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Pfridwt Harris
ArStatement
by two
public officd* la Georgia-the
Governor oi the State and the
Mayor of Macon-affroat
ooumteaa alumni, students and
Mead* of Mercer.
Oa April id, 1969,'at a
coavocation in Reinhardt
Collefe in Walaaka, Geoifia,
Governor Maddox stated hi*
opposition to the Trustees of
Mercer University seeking the
assistance of federal funds. He
said that such aid would place
Mercer “under die police state."
His choice of a platform for such
a statement mutt have been
embarrassing to his audience of
Methodists, who have
extensively sought and used
'federal funds for thiir
educational institutions.
, At the inaugural ceremonies
of the new President of Georgia
Southern College on April 3,
1969, the Governor critized the
Georgia State Legislature for not
having accepted his proposed
budget, which among many
other items contained provisions
to match federal grants for the
state colleges of Georgia. On
that occasion be said that the
failure of the Legislature to pass
his budget set back public higher
education in Georgia by several
year*. One may ask what he
thinks about the consequences
to Mercer if the Mercer trustees
cannot seek such federal
assistance? Mercer would be set
back equally as much for the
private institutions and the
public ones both badly need
such funds, with the private ones
needing them more.
This protest constitutes no
entry into the political
controversy over the adequacy
of Governor Maddox as the
Governor. Our objection relates
' to the principle diet no public
official-and especially the
highest- may use his office to
intrude in the affairs of a private
college by expressions of his
personal points of view. It is not
fitting that the Governor of the
State should thus seek to
interfere in Mercer's internal
arrangements—and interference
it is whatever else it may be
labeled.
Another political minded
Baptist; the Mayor of Macon, on
announcing on April 22, 1969,
that he would be a candidate for
reelection as Mayor, seemed to
have opened his campaign by
stating that he would not help
Mercer acquire property
bordering the Universtiy, and
that fu thermo re he opposed
Mercer receiving and using
federal funds. Again the great
American tradition challeiyes
the propriety of such a public
official injecting his personal
feelings in the internal affairs of
a university. This protest
involves no hostile censure of
the Mayor in his office. He
seems to do his office tasks well.
But public officials such as the
Mayor or the Governor must
often deny themselves the
luxury of indulging their
personal opinions on many
private matters.
It is scarely believable that
the City of Macon will refuse to
help Mercer University meet her
present day conditions for
survival. It is not possible for the
University to remain landlocked
as it is. Time after time new
business and new industry have
received Macon's help to locate
here. Many examples can be
cited. A city “on the move”
must do such things. Most cities
are willing to use large sums of
money to bring colleges to them.
Indeed, the City of Macon
provided the land and built the
first building at Mercer in 1872
to bring Mercer to Macon from
Pcnfield Similarly, the City
joummJ enthusiastically the forces
that sought the funds to acquire
the lands for the new Macon
Junior College two years ago. It
is an unbusinesslike suggestion
that the City of Macon should
decline to assist Mercer to
provide the necessities for her
life in Macon as conditions for
her life have now become For a
sity “on the move’’ to deny one
of the region’s good universities
opportunity to survive, which
university is already located here
and which for a century has
contributed significantly to the
economic and cultural life of the
area, would cast doubt on r ,e
direction the city » >11
move-forward or backw* d.
Perhaps Mayor Thompson was
appealing to a vanishing group of
voters. They are vanishing
because they need better living
conditions for themselves and
their children in the area where
not all but where 80% of the
residential home sites have been
declared substandard.
The Mayor further stated the
"Mercer's President Rufus Harris
had approached him concerning
acquisition of Tatnall Square
Park." The Mayor is incorrect in
this. The record should be kept
completely straight in the matter
of Tatnall Square Park. I cannot
speak for my predecessors, but I
have never even so much as
mentioned Tatnall Square to the
Mayor or anyone else. Mercer
has no desire to occupy Tatnall
Square Park. She does not wish
to own any part of it. In the first
place Mercer is well aware of the
bequest of Admiral Tatnall
establishing the Park as a
permanent playground for the
children of the city. That is a
most excellent and needed use.
Secondly, Tatnall Square Park
provides neither a desired nor a
logical direction for the needed
expansion of the Mercer campus.
It would cause an illogical and
awwkward location of facilities.
The direction of Mercer's
campus growth is on the East
tide of the campus to the
Central of Georgia Railway
tracks. This direction was
determined in 1872. The
question now is whether the
Baptists and the City of Macon
will employ the foresight and
wisdom which their fathers
manifested a century ago and
help to provide for the next
century facilities as adequate for
higher education at Mercer as
were provided a hundred years
Hirstog Sckwl 6ms to Micn Jaafor College
Officals of The Macon
Hospital have expressed
appreciation for the support
Mercer University had given the
Hospital School for Nunes.
An announcement was made
recently of the termination of
the 16-year-old contract by
which the university furnished
student mines nine months of
classroom instruction in
biological and physical sciences,
social sciences, English and
speech.
