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CHRONICLE OF THE FREE SPEECH CONTROVERSY

 

SEPTEMBER

14 Dean Towle announced that existing University regulations prohibiting advocacy of political causes or   candidates, signing of members, and collection of funds by student organizations at Bancroft and Telegraph would henceforth be ''strictly enforced "

17 All active student organizations lodge protest and form a United Front, which presented a list of demands to Dean Towle.

21 Towle "clarifies" regulations to distinguish between advocating and mounting political actions and prohibit the latter.

27 United Front holds all-night vigil on Sproul Hall steps.

28 Chancellor Strong, speaking at the first University Meeting, "re-clarifies" regulations to permit advocating "yes'' or "no" on political questions. United Front pickets meeting.

28-30 Test-violations of the regulations by Campus CORE, University Friends of SNCC, SLATE (student political party), the Young Socialist Alliance, Students for a Democratic Society, Du Bois Club.

30 Noon: 5 students manning a SNCC table approached by a representative of the Dean's Office and asked to leave; students refuse and are summoned to see Dean Williams in Sproul Hall at 3:00.

3:00: 400 students appear outside Williams' office to demand participation in the appointment. Williams cancels appointment.

4:00 PM --3:00 AM: 700 students sit in at Sproul Hall.

11:45: Williarns announces indefinite suspension of 5 students, plus 3 more suspected of leading the sit-in. Suspensions announced to local press at 11:15.

OCTOBER

1 Rally on Sproul Hall steps protesting suspension of students.

Former student Jack Weinberg arrested at CORE table for "trespassing", transferred to police car in front of Sproul Hall.

12:30 PM Thursday--7:30 PM Friday: Police car surrounded by students. Protest demonstration with marathon extemporaneous speeches from atop the police car. Sleep-in around the police car (containing Weinberg) Thursday night.

2:00--9:00 Fri: 250 students sit in outside Dean's office to demand appointments for discussion of the 8 suspensions.

2 5:00 PM: 500 police arrive on campus. Number of demonstrators increases to 3,000.

7:30 PM: Pact signed between President Kerr and 8 representatives of the student demonstrators, ending the 32-hour demonstration.

3-4 Student groups confererate as the Free Speech Movenent.

4 Statement of support for demonstrators from the ACSCP.

5 Kerr accuses demonstration leadership of "Mao-Castroite influence."

First FSM open meeting on Sproul Hall steps.

6 ACLU assumes defense of the 8 suspended students.

7 SCPF formed to hold hearings on student politicaI activities and report to Chancellor Strong.

13 First open hearings of SCPF; 45 students testify that they consider the committee improperly formed and demand its re-constitution to give equal student representation.

14 FSM issues ultimatum demanding show of good faith on the part of the administration in the enactment of the Pact of October 2; October 15 set as deadline .

15 Emergency meeting of the Academic Senate creates the CSC; hearings on the 8 suspended students transferred from a committee of the administration to the CSC.

SCPF reconstituted as the CCPA.

16 Regents meet at Davis campus of the University and decline to receive a delegation from the FSM.

20-Nov. 7 CCPA holds hearings and "negotiations"

30 Berkeley chapter of the AAUP denounces the firing of Eli Katz by Chancellor Strong on political grounds.

NOVEMBER

5 Graduate students publish the Preliminary Report on Administrative Pressure and Student Political Activity at the Univ. of California .

7 The CCPA deadlocks in negotiations on free speech policy.

9 FSM recommences violations of regulations against collection of funds, recruitment of members, advocacy of political action, etc.

Names of 75 students manning tables in violation of university regulations taken by representative of the Dean's office; 800 others sign statement of conmplicity in the violations.

10 Teaching assistants and graduate students set up tables before Sproul Hall in violation of regulations. 200 teaching assistants sign statements that they violated repressive regulations.

9--present Tables set up daily before Sproul Hall in violation of regulations.

9--11 Daily FSM rallies to discuss the Heyman Report and Cheit Proposal.

12 GCC and other interested graduate students ratify a provisional constitution for a Union of University-Employed Graduate Students.

Publication of 500-page, documented history of political repression

on the Berkeley campus of the University of California.

20 Regents meet at Berkeley. FSM holds mass rally, followed by a quiet vigil during the Regents' meeting by over 1,000 students, faculty, and university employees.

On President Kerr's recommendation, Regents vote to discount the substance of thc Heyman Report on the 8 suspended students, the Cheit Proposal, the ASUC proposal, and the FSM proposal on administrative regulations governing political activity and civil liberties on the University campus. At Kerr's request, the Regents vote to increase administrative and police staff on the Berkeley campus to deal with violations of administrative regulations.

23 FSM votes to continue violations.

 

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

AAUP -- the American Association of University Professors.

ACSCP -- the Association of California State College Professors.

ASUC -- the Associated Students of the University of California; undergraduate Student government at Berkeley.

Bancroft and Telegraph -- strip of land at the most heavily trafficed entrance to campus; traditional locale for political activity.

CCPA -- the Chancellor's Study Committee on Campus Political Activity; formerly the SCPF; composition: 6 students, 6 professors, 6 administrators.

CDC -- the California Democratic Council.

Cheit Proposal -- report of policy recommendations on free speech by the faculty component of the CCPA; Earl Cheit, Chairman.

CSC -- the Ad Hoc Committee on Student Conduct; appointed by the Academic Senate to recommend action on the cases of the 8 suspended students.

FSM -- the Free Speech Movement; based on a confederation of 19 student political, religious, social action, independent and other organizations.

GCC -- the Graluate Co-ordinating Committee; graduate organization formed to support FSM.; now affiliated with the UGS.

Heyman Report -- report by the CSC, Prof. I. M. Heyman, Chairman.

Hyde Park Areas -- areas on campus set aside for rallies, extemporaneous speeches, etc.

Kerr -- Clark Kerr, President of the University of California.

Sather Gate -- traditional locale of student political activity.

Savio -- Mario Savio; unofficial spokesman for FSM; undergraduate.

SCPF -- the Chancellor's Study Committee on Political Freedom; composed of 2 students, 4 professors, and 4 administrators all appointed by Strong; reconstituted as the CCPA.

Strong -- Edward Strong, Chancellor of the Berkeley Campus, University of California.

UGS -- the University-Employed Graduate Students; a labor union.

United Front -- Confederation of student organizations affected by the September re-interpretation of administrative regulations governing political activity on campus.

Williams Committee -- the SCPF and later the CCPA; Professor Robley Williams, Chairman.

Sproul Hall -- the administration building of the Univ. of Calif. at Berkeley. Sproul Hall steps were declared a "Hyde Park area" in Dean Towle's "clarification" of Sept. 21; site of FSM rallies and the demonstrations of Sept. 30--Oct. 2, 1964.

Prepared by the FSM Press Central, 2423 Milvia, Berkeley 4, California

 

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