Every Pronoun Has His Day I TOOK note of the following sentence on page 7 of your June issue: "Its meaning is for everyone who looks at it to decide for themselves, said Baskin, who did not title his creation." Everyone should decide for themselves? Unless the viewing of the sculpture is limited to people with multiple personalities, the grammatical construction seems an example of the current politically correct theme of sensitivity uber alles. Et tu, Michigan? Oh, well. I guess everyone must decide for himself how much he is willing to tolerate. Brad Jolly '86 UM-F Longmont, Colorado Editor's Note: The American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition (1993) contains Usage Notes recommended by a panel of 173 champions of the English Language. The note under the pronoun "he" reports that 63 percent of the panel choose not to use masculine pronouns in sentences referring to both female and male subjects. The note says that while such sentences as, "Every member of Congress is answerable to his constituents," are correct grammatically, anyone who chooses to use the masculine pronoun in such instances should be aware of how such usage may be interpreted--that is, as inaccurate and perhaps offensive as well. Women will undoubtedly be among those who look at Baskin's sculpture. Sex and History I READ the article by Laura Betzig which evidently was intended to appeal to one's prurient interest. It did and I was titillated. The author claims that she is loath to spread slander and then she goes about it. There is no question that Ben Franklin was a lady's man. [As to Thomas Jefferson], although there are claims of a relationship with one of [his] mulatto slaves, the colored children that resembled him are supposed to be children of a cousin that had a very similar facial appearance. With all the cerebral pleasure that he received with his diverse intellectual inquiry, it is doubtful that he would have time for sexual exploitation. Since he excelled at everything, it may have been presumed that he excelled at sex or that it would have been the only way to attack him. Alexander Hamilton was the illegitimate son of a ne'er-do-well alcoholic son of a Scottish laird. He was the aide-de-camp to George Washington, who became the father figure Hamilton never had. Hamilton was naive about women and easily beguiled by them; he believed that Washington should serve for life because not only was the president one of the physically strongest men in America, but one of the morally strongest men as well. Never have I read of any question implied about the moral quality of the character of George Washington until the backhanded assassination by Laura Betzig. It is no wonder that the U of M is in the middle of the moral decline of America, and has forgotten its Christian beginning. Porno films, institutional protection for discrimination against pederasts, and medical insurance coverage extensions to sexually immoral partners is not what the founders had in mind for this educational facility. A.R. MacEwen Westland, Michigan I READ "Sex in History" expecting a scholarly treatise or, at the other end of the spectrum, a tongue-in-cheek presentation of relevant fact. As I read, I kept wanting to be surprised by new information. However, it was only a long, speculative diatribe, having little historical data to support its thesis. Overall, I found the article offensive for its apparent attempt to denigrate men by rewriting history. Gregory P. Andrus '72 St. Louis Alice Freeman Palmer I FIND many enjoyable and interesting articles in Michigan Today. It was surprising to read in the June 1994 issue that Alice Freeman Palmer of the U-M Class of 1876 was the first president of Wellesley College, which was founded in 1875. The first president, as you can see by enclosures, was Ada L. Howard (1875-1881). Alice Freeman Palmer (1881-1887) was the second. It may be of interest that Barbara Warne Newell, president of Wellesley from 1972-1980 had been associate professor of economics at Michigan from 1967-1971 and vice president of student affairs from 1968-1970. Thank you for much good reading. An occasional surprise is fine. Lucy Shaw Schultz '28 Wellesley College Flint, Michigan I FOUND your article on Alice Freeman Palmer's new biography very interesting. She has long been a most admired figure to me. However, I was very surprised to see that Ruth Bordin's book was described as a "first biography of alumna Alice Freeman Palmer." I went to my bookcase and took down Alice Freeman Palmer written by her husband, George Herbert Palmer, Houghton Mifflin, 1908. Mary M. Anderson '70 AMLS Marysville, Michigan THE PIECE on Alice Freeman Palmer in the June issue stirred some memories. The only book I have left from my undistinguished career at the U of M is "University Readings," from which I read assignments for my freshman English class in the summer of 1933. Recently, I began to re-read some of the essays and was most impressed by the "Personal Statement" of George Herbert Palmer, who was so sickly as a youth it was a miracle for him to reach maturity, much less pass 91 (March 1842-May 1933). In May of 1869, according to his essay, he applied for a position at Michigan, but receiving no reply he felt "obliged to accept" an appointment at Harvard. "Twenty-five years later, President Angell showed me on the Faculty Record my appointment to an Assistant Professorship at Michigan, and underneath it in a different hand, 'Declined.'" Palmer goes on to say, "The only explanation I can imagine is a letter lost in the mail." How the lives of these two great people--as well as the two great universities--may have been affected by a letter lost in the mail! (My own life was occasionally thrown off