Features
Jordan selected without committee approval
By Michael Crimbly
After reviewing scores of ap
plications, the Presidential
Search and Screen Committee
recommended eight candidates
for the job of Penn State presi
dent. And then they didn’t even
interview or meet with any of
them!
According to Committee
member Dr. Nancy Tischler,
Capitol Campus English and
Humanities professor, the
President Search and Screen
Committee didn’t meet with Dr.
Bryce Jordan, the new presi
dent, until just before he was
elected.
“We were never told we’d
meet or interview the can
didates,” Tischler said. “But
we were never told that we
wouldn’t either.”
Tischler said it was the
Gideons visit Capitol Campus; give away Bibles
By Chris Pumarejo
“Would you like to read the
word of the Lord? Please take a
free copy.”
For four hours, Gideon Foun
dation, offered free bibles on
Capitol Campus, October 12. Gi
deon is a non-profit affiliate of
the Christian Business and Pro
fessional Men. The Gideons
monitored entrances to the
building, offering copies of the
New Testament to all who pass
ed.
Those who came in the front
encountered a soft-spoken
gentleman named Paul Lauver.
He explained the mission of the
Gideons and their services:
“What separates the Gideons
from other missionaries is our
approach,” Lauver says. “We
don’t preach what we believe;
but simply hand out copies of
it.”
Also, the Gideons don’t try to
pressure you into monetary
contributions or membership.
On this point they depart
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Search and Screen Committee’s
job to find candidates suited to
the job of university president.
It was up to the Trustees’ Selec
tion Committee to do the actual
interviewing and selecting.
“Our job was simply to weed
through the 300 nominations
and find ten or so suitable can
didates,” Tischler said. “The
trustees interviewed the eight
candidates and made their
selection.”
Quentin Wood, chairman of
the Trustees’ Selection Commit
tee, said the process was long
and tedious.
“Some of the final candidates
resigned from consideration
and we had to ask the Search
and Screen Committee for
replacements,” he said in his
address to the Board of
Trustees.
Wood was chosen as chair
man of the Trustees’ committee
because he was president of the
radically from the mainstream
of religious solicitors.
Organized in 1898, the Gi
deons first conceived of giving
away bibles around 1908 and
since then have distributed
more than half a billion copies
in 130 countries at the rate of
one million every 17 days.
At Capitol Campus alone they
gave out an estimated 800; at
the Main Campus, 13,000.
The members who represent
various denominations, are all
volunteers. Many are retired,
while some participate on their
days off or on weekends. Still
others use vacation time to
hand out the “good book”
abroad.
Asked how the students
responded to the Gideons,
Lauver said, “We are well
E leased with our reception. We
ope the students in turn are
pleased with our conduct. We
don’t want to cause problems
for anybody.”
Stuaents agreed. No students
interviewed felt harassed.
Those who refused bibles were
not pressed any further. Of the
Board of Trustees when Dr.
John Oswald announced his
retirement as university presi
dent in September, 1981. Wood
selected the other eight
members of the committee,
among them current Trustees’
president Walter J. Conti, from
the 32-member Board of
Trustees.
Mary Dunkle, a spokes
woman for the university, said
Oswald, as a member of the
Board of Trustees, normally
would have been a member of
the Selection Committee but he
asked to be excused.
“He thought his recommenda
tions might put pressure on the
Selection Committee,” she said.
Both Oswald and Jordan were
members of the administrative
staff of the University of Ken
tucky from 1963 to 1965.
Wood also appointed the
fifteen-member Search and
Screen Committee. Its
people questioned, about sixty
percent did not accept a bible.
“I already have one,” or “Not
interested” were typical
responses. Many said they took
bibles out of politeness.
Virtually all students felt the
Gideons had the right to give
away bibles since they obviously
were not disruptive in any way.
Only one person felt the Gi
deons should not be allowed on
campus. He cited the constitu-
Mamie's Advice
Dear Maude:
What is this - Fantasyland?
All the nice brick buildings on
campus and what do I see?
Five or six buildings painted all
the colors of the rainbow. Hey,
those candy-coated buildings
may make my mouth water,
but they make my stomach
turn. What’s the idea?
Signed,
Blinded by the Sight
Dear Blinded:
You’ve heard of Early Vic
torian? Well, this is Early
Psychodelic. Campus records
show that these buildings were
painted by a group of students
Page 18
members included eight faculty
members, selected at random
from members of the Universi
ty Faculty Senate, two deans,
one alumnus, one com
monwealth campus director,
one member of the president’s
administrative staff, and two
students.
The Search and Screen Com
mittee located candidates by
placing ads in the New York
Times and Washington Post as
well as in educational journals
throughout the country. It also
listened to the recommenda
tions of officials from other
universities.
Members of both committees
said they were pleased with Dr.
Jordan’s selection.
“His credentials are outstand
ing,” said Dr. Tischler. “I feel
he’ll make a fine president.”
“We are delighted with the
selection of Dr. Jordan,” Conti
agreed.
tional mandate that separates
state, school and church. He
also saw inequity of permitting
the Gideons on campus while
excluding other more verbal
religious groups.
Despite the one dissenter, the
Gideons visit to Capitol Campus
spiced up an otherwise somber
Tuesday afternoon and left our
campus richer in reading
material.
called the Watermen. They
were led by a young radical
named Alfie Stopman. The
paper contacted Alfie in New
York City (where he is now an
aaverusing executive on
Madison Avenue). He explain
ed, “Hey man, like it seemed
like a really far out and groovy
idea at the time.”
Confidential to Space Engineer-
Indeed, I think E.T. is a cute
little turd.
Signed,
Maude.
Signed,
Maude.