A decorated journalist and current University of Maryland journalism Prof. Eugene Roberts is scheduled to speak in the Rackham Amphitheater about college freedoms at 4 p.m. today.
The former editor of both the New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer was chosen to give this year's "Academic Freedom Lecture." The annual lecture honors three University professors who were suspended during the McCarthy era for alleged involvement with the Communist party
The lecture unintentionally follows the March 12 death of former University Prof. Mark Nickerson, one of two professors fired for his political affiliations.
Roberts said said his lecture will mainly focus on the freedom of speech on college campuses where, "by some counts 100 campuses have had publications seized."
He pointed to his own university, which has in the past had several thousand copies of the campus newspaper seized by students who didn't agree with what was published in it.
"In the last 10 years, there have been enough abuses of freedom on college campuses to warrant very grave concern," Roberts said.
The lecture series honors former University professors Nickerson, Chandler Davis and Clement Markert who were subpoenaed to be questioned about their political associations in 1954 amidst the Red Scare.
After a hearing in front of congressional community, Markert was reinstated, but the other two professors were dismissed.
03-16-98
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