142 
appointed a committee of one to act upon 
a joint committee for collecting and. pre- 
serving records of speech, song and similar 
material in various languages and dialects 
by means of speech-recording and tran- 
scribing apparatus. It was voted that Dr. 
Frank Russell be appointed to represent 
Section H upon this committee. 
FRANK RUSSELL, 
Secretary of Section H. 
LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY. 
We do not think that the time has yet 
come when a correct opinion can be ex- 
pressed in regard to the unfortunate cir- 
cumstances that have recently occurred at 
Leland Stanford Junior University. On 
the one hand, ‘academic freedom’ is abso- 
lutely essential as a condition of higher 
education and research ; on the other hand, 
academic dignity and order must be main- 
tained. At the present time we can only 
publish the letters exchanged between Pro- 
fessor Howard and President Jordan, and 
the subsequent letters by Professors Hudson 
and Little and the reply of acting-president 
- Branner, 
On January 10, 1901, President Jordan 
wrote as follows : 
Professor George E. Howard, Stanford University— 
Dear Sir: After the dismissal of Professor Ross by 
the authorities of this university you took occasion 
to make certain remarks before your class criticizing 
the action and the motives of the management of the 
university. These remarks as reported in the news- 
papers and credited in university circles were, in the 
nature of the accusations, unjust, and, in the method 
of their presentation, discourteous to the university 
management. I have waited a reasonable time in the 
hope that reflection would enable you to see that 
some explanation and apology were desirable. Fail- 
ing to hear from you I now deem it my duty to re- 
quest you to make satisfactory apology for this breach 
of courtesy and to give such assurances of your atti- 
tude toward the management of the university as will 
guarantee a proper harmonious relation in the future. 
Failing in this it is my request that you at once 
tender your resignation, to take effect at the end of 
the current year, or sooner, should your feelings in 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Von. XIII. No. 317. 
the matter prevent harmonious cooperation until that 
time. 
Professor Howard replied on the 12th : 
President David S. Jordan, Stanford University— 
Dear Sir : In self-defense I am forced to reply to sey- 
eral chargesand statements contained in your letter 
asking my resignation. On the day following the 
publication of Dr. Ross’ dismissal by the authorities 
of the university I spoke to my class in French revo- 
lution on the subject of ‘Commercial absolutism and 
the place of the teacher in the discussion of social 
questions.’ The address was as earnest a protest 
against interference with academic freedom as I was 
capable of making. There was absolutely no dis- 
courteous reference to the president nor to the founder, 
although in the discussion of the general theme there 
was involved a strong disapproval of their action. I 
do not believe that any fair-minded person who heard 
me will say that my remarks were discourteous in the 
method of presentation or unjust in theircontent. In 
the address I referred to the motives and influences 
which have caused the restriction of free speech in 
various institutions of the country. But so far as the 
motives and influences governing the recent action 
were mentioned, directly or by implication, they 
were those assigned in the published statement of Dr. 
Ross and sustained by the substance of your conver- 
sation with me on the evening of the day on which 
that statement appeared. 
Iam obliged to refer to another passage in your 
letter. You will scarcely fail to recail the fact that 
since my address before the class in French revolution 
you have asked me to remain in the university and 
repeatedly said that you did not wish me to resign. 
OnjNovember 20th, when our last conversation regard- 
ing the Ross incident occurred, you said positively 
that you should not ask my resignation unless Mrs. 
Stanford demanded it. How then could you have 
been hoping for an apology ? 
I have no apology to offer. My conscienceis clear 
in this matter. What I have said I have said, as I 
believe, in the cause of individual justice and aca- 
demic liberty. Therefore, in response to your de- 
manda, I tender you my resignation to take effect at 
your pleasure. An immediate answer will oblige. 
On the following day President Jordan 
wrote : 
Professor George E. Howard, Stanford University 
—Dear Sir: Your letter of the 12th inst., tendering 
your resignation as professor of history in the Leland 
Stanford Junior University, is duly received. I ac- 
cept your resignation, to take effect at a date to he 
determined by you, in accordance with the conclud- 
ing words of my letter of the 9th inst. These words 
