Acquittal at Boulder

Ever since he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee last December, Dr. David Hawkins knew that his job at Colorado University was hanging in the balance. Though he insisted that he was not a Communist when_ he was cleared to work on a historical project at Los Alamos in 1943, Hawkins admitted he had been a party member from 1938 until the spring of 1943-He also refused to give the names of fellow members who he believed had also dropped their Communist connections. Back in Denver, some of the state legislators were far from satisfied. Why, they demanded, was an ex-party member teaching at Boulder?

To answer the question, the Board of Regents called for a "comprehensive" investigation, ordered a list of seven charges against Hawkins submitted to the faculty's Committee on Privilege and Tenure. Last month the committee reported to the regents. It found that 1) Hawkins had honestly quit the party; 2) was under no obligation to disclose his former membership when he came to C.U.; and 3) should not be fired for deciding, when confronted with the "moral choice" of turning informer, to follow his own conscience. The other charges, the committee decided, were either unproven or insufficient to warrant dismissal. Last week, after an open hearing, the regents voted 4 to 1 in favor of accepting the committee's recommendations.

Throughout all the uproar, Philosopher Hawkins had remained just about the calmest man on the campus. To his friends, who object less to his Red past than to his stubborn use of domestic vermouth in Martinis, he had only one comment on his vindication: "Now, perhaps, we can all get back to work."

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