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Volume XLIX Ittprttr Cluster MERCER UNIVERSITY, MACON, GEORGIA, MAY 24, 1968 Number 21 Honorary Degrees To Be Awarded During Commencement Exercises Mercer University will award tur honorary degrees at com- •encement exercises Sunday, June at 6 p.m. on the campus quad-, ingle. Doctor of Laws degrees will be inferred upon Dr. Charles Fran el, professor of philosophy at Co nnbia University and presently on ive at the Aspen (Col). Institute 1 Humanistic Studies, and Mrs. lugene William Stetson of New fork City. Doctor of Divinity degrees will e conferred upon Dr. Robert Jack in Robinson, pastor of the First laptist Church, Augusta, and the leverend Mr. William Rorrest La ier, pastor of the First Baptist hurch, Savannah Dr. Rufus Carrollton Harris, resident of the university who to- sy when making the announce- nt concerning the degrees, said . Frankel will deliver the com- se? cement address to 323 gradua- ing seniors. Dr. Robinson will reach the university baccalaureate irmon at 10:30 am the same day the Mercer chapel, and the Rave, md Mr. Lanier will preach the lissionary sermon that evening for be closing exercises of the univer ity's denominational (Baptist) Ex- rnsion program. Dr. Frankel is a distinguished ducator and author who is being onored for his service in the fields I American and international edu- ition and cultural affairs He has served on the faculty of Columbia University since 1939, ad aa professor of philosophy since 166. He was host of the CBS tele- ision program "The World of i” in 1969 and from 1960 to 166 was chief consulting editor for Current” magazine. He is on leave its year for advanced study at the •pen Institute. Co-chairman of the National As- mbly for Teaching Principles of * Bill of Rights since 1962, Dr. rank el is also on the Board of trectoni of the New York State hril liberties Union. He is a for- ar Assistant Secretary of State in targe of International Education id Cultural Affairs. Dr. Frankel was a Guggenheim bllow and FVilbright research pre ssor at the University of Paris 1963-64. He is author of “The nth of Reason” (1948). “The Case for Modern Man" (1966), “The Democratic Prospect” (1962), “The Neglected Aspect of Foreign Affairs and Other Essays” (1966) and other books. He is in Paris until May 20th as a member of a UNES CO symposium. Mrs. Stetson will receive the Doc tor of Laws degree in recognition of her support and interest in Chris tian education. The construction of the Eugene W. Stetson Memorial Library at Mercer was made possi ble by a gift of more than $1 mil lion from Mrs. Stetson and child ren of the late Mr. Stetson, a Mer- cerian and financier. She is a member of the Metro politan Opera Council, the Wo men's Advisory Committee of the New York Botanical Gardens, the Colony Club of New York City, and 4 a Fellow for Life of the Metro politan Museum of Art A native of Macon, Mrs. Stetson has served several terms on the board of the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of New York. In 1966 she was invested by the Queen of England an Asso ciate Officer (Sister) in the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jeru salem. The investiture took place in the Cathedral of St John the Divine in London. Dr. Robinson is being recognized for his accomplishments as a minis ter and as pastor of historic First Baptist Church in Augusta where the Southern Baptist Convention was organized in 1846. An originator of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Dr. Robinson was an All-American basketball player (1946-48) while at Baylor University, and was a member of the 1948 U. S. Olympic basketball team. Dr. Robinson has addressed the Baptist World Alliance in Cleve land and the Baptist World Alli ance Youth Congress in Rio de Janerio. He has preached in more than 1,000 churches in the United States in the past 20 years. A for mer chairman of the Southern Bap tist Convention's Radio-Television Committee, he presently serves on the Executive Committee of the SBC and the Georgia Baptist Con vention. The Reverend Mr. Lanier has had a successful pastorate at the First Baptist Church of Savannah since 1962. Prior to that time, he was pastor of the First Baptist Church at Rome which during his tenure erected a $1 million sanc tuary and increased the budget from $27,000 to $188,000 A 1947 graduate of Mercer, the Reverend Mr. Lanier was presi dent of the Student Government and of Blue Key national honorary fraternity during his undergraduate days. He graduated from Southern Baptist Seminary in 1950. and ac cepted a call to the Rome church at that time. In 1960 the Reverend Mr. Lanier resigned the Rome pastorate for two years of graduate study at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Edinburgh. A former trustee of Shorter College, he has served two terms on the Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention and has been a mem ber of its Administration Commit tee. Dr. Harris President Harris Addresses Alumni, Speaks About the University Crisis Mercer must have adequate financing, “It should not be permitted to die. It should have the blood for life and strength to go ahead.” These words were sounded by Mercer University President Dr. Rufus Harris at the annual Alumni meeting. Gathering in Willingham Chapel the alumni listened to Dr. Harris express his feelings concerning the present crisis of the university. He said, “I don’t see how we can af ford to sit by and see this great institution dwindle away.” He called for a doubling of the pre sent $150,000 given Mercer for op erating purposes annually by the Georgia Baptist Convention. Student tuition has been in creased to the limit. Dr. Harris said, and other methods of finan cing must be found. The Georgia Baptist Convention will not ap prove of the university’s accept ing federal aid in the form of loans or grants. Many wealthy people and foundations will not give to Mercer unless