"The rising cost of living,
which has in tum spiralled the
cost of education was
determining factor in the
decision of the Hospital
Authority to transfer the
Nursing School classroom
instracdou from Mercer to the
Tob dark
Visits Mercer
MACON, Ga.-Mercur
University's Alumni Weekend
May 2 and 3 featured an address
by Tom C dark, retired associate
justice of the Supaeme Court.
Lav Day activities began at
9i JO tn. with a reception in the
Laugdalc Law Library.
Macon Junior College. It was a
move of economics, "according
to Damon D. King, administrator
of the hospital.
In a letter to Dr. Rufus C.
Harris, President of Mercer, Kind
said, ''The Board, the
administration of The Macon
Hospital and the School of
Nursing wish to relate to you
their deep appreciation for the
superb support that you and
Mercer University have
maintained over the years for our
Nursing School."
King commended Mercer for
the “cooperative attitude
displayed in this time of
transition” and said, ''The
relationship between the two
institutions has been one of
mutual high regards over the
years and we are anxious to
convey to you that we will
continue our Support and interest
in Mercer Univcrtity.”
Charles H. Jones, chairman of
the Macon-Btbb County Hospital
Authority, informed Dr. Harris,
"Mureer has really made is
possible fur us to operate a
diploma School of Nuraiag here
in Macon. Without Mercer's
training of our studeats, we could
have found no substitute."
The School for Nurses entered
into a six-months affiliation with
Mercer in 1951. Two years later a
formal contract was signed and
has been in effect since. During
the 16-ycar intreval 753 student
nurses have attended Mercer.
These classes will end in the
spring quarter at Mercer and will
begin at the junior college in the
fall.
RWGA-Continued from page 6
the responsibilities of the office,
Beth Daniell installed the new
president, Don Ripley^who then
adjourned the meeting.
On April 29. RWGA
sponsored a program for those
women students who were
interested in summer travel in
Europe. A film by the Osborne
Travel Service was shown and
questions answered by one of
their representatives
Mercer’s Southern School of Pharmacy presents discussion in Drug Abuse Seminar
April JO in h’illingham Chapel.
SGA
Banks Presents Report
Of Steeriig Committee
The major business matter under discussion at the April 21st meeting of the Senate dealt with Reed
Bank's presentation of the Student Steering Committee Report. In explaining the purposes of the report.
Reed noted that it was similar to one' completed by the faculty in December and that his document
represented an exploratory attempt to define the problems that challange us as Mercer students from a
social, academic, and financial standpoint. Summarily, the report's philosophy is that the student is
aware of the problems existing in his educational system and should, along with the faculty, have a
significant voice in establishing the policies administered to him Joseph Hobbs used the analogy of a
student as a consumer that has Kirbo, Steve Carreker, and Jinz from the Budgetary committee
purchased a product and should,
therefore, have some say in the
operation he is paying for and
that is to be of service to him.
The report first defines the
concept of Mercer in the context
of “higher liberal education" as a
community of scholars whose
purpose it is to develop a critical
awareness of their society.
Concluding the paper is a
statement affirming the right of
students to "determine by
referendum their conduct, and
the right to ascertain the guilt of
students accussed of violating
these rules.”
In the Executive Committee
Report Bobby Potter renamed
Allen Wallace as Parliamentarian
in the coming year. The Waverly
Excuetive Committee will consist
of: Bobby Potter, Steve Carreker.
Izzie Smith, Dean Hendricks,
Jerry Stone, and Dr. McManus.
To suggest rules for the newly
adopted Constitution, Steve
Carreker, Ernie Robinson, Carol
Strange. Dean Dougherty, and
Allen Wallace were named to the
By-Laws Committce.
Announced as suggested
standing committees for the
Potter administration are: Food
services. Appropriations,
Publicity, Spirit, Library,
Prospective, and Insight. Every
student in the college of Liberal
Arts is invited to apply for a
position on these committees.
Mercer is honored to have ten
representatives to the "Student
Workshop on Georgia State
Government" sponsored by Lt.
Governor Smith on May 9th in
Atlanta. The representatives are
Bobby Potter, Debbie
Donaldson, James Norman, Ernie
Robinson, Steve Thomas, Izzie
Smith, Allen Wallace, Glenn
Schwencke
Students are reminded that
SGA Senate meetings are open to
any one interested a student
may freely join in debate
Meetings are held regularly on
Monday, beginning promptly at
5: 30 in room 33 3 of the Student
Center.
Another report taken up in
this very long meeting was
delievered by Steve Carreker
University Vice President in
charge of Finance, Mr. William T.
Haywood, has agreed to speak
with interested students
concerning the budget on a
Wednesday. Steve admitted that
Mr. Haywood, once he can be
reached, is very frank about
discussing matters, he either
states: (1) "The answer is .”, (2)
"I don't know ", (3) “I'm sorry,
that is classified information."
DUTCH PANTRY RESTAURANT
FaM Munu-Sandwich** to StMks
Man bring your dais* Dslicloa* Maris
Wo ham boMtlfel banquet anti party rooms
THE MERCER CLUSTER • Friday. May «>. |«K» • 7