Ouster 'Trial'

Father Upsets Ouster 'Trial' image
Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
November
Year
1940
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Father Upsets
Ouster 'Trial'
Alumnus Follows Son On
'Stand' At Meeting
A sad-eyed father taking the
microphone as a genuine "surprise
witness" was the only hitch in the
smoothly staged "trial" Saturday
afternoon at the Island Park baseball
diamond of the University
for the "ouster" of 13 students.
Victor Lawn, an alumnus of the '
class of 1912, appeared on the
platform to tell a "jury" of some
450 students, "observers," "delegates"
and spectators that his son
was breaking his word by appearing
before the meeting.
"Character is the foundation of
civil rights and honor is the foun-~
dation of character," warned .
Lawn.
The son was Roger C. Lawn,
'43, whose first-year scholarship
at the University had not been
"up to expectations" and who
had promised his father to refrain
from extra-curricular activities
and to concentrate on his studies.
Criticizes Sugar
In a later statement, Victor
Lawn accused Maurice Sugar,
UA W -CIO attorney who was examiner
at the "trial," of "committing
one of the greatest crimes ,
possible by lauding a boy for! ·
breaking his word" and for attempting
to create a gap between
two generations, a gap which is
"responsible for so many of today's
disturbances."
The meeting was sponsored by
the Michigan Committee for Academic
Freedom and the Michigan
Civil Rights Federation, two Detroit
organizations headed by Rev.
Owen A. Knox, who has been
associated with "demonstrations"
previously.
After hearing "evidence" presented
by two "ousted" students,
by outside speakers and by students
still at the University, the
"jury" returned a verdict accusing
, the University of disciplining its
students "for exercising their civil
rights and democratic liberties."
Called Anti-Democratic
In summing up the "case," Sugar
charged that the University administration
is dominated by the
"anti-labor, anti-democratic profascist
interests in Michigan.
Prof. E. A. Ross of the University
of Wisconsin, one of the principle
speakers, condemned the University
for restricting academic
freedom. Jerome Davis of the New
School for Social Research contended
that beyond citing an alleged
ingratitude on the part of
the students, President Ruthven,
when queried, had offered no reason
for inviting the "ousted" students
not to return.
Herbert Witt, executive secretary
of the American Student
Union, which is listed in Dies
Committee reports as Communistinfluenced,
was the final speaker.
He charged that the "expulsion"
1 of the 13 s~udents was linked to
1 war-mongenng.