Regents Overruled U-M Officials On Dr. Soule's Dismissal Letters Show

Regents Overruled U-M Officials On Dr. Soule’s Dismissal, Letters Show

University officials had accepted the resignation of the late Dr. Malcolm H. Soule, but the Board of Regents overruled the acceptance, it was disclosed today.

Dr. Soule, chairman of the U-M bacteriology department, committed suicide Friday night, shortly after learning the regents had dismissed him from the faculty for mishandling funds.

His wife, Mrs. Alma Soule, today made public a copy of a letter from Wilbur K. Pierpont, University vice-president, dated July 18. It acknowledged receipt of Dr. Soule’s resignation, submitted July 13, and stated:

"This is to advise you that your resignation submitted July 13 has been accepted."

Thought It All Over

Mrs. Soule added that her husband “thought the whole thing at an end” and believed he had succeeded in quietly resigning from the faculty.

Dr. Soule thought "the unfortunate circumstance (the fund mishandling) was to be forgotten and his resignation had been accepted. He had taught his last class and cleared out his office on the campus. He was preparing to start life all over again as a consultant in private practice.”

(The world-reknowned scientist had made restitution of the $487.05 he was accused of misappropriating at the time he offered to resign.)

“Then came a messenger from the Board of Regents with the letter (the document informing Dr. Soule he had been fired and that the case would be turned over to the prosecutor’s office,” Mrs. Soule said. “It was more than he could bear.”

U-M Officials Differ

University officials, informed of Mrs. Soule’s statements, asserted that Dr. Soule had “misinterpreted” Pierpont’s letter if he believed that its receipt closed the case.

President Alexander G. Ruthven noted that the regents “insist on reviewing” every case of dismissal, employment or promotion of a faculty member. Dr. Soule, he added, presumably knew about this procedure.

Pierpont said that once Dr. Soule had admitted forging signatures on checks payable to lecturers who had never appeared on campus, "my duty was rigidly prescribed by the by-laws of the University. I was forced to accept his resignation for the purpose of separating him from the payroll at that point.

“He (Dr. Soule) must have known that the regents could sustain my action or rescind it as they elected to do.”