Referee for Dogfight

For the title of bravest man in U. S. Education, Dr. Frederick Maurice Hunter of Denver was last week a prime contender. He had just consented to become Oregon's Chancellor of Higher Education, beginning Sept. 1.

For six years higher education in Oregon has resembled a dogfight. In 1929 Oregon statesmen decided to end the long, bitter rivalry between University of Oregon at Eugene and Oregon State Agricultural College at Corvallis by lumping them with the State's three normal schools in one big happy family. Their curious method of furthering this pacification was to appoint William Jasper Kerr, longtime President of Oregon State, to be Chancellor of the new setup.

University of Oregon set up an outraged howl, one president of the Board of Higher Education was ousted and another resigned, citizens petitioned and balloted, "Dads'" and "Mothers' " clubs passed resolutions, politicians maneuvered, the Press raged and Chancellor Kerr resigned but did not depart. Finally a scathing report by an American Association of University Professors committee last month (TIME, June 10) made it necessary to do something. But by that time it looked as if no sensible U. S. educator could be persuaded to risk his shins, even for $10,000 per year.

Partly because he looked so strong and cheerful, Oregon picked and finally persuaded Denver's Frederick Hunter. He had been toughened to politics by public school administration in Nebraska and California. In seven years as Chancellor he had done a good, progressive job of building University of Denver up from a "street car college" into a serviceable university. No scholar, prophet or pioneer, he had yet won his colleagues' respect by proving himself an able, diplomatic administrator. Last week he soothingly promised to spend a year looking over the situation in Oregon. "A new chancellor ought not to make, and will not make, any changes in the current policies," said he. "What has been done thus far under the able guidance of Dr. Kerr and the State Board has unusual significance, as the foundation for the program has been soundly laid."

Such caution served only to increase Oregonians' respect for Chancellor Hunter's qualifications. Fervently they hoped that so impartial a referee might quell their dogfight, set the pack once more upon the trail of learning.

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