JANUARY 25, 1901.] 
are: “Failing this, I request you to tender your 
resignation, to take effect at the end of the current 
year, or sooner, should your feelings in the matter 
prevent harmonious cooperation until that time.’’ I 
shall be glad to know your further wish in the mat- 
ter, and it may be communicated to Vice-President 
Branner, who is acting president, with full powers, 
in my absence. 
The correspondence closed with this let- 
ter from Professor Howard, dated January 
14th: 
President David S. Jordan, Stanford ‘University, 
Cal.—Dear Sir: Your letter accepting my resignation 
is received. Of course lam well aware that the rights 
of the large number of students now registered in my 
classes are involved in fixing the time of my resigna- 
tion. Therefore, since I am being dismissed from a 
life position on the alleged ground of discourtesy to 
the authorities of the university, it seemed to me but 
fair that you should take the responsibility of saying 
whether I should remain to the end of the year. You 
decline to take that responsibility, and so leave me 
but one safe and dignified course. 
I should have been willing to remain to the close 
of the year for the sake of my students, could I have 
felt sure that by ‘harmonious cooperation’ you 
mean a faithful and free performance of academic 
duty according to the spirit of the original implied 
contract under which I have thus far labored. I have 
not changed my attitude toward the university or to- 
ward my professoria] duties. I am only protesting 
against revolutionary proceedings. ‘The vital point 
of the whole present incident is a question of free 
speech. Therefore I am not willing to pledge myself 
in advance to abide by the uncertain interpretation of 
the ambiguous phrase ‘should your feelings in the 
matter prevent harmonious cooperation until that 
time.’ Hence I wish my resignation to take effect at 
once. 
On the following day Professors W. H. 
Hudson and C. L. Little presented their 
resignations. Professor Hudson’s letter 
reads : 
President Jordan—Dear Sir: For more than a 
year I have for personal reasons contemplated pres- 
ently severing my connection with Stanford Univer- 
sity. Recent events now precipitate my decision to 
do so. 
As you are well aware I was from the first in 
strongest opposition to the new policy of the univer- 
sity inaugurated in the dismissal of Dr. Ross—a 
policy destructive of those first principles of academic 
SCIENCE. 
143 
freedom upon which, as you have repeatedly said, the 
university was originally founded. Ever since the 
occurrence of that incident I have seriously doubted 
whether it would be possible for me, consistently 
with my opinions, to retain my position in this 
faculty. But now that in further pursuance of such 
policy, you have seen fit to demand the resignation 
of aman whom you yourself, in common with all 
who have known him, have long regarded as one of 
our ablest scholars and noblest teachers, for no other 
reason than that furnished by his just condemnation 
of the action of the university authorities—now that, 
in this way, you have clearly shown that it is the in- 
tention of the university to inhibit fair criticism of 
its methods no less than frank discussion of public 
affairs, no doubt is left in my mind as to my course. 
Whatever plans I might otherwise have made I can- 
not under existing circumstances continue to hold my 
chair. I therefore tender you my resignation, to 
take effect at your pleasure. 
Professor Little wrote : 
President Jordan—Dear Sir: Ever since the dis- 
missal of Dr. Ross, against your protest, for express- 
ing in the discussion of public questions opinions dis- 
pleasing to Mrs. Stanford, I have considered whether 
I, who hold similar opinions, could be willing to re- 
main in the faculty of Stanford University.. Your re- 
cent call for the resignation of a man whose ability 
and independence of character I have admired for 
twenty years, because he uttered, in a form courteous 
to you and to Mrs. Stanford, condemnation of a 
policy destructive of the academic freedom in which 
you profess to believe, put an instant end to my inde- 
cision. 
I hereby resign my chair as professor of mathemat- 
ics in Leland Stanford Jr. University, to take effect at 
your convenience. 
To these letters Professor J. C. Branner, 
acting president, replied on the same day, 
in identical terms, as follows: 
Professor William H. Hudson, Stanford Univer- 
sity—Dear sir: Your resignation as Professor of Eng- 
lish literature, in the Leland Stanford Junior Univer- 
sity, addressed to President Jordan, has been handed 
to me as acting president. 
Waiving the question of the validity of the reasons 
you put forward for your action, I hereby accept 
your resignation, to take immediate effect. 
David E. Spencer, associate professor of 
history, has subsequently resigned. 
