Newspaper Page Text
Volume XLyHI V,
CL l a'
Mnttx
Cluster
MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA, FEBRUARY 3, 1967
Number 8
DR. RUFUS CARROLLTON HARRIS
VIETNAM ASS'T.
SPEAKS AT MERCER
Frederick W. Flott, former special assistant to Ambassador
denry Cabot Lodge in Vietnam and career Foreign Service
Officer, spoke at Mercer University on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
de discussed Vietnam with interested students and faculty in
he Connell Student Center.
Mr. Flott is one of three State cerning the Unite*! States in South
Department officers who were in
iree and one-half years in Saigon,
irst as special assistant to Ambaa-
lor Lodge and then as a First
:retary in the U. 8. Embassy in
^gon. Since he speaks fluent
‘ranch. Mr. Flott occasionally was
illed upon to serve as interpreter
r American officials visiting in
lutheast Asia, including Vice
'resident Humphrey. Secretary of
Itate Rusk, and Secretary of De
nse McNamara. He is also fluent
Russian. German, Spanish, Port-
iguese and Italian. Mr. Flott has
•pled extensively in the Soviet
nion and in Latin America, and
is just completed a trip to some
I Asian, African and European
untries in connection with the
S presence in Vietnam.
He is a native of Cliicago and
u graduated from Carleton ed
ge in Northfield, Minn. He served
fee years in the U. S. Army dur-
World War II, after which he
“ived the M.A. degree from the
thool of Advanced International
tudies in Washington. D. C. He
itered the U. S. Foreign Service
1947 and was assigned to the
tnerican Embassy in Paris,
ranee, where he served until 1962.
ber a Department of State assign
*nt in Washington. D. C., he
Tved at embassies in Iran, Ger-
*ny. and at the U. S. Mission to
* European Office of the United
•hone in Geneva. Switzerland,
^kile at Geneva, he waa a member
' the U. S. delegation to the Inter
•tional Conference on Laos.
Mr. Flott gave a brief talk con-
Viet Nam. He briefly outlined
jrpai U1ICIIV vraivviB " — * '
Hacon on Jan. 25 speaking before American policy ami then went into
xHicational and civic groups The a question and answer period. To
risit was sponsored by the Macon the question — We entered the war
Council on World Affairs at the request of which govern
Mr. Flott recently returned to ment? - Mr Flott said it was the
United State, after serving for government in power a the time
and that the government there has
changed course just as do person
all ties. He also mentioned that
eighty per cent of the U. N. voted
support in the last referendum.
Unfortunately. Mr Flott was
limited hy time and could not or
would not answer the question
fully. There seems to be a reluct
ance by the State Department to
state the United States' true ob
jectives. partly because the govern
ment itself does not know what the
objectives are The government that
initially requested our aid (Diem
regime) has now fallen by a coup.
The course of the government has
indeeel changed Premier Ky is now
in control because he controlled
the South Viet Nam Air Force dur
ing the last coup. Mr. Flott men
tioned that of course the present
government is legal: But who pro
nounced it so? He mentioned that
in the elections of South Viet Nam
last year about seventy per cent of
the registered voters voted. This
figure seems impressive until one
remembers that Premier Ky s in
structions were that the only people
in the future to receive ration cards
would be those who had iiostcd a
ballot Why could Mr. Flott not
say that the United States is in
South Viet Nam to prove that it is
no “Paper Tiger", to protest iU
SEATO promises, to encourage its
ally Australia who is rich in na
tural resources, to stop Red China's
ideology as * proof to emerging
African nations, to produce an
American dominated Southeast-
(Continued on page 5)
Trustees Pay Tribute
To Mercer President
The Board of Trustees of Mercer
University Thursday (Jan. 26) paid
tribute to Dr. Rufus Carrollton
Harris, president of Mercer, at a
luncheon following the regular
January meeting of the Board.
Federal Court Judge W. A
Bottle of Macon, a Mercer trustee,
read a resolution at the lunche-on
commending Dr. Hams for his
“distinguished leadership in univer
sity education in the nation, and
especially to Mercer University
where his leadership continues un
abated and undimmisheel, fuller
and richer through accumulated
experience-s."
Dr. Hum* president of Mercer
since 1960, was pre-son ted with a
copy of the resolution signed hy
all members of the trustc-es present
Prior to being named president of
Merest he was professor and dean
of the law schools at Mercer and
Tulane University and was presi
dent of Tulane for 23 years.
Responding to the tribute, Dr.
Harris said: "The distinction of a
university doe-s not alone- re-side in
its past, however bright its (Mist
may have been. It exists as much
in the ability of the university to
renew its strength, to re-vitalize its
basic purpose, and to comprehend
the eternal change taking place in
the world so that it may effectively
and dutifully assume the new
obligations and involvements which
change requires. A university must
be relevant to the generation which
Rich Opens
Pianoforte
Concerts
Miss Ruth Anne Rich, con
cert pianist and artist in resi
dence at Mercer University,
presented the first in a series
of five historical concerts Sun
day afternoon at Mercer Uni
versity.
The series. Literature for the-
Pianoforte, comprises a survey on
the development of piano literature
from the period of the clavier to
contemporary times. They will be
held on alternate Sunday after
noons at 3:30 pm in Willingham
Chapel on the Mercer campus, and
the public is invited.
The first concert included works
hy composers of the Baroque Era
— Johann Sebastian Bach. Jean-
Philippe Rameau, Franenus. George
Fridenc Handel and others
Miss Rich returne-d to Macon
after two years' resideneo in Eu
rope. where she studies! in Paris.