balance at Ann Arbor for the same reason!) The article raised the startling factor of costs. When I attended the University about 60 years after Ms. Palmer, my annual cost as an out-of-state student was only a bit more than double hers. In the 60 subsequent years the cost has gone up by a multiple of 25 or more! I wonder what will happen over the next 60 years. Surely more letters will be lost in the mail; but I do hope the Palmers' story will not be forgotten. A final note: My Encyclopedia Americana says that George and Alice were married in 1887; your article says that Alice fell in love in 1888; what a happy sequence! James Scherr '36 Studio City, California Editor's Note: Our article, not the book, was the source of the error. Ruth Bordin, who died shortly after the Michigan Today article was published, reported the sequence as you state it: Freeman and Palmer fell in love in 1886, and married on December 23, 1887, when she resigned from Wellesley. "A NEW Woman of the 19th Century" by John Woodford inspired me to read for the nth time my copy of The Life of Alice Freeman Palmer by George Herbert Palmer, published in 1908. My husband and I look forward to Michigan Today. Leona (Snyder) Beckert '40 Owosso, Michigan Freedoms of Inquiry and Speech I ENJOYED the June 1994 issue very much, especially "Hentoff, panel tackle free vs. hate speech." For once a Michigan publication raises a question of serious general concern instead of projecting the usual stuffy, corporate image that is more appropriate for General Motors, your neighbors to the east. A number of us are concerned that the University projects a "heartless" image, more concerned with research money than undergraduate welfare, and I for one am glad to see that the Hentoff report blunts that, although interestingly the undergrads took the initiative to bring him to Ann Arbor. I am puzzled however, by the comments that professors don't allow freedom of inquiry and discussion, and that undergrads use "Star Chamber" proceedings out of fear of possible retribution if they attempt to utilize the normal channels as Hentoff asks them to do. Is this a real fear of retribution, ultra-sensitivity, or a Salem-witchhunt-like atmosphere that is deliberately created and manipulated by those who don't want freedom of inquiry at all but the promotion of their own personal agendas, whatever they may be? Hentoff is certainly right when he avers that the university may be the last place in our society where free speech is possible. I hope that U-M and the University of Wisconsin ('65 PhD) don't kill it wittingly or unwittingly. If Michigan continues to display a commitment to free inquiry and shows that it indeed "has a heart" and not just a checkbook, I may come up to visit, attend an occasional football game and (oh yes!) make a modest contribution! Roger Hamburg '56 South Bend, Indiana THE SPEECH CODE debate in the June 1994 issue seems out of touch with what college education is or could be. Some learning is done by discussion: informed (not unprepared) exchanges among students and professor. Very little learning is done by listening or looking, whether the professor reads the textbook, delivers a brilliant entertaining opinion or scribbles on a blackboard. Most learning occurs when students work on practical projects (hands-on, minds-on). This holds for all fields and is being seriously considered by public schools now. It is still ignored by 99 percent of college "teachers." Omnipotent professors lecturing the masses are irrelevant to education. In the new system, grades, if any, or certificates of mastery, come from demonstrated competence, not faculty whim, and might be issued by an outside board. Most faculty would love to lose the adversarial or judgmental role over students' lives. The power issue would vanish. Professors should be permitted to be human, to have biases and make mistakes, but they are also hired for compassion, wisdom and judgment as proven in their fields of research. If they have these qualities, why not use them with students, too? The bottom line is that the universities should follow the spirit of the First Amendment or the nation will lose it. Susan Castle Mauldin '67 Pueblo West, Colorado Future Pulitzer? RE: "WOULD PAUL Graham go pro?" If the Pulitzer wasn't so tainted, I say Darcy Lockman '94 is a front-running candidate. Bingo! G. Edgar Beabout '58 Eng Van Alstyne, Texas Regental Bylaw 14.06 RE: TANGENTIAL response to responses to Regental bylaw 14.06: Whether in agreement or not, I applaud Paul K. Moots's ('89 Den.) honestly ardent castigation of Bylaw 14.06. By quoting Scripture, he leaves no doubt as to the source of his passion, faith and reasoning. I do question, though, the all-too-typical insinuation that this "once Christian nation" was holy in an earlier age, i.e., before tolerance and civil rights became vogue. I am wary of obscuring society's antecedent transgressions with declamations of its current descent into godless socialism. There is little inherently Christian about America or capitalism. Our country's charter, to the best of my knowledge, was composed by a man who expressed profound disdain for the Christian church. And John Locke, from whom many of Jefferson's ideas originated, would be labeled a "secular humanist" today. Love for Jesus resides in neither government documents nor economic policies, but in one's soul. Understand that this "once Christian" nation pursued fiscal growth by sanctioning genocide, rather than conversion or assimilation, while proclaiming manifest destiny to the western sea. It was vicarious brutality that enabled settlers, whose preceding armies had killed-the-way-clear, to claim God's country as private property. Such is the story of much