Kay Fellowship Fund Committee
Title
Kay Fellowship Fund Committee
Subject
Dr. Kay, IGA, Black Students
Description
An IGA letter that asks for money for the Kay Fellowship Fund. They write that Dr. Kay was fired for his political beliefs.
Creator
Intracollegiate Governmental Association
Source
Special Collections, FHG Library, West Chester University
Publisher
Intracollegiate Governmental Association
Date
October 5 1970
Contributor
Angela Grabosky
Format
Scan of 8.5 x 11 paper
Language
English
Type
Letter
Text
INTRACOLLEGIATE GOVERNMENTAL ASSOCIATION
WEST CHESTER STATE COLLEGE
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, 19380
215-436-2839
KAY FELLOWSHIP FUND COMMITTEE
Nation Co-Chairman
Noam A. Chomsky
Dept. of Foreign Lit. & Linguistics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Louis Kampf
Vice-President Modern Language Assoc.
Bryn Mawr College
Herbert Aptheker, Dept of History
Bucknell University
Eugene Chenoweth, Chairmain,
Dept. of Political Science
Richard Drinnon, Chairman,
Dept. of History
Haverford College
William C. Davidon, Dept. of History
William T.M. Johnson, Dept. of Chemistry
Joel Levinson, Dept. of Philosophy
Livingston College (Rutgers)
Martin Oppenheimer, Dept. of Sociology
Swarthmore College
Thompson Bradley, Dept. of Languages
Temple University
Alan Davis, Dept. of History
Robert Edenbaum, Dept. of Englisj
Norman Kaner, Dept. of History
University of Pennsylvania
E. Hilary Conry, Dept. of History
Edward Peters, Dept. of History
James C. Davis, Dept. of History
Richard D. Breenan, Dept. of History
Stewart Samuels, Dept. of History
Lawrence Schoffer, Dept. of History
October 5, 1970
Dear Friend and Colleague,
If you have seen the April 1970 issue of the AAUP Bulletin, you have undoubtedly read the report on the fiasco at Alfred University in which Professor Michael Kay was summarily fired because of his participation in a peaceful demonstration. As a direct result of his experience at Alfred University, the administration and Board of Trustees at West Chester State College, have also arbitrarily dismissed Dr. Kay, effective June, 1970. Even though the dismissal of Dr. Kay was protested vigorously by both students and faculty (his department voted overwhelmingly to support him) the administration has not only refused to reconsider its decision but has answered these appeals with terminals contracts for Dr. Kay’s most active supporters.
When frustration seemed complete, a member of the Intracollegiate Governmental Association (I.G.A.) presented a novel solution: why not let the students hire their own professor. Thus was born the concept of the Students’ Professor. The I.G.A. which is the college’s elected student government, voted overwhelming (30 to 10) to establish the Fellowship and to ask Dr. Kay to be the first recipient.
The administration, in its final effort to keep Dr. Kay off the campus, has denied the student government the use of their money for this purpose. Other funds have been pledged by various student groups. In addition, several area colleges and universities have shown interest in supporting the cause. Swarthmore College students, for example, have pledged $1000 to the Fund.
Dr. Michael Kay, who came to West Chester State College in 1968, is an able teacher and a sound scholar. He has published in the most highly regarded professional publications. Last spring he was invited to present a paper to a meeting of the Organization of American Historians. Over 90% of the students in his classes have signed the petition demanding his reinstatement and around 2,000 students participated in a peaceful demonstration on his behalf, last February.
ARCHIVES
-2-
[Except from the Philadelphia Inquirer on April 29, 1970 “Students ‘Hire’ Fired Teacher at W. Chester” by Pamela Erbe]
The administration has given no valid reasons for its refusal to renew Dr. Kay’s contract; instead, it has accused him of failing to complete certain clerical forms (unspecified), of misusing the college’s centrex telephone system, etc. The AAUP conducted a preliminary investigation last January, found evidence of a severe violation of academic freedom, conducted a formal investigation this June, and is presently writing its report and recommendations. The real reasons for the firing of Dr. Kay are clear enough. The administration and the trustees do not like his unorthodox political beliefs and his support of the black students’ attempts to end certain restrictive college policies.
We feel that the dismissal of even one professor for political reasons affects the welfare of all. Cases of this sort are rampant in the country today and can only be expected to increase. Imagination, courage and support are needed to combat this trend. The IGA Fellowship, the concept of the Students’ Professor, chosen and supported by students, is one answer to the local and national problems of summary dismissals of faculty members whose views are untenable to an administration.
Your concern for problems of freedom and justice are known to us and we are therefore writing to you to ask your support for the Fellowship Fund. Please give as generously as you can to the Fund; in addition, send us names of potential contributors. Make checks payable to: Kay Fellowship Fund, and mail them in the enclosed enveloped
We look forward to hearing from you
Bob McLaughlin, President
IGA General Assembly
Bryn Hammarstrom, Chairman
(IGA) Kay Fellowship Fund Committee
Dr. Frank Fox
Prof. History Dept.
