Glasgow Rag

Following hallowed tradition, the University of Glasgow's 7,000 students piled out last week for one of the biggest rags of their undergraduate lives. Boys & girls donned dungarees, pulled on their shabbiest shirts and football jerseys. Then they crowded into the quadrangle, shouted and shoved, tossed fishheads about, along with such oddments as catsup, rotten fruit and bags of soot. They roared irreverent chants about their retiring rector: "Walter Elliot* has a big, beery nose . . ."

For Glasgow, it was the week to elect a new rector--a distinguished man from public life whose job it will be for the next three years to represent students on the university court (Glasgow's administrative head is known as the principal). Following a tradition dating from 1858, the students did the nominating, voting and, mixing national and university politics freely, most of the campaigning, too. Some of the candidates' names bore their political tags: Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, Conservative; onetime Ambassador to the U.S. Lord Inverchapel (Clark Kerr), Independent; Actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Independent; Actress Rosamond John, Independent, and Nationalist John MacCormick, the energetic leader of the Scottish Covenant movement, which for eight years has been demanding a Home Rule Scottish Parliament for domestic affairs.

"I Am Delighted." Nationalist feeling was running high in favor of John MacCormick. But in the first stages of the campaign, when Douglas Fairbanks magnanimously withdrew in favor of Lord Inverchapel ("I substantially share his views . . ."), it seemed as if his lordship might run away with the votes.

His backers put up by far the stiffest fight. The Inverchapel Committee published a pamphlet (the Inverchapel Blast) filled with blurbs from such notables as Journalist Barbara (the Economist) Ward, the King's physician, U.S. General George C. Marshall ("Inverchapel is a leader among peace-loving people . . .") and General Dwight D. Eisenhower ("I am delighted ... Lord Inverchapel. . . friendly relations . . ."). From London came Author Harold Nicolson to speak for him (candidates themselves never appear). Deadpan and in piping voice, Nicolson began: "Lord Inverchapel is extraordinarily unconventional . . ." Students burst into shouts of "at his age" and "whooooo."

Scotches-Scot. On the big day the students ranged themselves according to their home districts, filed into the student union to cast their ballots. After a half-hour's voting, the booths were closed to allow time for more shoving and throwing of fishheads. After 90 minutes of such relaxation, voting began again. At length, from the balcony above the main gate of University Building, Glasgow's Principal Sir Hector Hetherington read out the results. The race had been close, but the Scotchest Scot of them all had won. Glasgow's new Rector was John MacDonald MacCormick, leader of the Covenant. "Second: Lord Inverchapel.

"Without Marshall and Eisenhower," said one Glaswegian, "Inverchapel might have done it--we Scots are awfu' funny when it comes tae interference in our affairs, even when it's friendly."

* Tory M.P., onetime Minister of Health in Neville Chamberlain's cabinet.

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