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SOME OF THE CRITICISM OF CORNELL'S
administrative actions concerning
minorities [as expressed in Correspondence,
July/August 2006] can be refuted by
my observations. These observations were
made during my undergraduate years
(1939–41) and graduate study (1969–71),
and when I held positions as assistant
dean and visiting fellow/courtesy lecturer
(1971–2001).
Refutation is not offered in the sense
of right and wrong.Walter Grimes '36 is
not wrong in condemning racial prejudice;
Joseph Deignan '61,MD '63, is right
on target in lauding Thomas Sowell and
Shelby Steele for their wisdom; and Juan
Morales '78 has the evidence to castigate
admissions policies that seem to discriminate
against minority students. I refute
the charges of these good-hearted alumni
on the basis of incomplete and simplistic
interpretations of available facts.
Grimes states that Cornell has "failed
miserably" in achieving the goal of nondiscrimination--
but my experiences offer
a different picture. In the Sixties, COSEP
was founded expressly to recruit more
promising minority students and then to
assist them in coping with the rigors of
university standards. An assistant dean of
Arts and Sciences was appointed to aid
these students. It may be argued that these
efforts were failures, but this contention is
easily disproved by comparing the number
of minority students on campus now with the number in 1939. Cornell has
tried mightily to overcome the systemic
and cultural results of bias in the general
population; it has succeeded so far,
but only partly. This cannot accurately
be dubbed miserable failure.
Ujamaa was built in response to the
demands of minority students.
Grimes's desire for "housing without
regard to race or religion" was not
acceptable. In my discussions with Ujamaa
residents, I found absolutely no
evidence that they considered it to be
an enforced ghetto. On the contrary,
they reported feeling the comfort and
support of students with similar backgrounds
and ambitions.
Deignan says that the "Cornell
administration, faculty, and alumni
need to . . . stop demeaning people of
color." I can say unequivocally that I
never found one person in the administration
or faculty with this attitude.
Among students, I did see prejudice, but I
also witnessed the acceptance of a black
student by the Cornell Savoyards. More
than mere acceptance, he was a valued
friend to its members, both student and
faculty. Color simply did not matter.
The letter from David Burak '67,MFA
'80, might have been the most telling of
all. In the Sixties, David was a firebrand
activist--but his letter demonstrates how
time has brought practical wisdom to the
youngster who once believed that violent action could eradicate injustice.
He now
suggests "an intensification of efforts to
provide more integrative programs." In
other words, the simplistic knock-'emdown
approach of idealistic youth has
given way to the realization that progress
in the eradication of racial and religious
bias is a slow and tedious process, subject
to some failure and some success, but that
the efforts must continue in spite of failures
and the complications of the human
condition.
It seems to me that Cornell is right on
track, and that its critics need more historical information, provided
in far
greater detail than letters or news articles
can convey.
Bernard Goodman '41
Ithaca, New York
Kudos
I HAVE JUST COMPLETED READING
the May/June 2006 issue and found it to
be one of the most interesting ever. Every
article was timely, to the point, and worth
the time to read--nay, even more than
worth the time. I've enjoyed the magazine
for well nigh sixty-three years and hope to
continue enjoying it for as long as I am on
this earth. Keep up the great work!
Larry Lowenstein '43
New York, New York
Author's Request
I AM RESEARCHING A WORLD WAR II
story that will be published by Smithsonian
Books. I am trying to gather as much
information as I can about Greil Gerstley
'41, who went down with his destroyer in
the South Pacific in December 1944. I
would appreciate hearing from any Cornellians
who knew him. Please call me at
(707) 695-5605 or write to bhend333@
aol.com/P.O. Box 1365, Menlo Park, CA
94026.
Bruce Henderson
Menlo Park, California |
