Commuting Professor

At California State College, 65 miles south of Pittsburgh, the sociology professor was one of the most valued and popular members of the faculty, despite his missing an occasional morning class. At Bronx Community College in New York City, students were particularly fond of their social-science teacher, although he was sometimes late for his classes. At the State University of New York at New Paltz, some 70 miles north of The Bronx, a new sociology professor earned the reputation of being a diligent and effective, if sometimes tardy, teacher. Last week, when the New Paltz sociology professor resigned from his job, it was revealed that the three educators have even more in common than popularity and tardiness. They are the same man: Edward Brown, 41.

Brown's accomplishments rival the exploits of Alec Guinness in the movie The Captain's Paradise.* The professor managed to hold his three teaching jobs --on campuses hundreds of miles apart --without the knowledge of any of the college administrators. Last fall, in order to conduct morning classes in Pennsylvania, afternoon classes in The Bronx, and evening (and some morning) classes in upstate New York, the energetic Brown had to commute more than 400 miles several times each week, presumably using autos, buses and the airlines.

Instead of winning approbation for his enterprise when his triple role was discovered last December, Brown began losing jobs. Confronted by officials at Bronx Community College, which does not permit its faculty members to have excessive outside employment, he agreed to resign; but after students demonstrated in his behalf, he was permitted to complete the fall semester. At New Paltz, where Brown's $16,000-a-year contract still has a year to go, the administration felt that it had been deceived; Brown had denied having any outside employment when he took the job last September. Officials were hinting that they would press charges when Brown resigned last week. That left the peripatetic professor still employed at California State, but there were problems there also. Explained Regis Serinko, assistant to California State's president: "We just couldn't tolerate this situation where he could not possibly be in two places at the same time."

Brown refuses to talk about his triple academic life. But his feelings are clear about rules that will force him to confine his teaching to one campus. "What if a Picasso wanted to teach at Bronx Community College, New Paltz and State College?" he asks indignantly. "Do you think he would be denied?"

* About a ferryboat captain who--unknown to either of his wives--maintained a home and a family on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.

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