the university takes advantage of federal monies that are available, Dr. Harris contin ued The meeting went on with James Gilbert of Brunswick reporting that $106,547 was given to Mercer from 1,215 alumni during the year. He stated this represents a 22 per cent in the number of alumni giv ing. Presented Awards of Merit in recognition of service to the Alum ni Association were William Har grove Jr. of Milledgeville, Jeff D. Pace of Atlanta, Thomas M. Mor gan of Columbus and John F. Schindler of Marietta. Miss Lois McKethan, alumni di rector who presented the awards. said that Morgan, a member of the class of 1917, was the first person in the 137-year history of the uni versity to receive the award twice. Elected officers of the associa tion for the coming year were Gil bert of Brunswick, president; Len- nie Davis of Columbus, president elect: Jarties B. Heirs of Atlanta, vice president; Miss Frances Floyd of Macon, secretary; and J. Fred Carson of Macon, treasurer. Lawrence E. Willet of Atlanta was recognized in a citation from Who’s Who in America for educa tional philanthropy in the form of "substantial gifts to Mercer Uni versity". The citation read in part, “125 years of family connections and interest in the history of a particu lar college is represented in the gift of $400,000 by Mr. Lawrence E. Willett of Atlanta to Mercer University.” Mr. Willett is the great-grandson of Billington M. Sanders, first president of Mercer Institute. Mrs. Joseph M. Popper Jr. of Macon, acting president of the Alumni Association, presided over the annual meeting. Members of the faculty who are retiring at (he end of the year were recognized. Miss Corinne Byrd was honored for 23 years of teaching in the Modern Foreign Language Department. Members of Kappa Alpha fraternity, which she has sponsored sang their sweetheart song to her Miss Lousie Brown was recog nized for 22 years service as dean of women, registrar and teacher of psychology. Honored for length of service, but not on the occasion of retire ment, was Miss Frances Floyd who has been associated with the Alum ni Association 25 years. Two Appointments Made For Speech and Drama Two appointments to the Speech and Drama Department, a traditionally strong area of instruction at Mercer University, were announced today. President Rufus Carrollton Har ris has appointed Mrs. (Terre Gwin Price of Gadsden, Alabama, in structor in speech and director of the debate program. Luther Ed mond Williams of Columbus was appointed instructor in speech and drama. He was named director of the theatre. Mrs. Price has had several years experience teaching speech, debate Choice ’68 Nixon Takes Top Spot On Campus Mercer University students bel ting in the national poll. Choice 6, showed a choice for Richard M. bon as president and for a reduc- •n of military action in Viet Nam. A total of 647 students, repreaent- 4 29 percent of the enrollment in 4 College of Liberal Arts, voted the collegiate presidential pri- Ury sponsored by Time Magazine Id UNIVAC Division of Sperry fed. Ninon received 198 votes aa first bice for prealrtwt Senator Rob- F. Kennedy polled 92 first bice votes and Senator Eugene kGarthy 71. Former Governor George Wallace received 41 first-choice votes. Gov ernor Nelson Rockefeller 39 and President Lyndon B. Johnson 36. In file nation as a whole one mil lion students in more than 1200 campuaee expressed a preference for McCarthy with 285,968 first- place votes. Kennedy was second with 213332 and Nixon third with 197,167 first-place tallies. At Mercer the second-place choice for president went to Mc Carthy with 92 votes. Governor Ronald Reagan was second with 82. Nixon polled 76 and Rockefeller 74. Rockefeller was highest for third choice with 89 vote#. On the question of VM Nam military action, 41.7 percent of the students voting at Mercer believed there should be a reduction. Thirty percent were for an all-out effort, 11 percent were for withdrawal of forces and 10 percent for an in crease in military action. The nationwide vote on this issue was 18 percent for immediate with drawal and 46 percent for reduc tion of the milittary effort Mercer students voting were 34 percent in favor of intensifying the bombing of North Viet Nam. A total of 26 percent were for suspen sion of bombing, 16 percent for maintaining the present amount and only 14 percent for Basse ti an On other campuses, 29 percent chose cessation, 29 percent tempo rary suspension, 26 percent inten sification and 12 percent limitted bombing. To settle the urban crisis 39 per cent of Mercer students thought education should receive the high est priority in government spend ing while 34 percent chose job training, 21 percent riot control and 6 percent better housing. The choice in the nation was 40 percent for more education funds, 39 percent job training. 12 per cent riot control and 6 percent housing. and dramatics. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macnn Woman's Col lege, Lynchburg, Virginia, and did her graduate work in speech at Florida State University and the University of Alabama. She attended FSU in the sum mer of 1966 as an appointee under the National Defense Education Act. She will be conferred the Mas ter of Arts degree in speech from the University of Alabama this year. Mrs. Price was head of the Speech Department ot Gadsden (Ala) High Schol from I960 to 1967. She was a graduate assistant in public speaking at the Univer sity of Alabama this year. While at Gadsden Mrs Price was president of the Service League. Mystery Ball Club, Nine O’clock Club and was a member of the Bal d’Or Club. She holds a private pilot's license and was a member of the Gadsdei Aero Pi lots Club. Williams received the Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ala bama in 1967 and the Master of Arts in theatre this year from Ala bama. During this year at the univer sity Williams has beginning act ing. advanced acting, introduction to the theatre and diction.