University of Virginia Library

Stone Praises Shannon's Integrity,
Commends Success With Legislature

By SAM BARNES

CD/Sam Barnes

Mr. Stone:

I Disagreed With Mr. Shannon On The Demonstrations

University President Edgar
F. Shannon, Jr. who has
announced his resignation
effective August, 1974, has
represented the University in
its dealings with the state
legislature with integrity and
sincerity, Chairman of the
Legislative Committee on
Higher Education William F.
Stone said yesterday.

"They say at a big
University today you've got to
be a little mean—wheel and deal
a little—and I don't think Edgar
has done that, much to his
credit," the state senator from
Martinsville commented.

"Edgar Shannon comes
down to the Finance
Committee and tells the people
what he thinks. When he asks
for money, we try to give it to
him because we know he
means what he says. He is a
very sincere man and if he
believes in something, I accept
it 100 per cent."

Mr. Stone could remember
no major disputes between Mr.
Shannon and the legislature
"I don't know of anything he
really wanted that he didn't
get," Mr. Stone said.

Mr. Shannon's success with
the legislature has been largely
due to the great respect he has
earned among the senators and
delegates, according to Mr.
Stone.

Happy Shannon Is Teaching

Mr. Stone said he was very
glad to see Mr. Shannon
continue in a teaching capacity
at the University.

"He and his father have
both been great teachers, and I
think it is very much to his
credit that he wants to return
to that duty."

Mr. Stone further stressed
the need for teachers like Mr.
Shannon. "You've got some
long-bearded long—haired
faculty up there who are not
content unless they're causing
trouble all the time."

"But what we need is
somebody like President
Shannon who will be a really
good, solid American teacher."

Mr. Stone did say that he
has had some disagreements
with Mr. Shannon on, the
University's policies but added,
"I don't agree with everything
anybody says."

He cited Mr. Shannon's
actions during the student
demonstrations against the war
in the spring of 1970 as his
major parting with the
president.

"I thought they ought to
have put them (the
demonstrators) in jail and left
them there," Mr. Stone said.

Mr. Stone said that he could
not agree with Mr. Shannon's
decision not to call a halt to
the strike as did T. Marshall
Hahn of VPI.

"I would have liked to have
stepped in and stopped it
quickly," he said, "I would
have told them (the students)
to go back to their classes or
pack up their bags and go
home. But I might have been
wrong," he added.

"At the time I think what
he wanted to do was calm the
people down. It came out all
right in the end –possibly the
best for the University–I don't
know," Mr. Stone commented.

When asked what he
thought has been Mr.
Shannon's most undesirable
administrative policy, Mr.
Stone said, "I don't know that
he had any." He did say that
he thought Mr. Shannon has
excelled most favorably in his
attempts to maintain high
standards at the University

Standards Hurt Athletics

Mr. Stone added that,
although he thought the high
standards did hurt the athletic
programs at the University, "I
think that's to the University's
credit."

"I don't think Virginia will
ever have a team that can
compete with some of the
schools in the ACC because it's
not willing to lower its
standards. But that makes me
feel very good about the
University and its academic
programs," he said.

Mr. Shannon will be very
hard to replace, Mr. Stone said.
"You don't find a man of his
attributes in a lot of respects."