Battle of Madison

Six years ago the late Huey Pierce Long forced out President Thomas W. Atkinson of the University of Louisiana for blatantly political reasons. Last week young Progressive Governor Philip Fox La Follette of Wisconsin appeared to be setting out to do a similar thing.

Glenn Frank left the editorship of Century magazine for the presidency of the University of Wisconsin in September 1925. That month marked a momentary lull in La Follette Progressivism in Wisconsin. Republican John J. Elaine was Governor, old "Bob" was dead after running a poor third for President the year before, "Young Bob" was being eased into his father's Senate seat, Brother Philip was district attorney of Dane county. Old Bob had peered amiably on occasion into the University but when the Republican and Progressive regents got together to elect Editor Frank, then an eloquent young Republican liberal of 37, no La Follette raised a hand to interfere. Next year Phil La Follette was appointed a lecturer in the University Law School. He held that job until he was elected Governor in 1930.

As Madison's and Wisconsin's two first citizens, living in the proudest houses in town, Governor La Follette and President Frank politely called on each other, pleasantly nodded at Badger football games. Governor Phil, worldly wise, did not share the resentment of many a rural legislator at President Frank's suavity, his well pressed clothes, the fact that he spoke with a soft cultivation belying his birthplace, Queen City, Mo. And as Phil had been the youngest U. S. Governor, so Glenn Frank had been (until Chicago's Hutchins) the youngest chief executive of a major U. S. university.

What Glenn Frank thought of Phil La Follette was, and has remained, his secret. Wiseacres gossiped that Phil was hurt when, after his defeat in 1932, Glenn Frank seemed to get along just as well with Democratic Governor Albert G. Schmedeman. To a Wisconsin Progressive, Republicans and Democrats are alike "reactionaries." In 1933 Mr. & Mrs. Frank called on Mr. & Mrs. La Follette, who then lived right across the street. Their courtesy was not returned. Last year at a Lincoln Day Republican rally in Chicago, ambitious President Frank, who has been sporadically mentioned as Presidential timber, made his first big blunder by using the phrase "our party." Those words shivered all through politically alert Wisconsin. When Phil La Follette got back the Governorship last year, Mr. & Mrs. Frank were not invited to stand in the receiving line at the inaugural ball. Mr. & Mrs. La Follette stayed away from Wisconsin's last commencement.

The news flashed from Madison this autumn that Governor La Follette wanted President Frank to resign. When Football Coach Clarence Spears and Athletic Director Walter Meanwell squabbled over athletic jurisdiction this year, the University's Progressive Regents blamed President Frank for letting the situation grow into a national scandal (TIME, Feb. 24). Shortly thereafter they let it be known that President Frank would not have his traditionally free hand in drawing up the 1937-38 University budget. When President Frank proposed to meet a $230,000 deficit by raising student fees, Governor La Follette backed up the Progressive Regents by damning the proposal as "diametrically opposed to [Wisconsin's] policy" When President Frank repeated his proposal, the Regents voted to cut his salary from $18,000 (plus a $2,400 entertainment allowance) to a flat $15,000 (TIME, Aug. 3). It looked as if no budget at all would be ready for the legislature when it met Jan. 13. At that juncture, the Regents' chairman, Harold Wilkie, a progressive Madison lawyer and insurance lobbyist, last fortnight took the matter out of President Frank's hands altogether, announced that the Regents would submit a budget themselves. Last week, Governor La Follette was reported as having called in Mr. Wilkie and told him finally that President Frank must go.

Into Madison to the desk of Governor La Follette and the hotel rooms where the Regents were waiting for another meeting, poured a cascade of letters and telegrams. Wired President Lotus Delta Coffman of the University of Minnesota to Phil La Follette : "As one who has spent his life in education and who knows the tragic effects of acts of this sort, I implore you to pause and take counsel. . . . Glenn Frank's reputation will be enhanced if you dismiss him." Warned the Uni versity of Chicago's Physiologist Anton J. Carlson, chairman of the committee on academic freedom of the American Association of University Professors: "Partisan political interference. . . is the surest and quickest way to destroy the effective life of the University." Old Editor Oswald Garrison Villard of the Nation, whose nephew, Lloyd Kirkham Garrison, is dean of the University's Law School, exploded: "This could only do an enormous amount of damage to the University." Even Madison's arch-Progressive Capital Times editorialized: "The handling of the situation has been one of secrecy, underhanded intrigue and even plain deception!"

With every Madison nerve stretched to the breaking point, the Regents gathered on Wednesday afternoon in the anteroom of President Frank's Bascom Hall office. All day students had been signing petitions in favor of popular Glenn Frank, breaking up classes to cheer him crawling LET'S SUPPORT PREXY on classroom blackboards. A herd of them pressed into Bascom Hall as the meeting formed. When Regent Wilkie, stocky and self-possessed, rose to speak they bawled him down with a Badger skyrocket: "Down with Wilkie! SISS BOOM AH!" President Frank gestured for silence.

Flushed, Chairman Wilkie began: "I am now free . . . to discuss with you in open meeting the question of whether or not Dr. Frank . . . should be reappointed for the year 1937-38." Stolidly Mr. Wilkie described how he had told Governor La Follette that a "change would have to be made in the presidency." Regent John P. Callahan, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Regent Daniel Grady a Portage lawyer, Chairman Wilkie said agreed with him. The three had "conferred" with Governor La Follette. Regent Callahan volunteered to break the news to Dr. Frank. From that time, Chairman Wilkie complained, President Frank had been charging that there was a "political attack" on him.

Up popped Regent Grady to amend this narrative. Said he: "Why, Harold, my first inkling of the purpose of the meeting was when the Governor stated: 'I believe the University is slipping and that there is a serious question of whether Dr. Frank should be retained.' "

Said Regent Callahan: "Yes, that's right. It was the Governor's idea."

Snorted Chairman Wilkie: "Why, you were both opposed to President Frank. You have undergone some strange transformation, Dan."

By this time so many students had piled into the meeting room that the Regents declined to argue which had the more "faulty memory." Chairman Wilkie then read a prepared summary of the faults of Dr. Frank, which, largely couched in general terms, proved to be as follows:

1) He was not a "business or educational administrator" fit to handle $7,000,000 a year.

2) He has "lost the confidence of those with whom he must deal."

3) He habitually "failed to act" in controversial matters.

4) He has failed to "devote sufficient time and attention to University affairs."

5) He "has permitted practices regarding expenditure of public money in relation to himself and his household that I consider questionable." Among them: $3,128 for a Lincoln limousine in 1933 (Governor La Follette had been driving a Ford), a $198.70 samovar set, a caretaker, a full-time and part-time chauffeur, two watchmen for his presidential house, parties for Glenn Frank Jr.*

6) He does not give "thorough attention to detail . . . within the University," likes graduate work better than undergraduate work, older professors better than instructors.

Cracked President Frank: "Those are the kind of things you can hear at any major university in the country. . . . Moreover, [Mr. Wilkie's report] is shot through with inaccuracies. I have no intention of presenting my resignation."

At this point the Regents reefed their sails, seemed unable to proceed. After a clash over Mr. Wilkie's report that indicated the anti-Frank section was in the majority, they voted 9 to 6 to give Glenn Frank a "public hearing" before the Legislature meets next month. At week's end Madison was ready to bet that whatever happens at his next hearing, Glenn Frank was doomed. Promptly boosted for the job were Law Dean Garrison and Rexford Guy Tugwell.

* Arraigned in a Cambridge, Mass. district court last week, Harvard Freshman Frank pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence of liquor, as did his companion Richard Devens, who appeared in court in pajamas and a black fur coat.

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