Education: College Shutdown

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To his faculty one evening last week, Canadian-born Dr. Stewart Grant Cole, president of Kalamazoo College and a one-time Baptist minister, announced that Canadian-born Economics Professor Carey K. Ganong was to be dismissed for "inefficiency" and failure to become a naturalized U. S. citizen, as is President Cole. As word of the dismissal spread through the college, indignant students quickly rounded up the band, paraded around the campus, were addressed at a rally by Dr. Ganong, who declared the college officials had given him no opportunity to defend himself. By dawn the 350 students had decided to strike. When Dean Sherwood Gates arrived at Bowen Hall he was turned back by pickets who barred the door to students and professors.

For two days no book was cracked, no lecture delivered, and Kalamazoo College was shut tight while campus soapboxers demanded popular Professor Ganong's reinstatement. At the second day's end President Cole withdrew the dismissal notice, promised to discuss the professor's future status with the student senate and leave the final decision to the board of trustees. Thereupon Professor Ganong and students marched back to classes.