France, and London. England. Sho
gave concerts in Paris, Geneva.
Lisbon and other European cities
She is a native of Mac-on ami the
daughter of Dr and Mrs Arthur
L. Rich. She studie-d with Edward
Kilenyi at Florida State University
and was graeluated with honors
with the degree of Bachelor of
Music. She was the first student
at Florida State to be awarded the
Ernat von Dohnanyi Citation for
outstanding achievement, and the
first student of its School of Music
to graduate under its Honors Pro
gram. She received the degree of
Master of Music from Peabody
Conservatory of Music, where she
studied under Leon Fleisher.
(Continued on page 4)
it serve-s. It must be hone-st, flexi
ble and courage-ous enough to en
gender new human responses to the
new human needs. Mercer's past
has b*-en noble and her pre-sent day
life is gooel. It is her future that
constitutes the real concern of
everyone here”
At the truste-e session, T. Bald
win Martin, a prominent Macon
attorney was name-d chairman of
the ex***otive committee of the
Board, succeeding Dr J. Maurice
Trimmer, pastor of the Highland
Hills Baptist Church of Macon.
The trustees also approveef * 1
changes in the University’s summer
school program and gave approval
to a program to strengthen the
University’s relationship with the
Baptists throughout the state.
Mr. Martin, a Mercer alumnus
who last June was recipient of an
honorary degree from his alma
mater, this year be>gan a new five-
year term on the Board. He was
first name-el a trustee in 1946 and
has previously served as chairman
of the executive committee, the last
time in 1965
The truste-es approved other com
mittee chairmen, including Dr. Joe
S. Holliday. Milledgeville, e-duca-
tion; Jack W Worley, Bremen,
deve-lopme-nt of the University:
Guyton G. Abney, Macon, finance;
Hugh H Hill, Macon, buildings
and grounds; Bert Struhy. Mae-on.
honorary de-gre-es; and Carlton
Henderson. Atlanta, Pharmacy
School advisory committee-.
The trustee-s gave approval to
shorten the annual summer se-ssion
and offer a nine-we-ek term which
and continue through August 11.
will he-gin this ve-ar on June 12
Dr. Harris said that a major
reason for the change is to offer a
shorter se-ssion which can be attend-
t-d by public schexil teachers who
must complete their studies in time
to return to their regular teaching
jobs.
Dr. Harris told the trustees that
he has be-en de-eply concerned be-
c-ause so few people share cone-ern
over the main problems which face
Mercer.
"Universities fre-quently find it
difficult to be understoexl and ap
proved by their many publics,’’ he
said, pointing out that a program
already is in progress to improve
Mercer's relationship with the
"grass roots Baptists” of the state
"While it is true that Mercer is
a university dedicated to the cor
relation of learning with the Chri-
tain faith to provide leadership ye'
it must be realized that this en
deavor should be undertaken with •
the context of the overall meaning
and idea of a college." he said.
Dr Harris went 6n to say that
while better understanding is sought
between the University and it !
public “it must be remembere '
that an institution of higher learn
ing has a distinct, clearly perceived
obligation and role - coneopt by
which it must live, however un
fortunate and meager its rapport
may bo with any segment o'
pe-ople.”
“Unfriendly segments ma- no
gleet the University, abandon it, or
even de-stroy it," he adde-d. “But
if permitted to exist, it must live
and function in aercord with the
practices imposed on educational
institutions by the great education
al tradition of the Western world.”
Dr. Harris pointed out that
“ideas, goals and values in the aca
demic community are fre-quently in
advance of those of the so called
grass roots' segment and the ex
ploding world of knowle-dge and
technology widens the gap."
He said that finance is the most
severe- problem facing Mercer, and
pointed out that financing of the
science building which currently is
under Construction is only a small
part of the total problem.
The Mercer president went on to
say that "education today is differ
ent than it was ten years ago and
that denominational colleges are
just not adequate."
(Continued on page 4)
Diana Heppner Is New
Battalion Sponsor
Diana Heppner. a junior from
Orlando, Florida, is the new bat
talion sponsor of the Mercer Uni
versity ROTC Unit.
The title was conferred at the
battalion's annual military ball last
Friday at the Warner Robins Of
ficers Club by Miss LaRose Ho
well, immediate past Battalion
sponsor.
Miss Heppner. secretary of Al
pha Delta Pi sorority, was chosen
by a secret liallot election held
among members of the Mercer unit.
Her pre-sentation climaxed the 1967
awards program during the inter
mission, which consiste-d of the pre
sentation of the Senior class and
their dates, the- sponsor's court, and
new pledges of Scabbard and Blade.
Cadet Capt. James Melvin Cay re.
commander of Commander of Com -
pany H, 9th regiment of Scabbard
and Blade National Military Honor
Society, tapped fifteen ple-dge-s in
to the organization. These honor
ed fifteen are Mike Carlton. Dicky
Childs, Tom Coley. Don Hawkins.
David Hudson, Jerry Maseda. Jer
ry Moore, Tom Ulbricht, Bill We-
hunt, Leo Deis. Larry Carden, Les
lie Wilkinson, Arden Kelly, Steve
Sherwood. and Bobby Sikes.
The military ball Friday also fea
tured the pre-sentation of the Bat
talion Sponsor's Court. The court
this ye-ar consists of Jean Harri
son. Debbie Dick, Sandy Carroll,
and (Jiasy Fsmell.
The hall, attended by approxi
mately 350 persons, was provided
entertainment by the nineteen-
piece Continental Air Command
Band