Historian Richard H ofstadter (left): "Democracy is essentially procedural;" Philosopher Ernest Nagel (center): "Turning the University over to the faculty and students is silly;" Historian Peter Gay (right): "There are things that can happen to this nation that are tcorse than a local police action."
The Ad Hoc Faculty meeting that Monday night was a sorrowful aftair. Knowing that their negotiation attempts had failed and recognizing now that some of the SDS' leaders actually wanted a police bust to "radicalize" and further advance their cause, but detesting the idea of forceful police ejections, the professors were tragically torn. \IVhat made their meeting particularly excruciating was their Hamletlike inability to face the consequence of their dilemma. Faced with nasty choices, they chose to do nothing. "They're passing the buck back to Kirk," said one teacher. Of course, there were numerous suggestions of various kinds. Professor Jeffrey Kaplow urged, along with the Ad Hoc Steering Committee, that the faculty call Governor Nelson Rockefeller in to negotiate. But someone else quickly reminded the audience of the Governor's strange "negotiation" in the New York City Sanitation strike earlier in the year, when he simply capitulated to the sanitation workers. Professor James Shenton, showing signs of disillusionment with the leftist students, recommended that given the unbending nature of the SDS leaders, the Ad Hoc faculty withdraw their protective lines around all buildings. This notion was opposed because it was thought it
primarily for research, writing, and Van \iVinkle announced to a cheering above all, good teaching." Lastly, he crowd of 1,200 students that he had urged students not to equate com- initiated a half million dollar law suit promise with a "sellout." Nagel: "Com- against the officers of SDS for forcing a promise is crucial to a pluralistic, breach of contract by Columbia by predemocratic society. The cry of 'no com- venting the University from teaching promise' is tantamount to a denial of courses he had paid for. A group called The Committee for the Defense of the democratic way of life." A half dozen other noted scholars, Property Rights, who compared SDS again assembled by Professor de Bary, to the Nazis, announced a press conferspoke. Nearly all of them were sympa- ence at 10:00 a.m. the next morning. thetic with progressive movements, but Nearly 2,000 students, many from the unalterably opposed to what they be- graduate and professional schools, lieved were strong-arm takeovers by were being "conservatized." The mood students unwilling to compromise, appeared to be one of a student vs. stuarmed with inaccurate criticisms and dent showdown. "The Administration vaguely defined goals. It was a power- can't act, and the faculty won't act," said one angry student in graduate hisful performance. While the professors were talking to tory. "Wait till night comes later." students in Wollman Auditorium, SDS leaders decided to attack the Majority Last-hom negotiation was attempted by the Administration after faculty efforts had Coalition and faculty lines around Low failed. Noted labor mediator Theodore Kheel (with braces), Mayor Lindsay's aides Librarv once more, at 4:00. Feeling the Jay Kriegel (with glasses) and Barry Gottehrer, along with Dr. Kenneth Clark (in the sting of mounting criticism of their lack left rear with pope-smoking P1'Ofessor Robe1t Merton), sought a peaceful solution. of concern for higher education and Columbia, the Strike chiefs coupled their attack with an announcement that the Strikers would hold "hearings" on "university re-structuring" in \i\Tollman at 7:30 p.m. that night. The SDS rush was even more violent and verbally abusive than that of the day before. "vVe want the real cops," one SDS student screamed twice. Fruit and a few eggs were pitched at Low's windows with full knowledge that most would land on professors' and instructms' heads, as they did. Rebel runners crashed into conservative students and Columbia teachers. Again, students in Low cursed and spat upon faculty members below. Rut the lines held firm. By 5:00 dozens of placards appeared saying "SDS = SS" and "SDS = Fascism of the Left." A student in the Graduate School of Business named