Daily Hansan
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
Thursday, Feb. 15, 1962
59th Year, No. 83
CRC to Work Against Clauses
The Civil Rights Council decided last night to work "toward eliminating discriminatory clauses in fraternity and sorority constitutions."
But in a two-hour discussion among the 15 persons specific steps by which to accomplish this goal could not be agreed upon. Several views were voiced. They were:
Greek nouses should be forced by the University, with the threat of discontinued recognition, to do away with the clauses in the national constitutions in a certain specified length of time.
- The Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) should regulate the fraternities and decide just what policies would be enforced concerning the clauses.
- Fraternity and sorority members should take it upon themselves to pressure their nationals into removing such clauses.
No way of convincing Greek members to do so was decided upon however. It was thought members of the Greek organizations are realizing now how "behind" they are in assuming no minority group member should be allowed to join their group. It was suggested Greek members will place more and more pressure on their national chapters to allow this, but just how long before this type of realization would materialize into definite actions by the different groups was placed at "at least 10 years off."
SEVEN OF THE PEOPLE at the meeting were Greeks. Ronald Cabot, who said he was a member of a large fraternity on the campus but declined to say which one and gave his address as 2322 Ohio (Editor's note: Cabot is not listed in the city telephone directory or with the Registrar's office.) Cabot said, "If I am correct, Chancellor Wescoe's reasons for supporting both integrated dorms and segregated Greek organizations is that because the dorms are tax supported they must be integrated.
"I FEEL IT IS the privilege of the fraternities and sororites to choose the people with whom they wish to live. I'm not for segregation; I'm for integration all the way. But I
believe that fraternities can not be pushed if they are to respond to the trend of integrating their organizations.
"It will not do any good for the University to put pressure on the KU chapters to rid their national chapter constitutions of the discriminatory clauses. The Alpha Tau Omega chapter at Stanford, which was ousted from their national organization for pledging four Jews is evidence that chapters can not pressure their nationals.
"Fraternities were founded in the South and most of the large fraternities are still based in the South, so I don't think you are going to get any place with University pressure on the individual chapters."
CHARLES MENGHINI. Pittsburgh junior and co-chairman of the CRC, said, "Wescoe and Woodruff have both stated that they are not going to tell the students who they must live with. We (the CRC) want students to be able to live with whoever they wish, but as the situation is now some students can not choose. I think the University should check into this and possibly some action should be taken."
George Buford, Kansas City junior and the other co-chairman of the CRC, said there are about 300 Negro students here and each of the Negro Greek organizations on campus holds only about 18 people.
"Therefore," he said, "Negroes do not really have the choice of belonging to a fraternity or sorority. Our stand is that we believe any minority group should have the chance to be accepted. But we aren't trying to force acceptance of someone who is not wanted."
MENGHINI SAID, "KU establishes a set of rules we must live by and the Greek houses help the University in its housing. But it would not demand the entrance of an individual if the administration would say that 'We wish you would get rid of the discriminatory clauses as soon as possible.'
"I don't think the administration should recognize any fraternity or sorority that has a discriminatory
(Continued on page 5)
CONSIDER PLANS—Tu Jarvis, Winfield junior, left, chairman of the KU People-to-People Program, and A. Abdul-Rahim, Damascus, Syria, graduate student, president of the International Club, confer on plans for the coming semester.
Ferguson's Cut of KU-Y Funds Could Be Benefit,Moore Says
The KU-Y may actually be strengthened by the temporary lack of funds according to Thomas Moore, KU-Y executive secretary.
Moore said the gap in funds, left by the cancellation of University subsidies, is a problem that may help the organization clarify and solidify its purposes. He said the funds can be raised only by a united approach, a combined effort of board members, staff, and students.
MEMBERS OF THE KU-Y advisory board and the student cabinet met last night to discuss possible ways to raise funds to keep the KU-Y functioning as an active student organization.
A request was made by members of the board and cabinet that the
budget finance committee proceed with contacting former members, board members, and donors to ask for contributions.
The KU-Y budget for this year is $13,700, with $5,665 coming from University subsidies. The funds are paid in monthly salaries, directly to members of the KU-Y staff. The rest of the budget funds come from contributions, the Rock Chalk Revue, the Henley House endowment fund and from many other projects.
THE KU-Y STAFF is composed of Thomas Moore, executive secretary; Constance Taylor, program secretary; and a part-time office worker.
The KU-Y is included in the 1961-62 University budget. The subsidies will not terminate until the end of this school year.
No One Answer to Greek Clauses
By Arthur C. Miller
(Editor's note: This is the last in a series on racial and religious discrimination in fraternities and sororites. The first article dealt with the extent to which the students discussed the question of administrative authority in regulating membership selection in fraternal groups. The third article presented several methods used to eliminate racial and religious discrimination. In addition, with the question of the possible solution to the problem at KU, A related editorial appears on page 2.)
This conclusion is based on the studies of noted educators across the nation who have examined the issue of fraternity and sorority discrimination. These men also conclude that "the goal of integration is not only desirable but possible" if "the solution comes about in gradual stages."
There is no precise and simple blueprint either for integrated campus social life or for the steps by which it may be achieved.