Mr. Stephen Parker
Assoc. Prof. English Sept.
Faculty Supporters of the Kay Fellowship Fund
ARCHIVES
WEST CHESTER STATE COLLEGE
WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, 19380
215-436-2839
KAY FELLOWSHIP FUND COMMITTEE
Nation Co-Chairman
Noam A. Chomsky
Dept. of Foreign Lit. & Linguistics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Louis Kampf
Vice-President Modern Language Assoc.
Bryn Mawr College
Herbert Aptheker, Dept of History
Bucknell University
Eugene Chenoweth, Chairmain,
Dept. of Political Science
Richard Drinnon, Chairman,
Dept. of History
Haverford College
William C. Davidon, Dept. of History
William T.M. Johnson, Dept. of Chemistry
Joel Levinson, Dept. of Philosophy
Livingston College (Rutgers)
Martin Oppenheimer, Dept. of Sociology
Swarthmore College
Thompson Bradley, Dept. of Languages
Temple University
Alan Davis, Dept. of History
Robert Edenbaum, Dept. of Englisj
Norman Kaner, Dept. of History
University of Pennsylvania
E. Hilary Conry, Dept. of History
Edward Peters, Dept. of History
James C. Davis, Dept. of History
Richard D. Breenan, Dept. of History
Stewart Samuels, Dept. of History
Lawrence Schoffer, Dept. of History
October 5, 1970
Dear Friend and Colleague,
If you have seen the April 1970 issue of the AAUP Bulletin, you have undoubtedly read the report on the fiasco at Alfred University in which Professor Michael Kay was summarily fired because of his participation in a peaceful demonstration. As a direct result of his experience at Alfred University, the administration and Board of Trustees at West Chester State College, have also arbitrarily dismissed Dr. Kay, effective June, 1970. Even though the dismissal of Dr. Kay was protested vigorously by both students and faculty (his department voted overwhelmingly to support him) the administration has not only refused to reconsider its decision but has answered these appeals with terminals contracts for Dr. Kay’s most active supporters.
When frustration seemed complete, a member of the Intracollegiate Governmental Association (I.G.A.) presented a novel solution: why not let the students hire their own professor. Thus was born the concept of the Students’ Professor. The I.G.A. which is the college’s elected student government, voted overwhelming (30 to 10) to establish the Fellowship and to ask Dr. Kay to be the first recipient.
The administration, in its final effort to keep Dr. Kay off the campus, has denied the student government the use of their money for this purpose. Other funds have been pledged by various student groups. In addition, several area colleges and universities have shown interest in supporting the cause. Swarthmore College students, for example, have pledged $1000 to the Fund.
Dr. Michael Kay, who came to West Chester State College in 1968, is an able teacher and a sound scholar. He has published in the most highly regarded professional publications. Last spring he was invited to present a paper to a meeting of the Organization of American Historians. Over 90% of the students in his classes have signed the petition demanding his reinstatement and around 2,000 students participated in a peaceful demonstration on his behalf, last February.
ARCHIVES
-2-
[Except from the Philadelphia Inquirer on April 29, 1970 “Students ‘Hire’ Fired Teacher at W. Chester” by Pamela Erbe]
The administration has given no valid reasons for its refusal to renew Dr. Kay’s contract; instead, it has accused him of failing to complete certain clerical forms (unspecified), of misusing the college’s centrex telephone system, etc. The AAUP conducted a preliminary investigation last January, found evidence of a severe violation of academic freedom, conducted a formal investigation this June, and is presently writing its report and recommendations. The real reasons for the firing of Dr. Kay are clear enough. The administration and the trustees do not like his unorthodox political beliefs and his support of the black students’ attempts to end certain restrictive college policies.
We feel that the dismissal of even one professor for political reasons affects the welfare of all. Cases of this sort are rampant in the country today and can only be expected to increase. Imagination, courage and support are needed to combat this trend. The IGA Fellowship, the concept of the Students’ Professor, chosen and supported by students, is one answer to the local and national problems of summary dismissals of faculty members whose views are untenable to an administration.
Your concern for problems of freedom and justice are known to us and we are therefore writing to you to ask your support for the Fellowship Fund. Please give as generously as you can to the Fund; in addition, send us names of potential contributors. Make checks payable to: Kay Fellowship Fund, and mail them in the enclosed enveloped
We look forward to hearing from you
Bob McLaughlin, President
IGA General Assembly
Bryn Hammarstrom, Chairman
(IGA) Kay Fellowship Fund Committee
Dr. Frank Fox
Prof. History Dept.
Mr. Stephen Parker
Assoc. Prof. English Sept.
Faculty Supporters of the Kay Fellowship Fund
ARCHIVES
Original Format
Typed Letter with Signatures
Files
Reference
Intracollegiate Governmental Association 1970, Kay Fellowship Fund Committee, Intracollegiate Governmental Association