nation-building. One must challenge proclamations of society's greatness, be it yesterday's or today's. For such greatness is often attained through acts un-Christian and inhumane. Paul D. Moon '87 Livonia, Michigan I WOULD not have thought there were any 1889 U-M graduates still around; however, judging from the contents and tone of the letter by Paul K. Moots '89, "Regental Bylaw 14.06" in the June 1994, I was mistaken. Robert Edwards Glassboro, New Jersey Favors Controversy THIS IS my long overdue letter to tell you how much I appreciate receiving Michigan Today. My favorite section: "Letters"--the more controversy the better. Fred Barrett, BBA, '58 MBA Portland, Oregon Dr. Jane Bloom THANK YOU for your wonderful article on Jane Bloom. My wife and I had the pleasure of moving next door to Jane and Bill in 1977. Jane had just returned from the University of Rochester (Strong Memorial Hospital), and I was a second-year medical student. Jane had boundless energy and would "relax" after a busy day at her office by mowing the lawn, and the neighbor's lawn on her other side. Whew! What a dynamic woman, and an inspiration to all those who think it is too late in life to change careers. Tor Shwayder'80 MD Farmington Hills, Michigan I HAVE just read the story of Jane Bloom's becoming a doctor. I thought you might be interested in the story of my wife, who became a doctor after having eight children (I believe to find out where the babies were coming from). Thankks to the education I received at Michigan, I was able to support five children and a wife at school in the same time. Richard F. Gretsch President of Engineering Class of 1930 Newton, Connecticut Editor's Note: Alumnus Gretsch included newspaper clippings describing the career of his wife, the late Jean Gretsch. A lack of funds forced her to drop out of college in Louisville, Kentucky. After a stint as a WAC officer during WWII, she married Gretsch, raised eight children and, at the age of 47, completed three years of commuting to Columbia University for her premedical education. At 54, after years of commuting home every weekend, she received her MD from the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1973. Calling All Hacking Alumni I am an "Old Alum"--LS&A, '54 (my wife Flint, '58; she being, incidentally, from the first grad class from Flint)--now living in northern Minnesota and attending a local university here as a "senior citizen" special grad student. The local university that I attend has just instigated an Internet Listserv for all alumni, which incidentally is effected by a professor here, also a U of M grad. We (he and 1) both are interested in determining if there might be a "listserv" or something similar that would cover U of M grads. I've lost touch with many, as has he, and we would like to renew old acquaintances. It has been interesting to see the responses to the Listserv (correct spelling, by the way) here for our local U (Bemidji State), coming from all over the country. Does U of M have a similar program'? If so, let us know details. If not, might be something to start. Go Blue and let's have a great season! A sidepoint: I have written to the University several times offering the band director's formations for the October 6, '28 (yes, correct--'28) game. (My wife's father was band drum major for several years during that era.) Never a response. A bit disappointing, and not good PR. Even have a Little Brown jug, ceramic type, from those years. Such deja vu! Nobody seems interested. Gurnee Bridgman '54 Bemidji, Minnesota Internet: Gurnee@Vaxl.Bemidji.MSUS.EDU Ham Radio: W9NT@KOLAL#NCMN.MN.USA. IN READING the June issue I noticed an article referring to "the seventh annual Jack L. Walker Memorial Conference." Would you identify the Jack Walker for me? I had a close friend in college with that name who graduated in 1938 and was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Could you tell me if he might be the one who sponsored this conference? John R. Park, LS&A '37 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Editor's Note: Your classmate was not the Jack Walker referred to. The conference honors the scholarship and memory of the late Jack L. Walker, professor of political science and former chair of that department, who died in an automobile accident in 1990 while on sabbatical in California. Dalai Lama and Abortion I AM writing in response to your article "Dalai Lama delivers Wallenberg Lecture" in the June issue. In the paragraph on the universality of human rights he said, "All beings that experience pain and pleasure have equal rights to seek happiness and overcome suffering. ... When certain cultural practices and traditions conflict with universal like human rights, it is the culture that needs to modify, not the ideals of universal human rights." There exists sufficient evidence that many of the babies aborted every year in this country do indeed suffer pain in the procedures used to end their lives. For starters, the approximately 35,000 victims of third-trimester abortions that occur annually fall into this category. In light of this, it follows from the Dalai Lama's statements that our culture's practice of allowing these unborn babies to be killed at such a late stage of their mothers' pregnancies (when they are developed to the point of being able to feel pain when their lives are ended) is one that needs to be stopped if we wish to claim, with integrity, that we uphold the idea of the universality of human rights. David Hooten '83 Perrysburg, Ohio Michigan Today attempts to publish all letters received. Letters may be edited for reasons of length, clarity, accuracy and taste.--Ed. This Issue's Index | This Issue's Front Page
. . . October 1994
Michigan Today