ACCORDING TO INFORMATION compiled by the Anti-Dafamation League (ADL) on 49 campuses throughout the country, the first step usually is to give the national chapters themselves a chance to change their discriminatory practices.
If this attempt fails, student bodies or college administrators usually establish a non-discrimimi-
nation policy. In a large number of the cases examined, a time limit was set for compliance.
Of the 49 cases studied between 1950 and 1959, 10 fraternities and sororites took action on their own. Six of these chapters were ousted from their nationals. In the other 39 cases, either the student body, with faculty support, or the college administration established regulations calling for non-discrimination in the selection of members.
ANOTHER APPROACH IS to give the fraternity and sorority national organizations time for a period of "education." This approach is based on the expressed sincerity of chapters to work toward the elimination of bias selection without coercion from the college or students.
Through this plan, the fraternal groups are given the opportunity to make internal changes entirely on their own. Has this plan been successful?
Alfred McClung Lee in his book "Fraternities Without Brotherhood." N. C. Belth in his book "Barriers," and reports from the Anti-Defamation League indicate that it has not worked. In most of the colleges where the "education" method was tried, the administration or student bodies eventually
THE REASONS for the failure, Mr. Lee explained, are a lack of real sincerity on the part of some local chapters, the unwillingness of the nationals to change their policies, and alumni interference with attempts to eliminate discriminatory practices.
adopted policy regulations barring discrimination on the basis of race, religion or color.
Concerning this approach, Mr. Lee wrote:
"This procedure would, of course, be desirable — if it showed promise of achievement. However, the past decade has demonstrated an intransigence on the part of the nationals that offers little encouragement. Even when change has been required by college mandate, the lifting of barriers by nationals has often been more delusory than real."
An editorial in the Michigan Daily on Dec. 5, 1961, supported Mr. Lee's conclusion. Gerald Storch wrote:
"TWENTY-TWO fraternities have eliminated bias clauses in the past 12 years, but bias has merely retreated from open declaration to underground practice. Just as it is not logical to say that eliminating clauses eliminates real discrimination, it is no longer feasible to
"All fraternities and sororites shall file with the University a statement which lists all current rules, regulations, policies, written or oral agreements, or any other written or unwritten criteria which in any way affect the selection of members. Accompanying such shall be the groups interpretation of these provisions as to their ability to comply with the University Regulation on Membership. At no time shall the content of this statement or the accompanying interpretation be made public without the permission of the proper local and national authorities of the organizations involved."
dwell in pietitudes about 'education' as the only antidote for removing bias. A recent study by a Rutgers professor demolishes this belief, citing statistics to show that formal education and a university atmosphere do not substantially affect attitudes toward prejudice."
A possible solution, he continued, is being tried at Michigan University. The program was initiated and is being handled by the student government on that campus. The following regulation went into effect Dec. 13, 1961:
THE MICHIGAN plan is an example of cooperation between the
(Continued on page 8)
PTP Will Focus On Improvement Of KU Activities
People-to-People at KU will concentrate its efforts toward improvement of local activities this semester, said Lovell (Tu) Jarvis, Winfield junior, who assumed chairmanship of the organization during the mid-semester break.
Jarvis replaces Bill Dawson who along with Rick Barnes dropped out of school to join a national tour with Olympic athlete Rafer Johnson to promote the University People-to-People organization.
DURING THE mid-semester break the KU organization changed from a national outlet and headquarters for the Big Eight People-to-People organization to a local chapter.
The KU chapter, according to Jarvis, will work on local problems that had to be neglected before because of KU's role as a national clearing house.
Dawson, Barnes, and Johnson will meet with state officials to discuss the role that People-to-People can play in their state. They will also discuss the objectives and plans of the organization with citizens.
- People-to-People will assist foreign students in securing summer employment.
- A weekly forum meeting will be established. These will be concerned with the study of foreign countries. Each week a foreign student will present a program about his country describing its agriculture, industry, society and economy. He may use slides to illustrate.
- THE GENERAL meetings will no longer be roundtable discussions, but programs that feature speakers who will talk on controversial issues and challenge thought along international lines.
A Students Abroad program will be developed which will send American students abroad this summer. The students will serve as good-will ambassadors and work with former KU students in improving international problems.
Weather will be fair in western Kansas with clouds clearing in the eastern area this afternoon Generally fair tonight and Friday. Temperatures will be generally cooler in most sections today and colder tonight, with a warming trend in southwest Kansas toorrow. Low tonight will be in the mid-20s, high tomorrow in the upper 40s.
Jarvis outlined several changes that will be made at KU.
Weather
Across the nation, New England is buried under two feet of fresh snow, while more rain fell on flood-sodden southern California.
- THIS SPRING the brother-sister program will be emphasized. Activities are being planned to further friendship between foreign and American students.
Snow depths ranged from 10 to 24 inches across south and central New England and strong winds piled it into three-foot drifts. Seven deaths were blamed on the New England storm, six of them from weather-caused heart attacks.
'Animal Farm' Repeat
Because several hundred students were unable to attend the Wednesday afternoon showing of "Animal Farm" in 3 Bailey Hall, the film will be shown in Fraser Theater at 4 p.m. on Friday, and again at 4 p.m. on Monday.