University of Virginia Library

Shannon Appoints 9
To Faculty Committee
For Black Studies

By Rob Buford
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Dean of the College Faculty David
Shannon yesterday announced appointment
of a Committee on Black Studies.

Following the year's first faculty
meeting, Mr. Shannon said that the
chairman of the committee will be Paul
Gaston of the Department of History.

Other faculty members appointed are
Association Dean John Graham of Speech and
Drama, Donald Hirsch of English, Alan Howard
of English, Charles Longino of Sociology and
Stanislaw Makielski of the Department of
Government and Foreign Affairs.

Three student members were appointed to
the new committee. They are Timothy Byrd,
Ray Gavins and George Taylor. Mr. Byrd and
Mr. Gavins are graduate students and Mr.
Taylor is a fourth-year student.

The committee, said Mr. Shannon, will make
recommendations to the faculty concerning
courses related to black studies. One of the
committee's first tasks is to select a name for
itself.

Mr. Shannon said, "I did tell the faculty that
it has a lot of business to do this fall and it may
be very time consuming." He stressed that
curriculum reform has high priority.

At the opening of the meeting a memorial
resolution on Gordon Thomas Whyburn was
read and passed. Mr. Whyburn, Alumni
Professor of Mathematics, died of a heart attack
on September 8. He came to the University in
1934 as Professor of Mathematics and Chairman
of the Math Department.

President Edgar F. Shannon, Jr. addressed
the meeting briefly. His remarks were chiefly to
update the faculty on developments since last
spring. Mr. Shannon said that copies of the
report of the Committee on Educational and
Employment Opportunities, Obligations and
Rights would be made available to the faculty
very soon.

In addition, President Shannon remarked on
his presentation of the budget to Governor
Godwin on Tuesday.

President Shannon's remarks were delayed
nearly 20 minutes when a dispute arose over
whether to include a partial tape recording of
the May 14 College faculty meeting as part of
the official minutes of that meeting.

A motion was made which asked that only
that part of the tape which recorded a
memorium to Ladley Husted be included in the
minutes, an informed source said.

Also included on the tape was a record of
the conversation that occurred when students
sitting in on the May 14 meeting were asked to
leave by Fredson Bowers, Dean of the Faculty
last year. The students were not asked to leave
until after the memorium was read, and were
later threatened with suspension when they
turned down the polite request.

A number of faculty members at yesterday's
meeting recalled that they had understood from
Mr. Bowers that the tape was only to be used
for the purpose of recording the memorium.
Mr. Bowers said he did not recall this.

After further discussion, the motion was
defeated and the full tape was accepted as part
of the official minutes.

Referring to the committee which is
studying the possibility of opening faculty
meetings to the University community. Dean
Shannon said that Mr. Bowers agreed to serve as
chairman of the committee when the former
chairman, David Harned, requested that he be
released from his duties as chairman. Mr.
Harned, professor of Religious Studies, will
continue to serve as a member of the
committee.

Mr. Bowers will meet with student press
members Monday night to discuss the admittance
of reporters to faculty meetings.

In other business, a new secretary was
selected. Filling that post will be Bryant C.
Freeman, an associate professor of French.
Dean Shannon appointed John L. Sullivan,
assistant professor of Speech and Drama, to
serve as parliamentarian. Mr. Sullivan will advise
Dean Shannon concerning procedural matters
during future meetings.