DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Students for a Democratic Society, Herrnstein lecture, February-June, 1972 | 1972-02-28 Daily Iowan Article: 'Herrnstein hassled here after speech is cancelled'

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Students for a Democratic Society, Herrnstein lecture, February-June, 1972

1972-02-28 Daily Iowan Article: 'Herrnstein hassled here after speech is cancelled'

By Steve Maxwell and Larry Hitt 
Daily Iowan Staff Writers 

After a demonstration forced the cancellation of a speech Friday by controversial Harvard professor Richard J. Herrnstein, a group of people tried to break into the Triangle Club in the Union when they discovered that Herrnstein was there for a faculty reception. 
According to William L. Binney, director of UI security, a crowd of "approximately 25 people were banging on the doors of the club Friday night tryin to get in, but when officers arrived the crowd dispersed." 
The incident occurred at about 7:45 p.m., according to Robert E. Engel, assistant to the UI president, who said that apparently someone saw Herrnstein make a telephone call in the Union and notified others of his whereabouts. 
Herrnstein, who refused to speak at a scheduled lecture Friday afternoon because of a hostile crowd of demonstrators, did not immediately leave Iowa, as had been announced, but went to the reception at the Triangle Club and then to dinner with the faculty of the psychology department, according to Rudolph W. Schulz, chairman of the department, and Herrnstein's host. 
He said, "it is customary for the faculty to entertain a visiting guest and Friday evening's activities were purely social." 
Schulz also said that Herrnstein left Iowa late Friday evening, after the faculty dinner. 
The cnacellation of Herrnstein's speech came as a result of a demonstration sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) which began on the Pentacrest and then moved to the heavily-guarded Physics Research Center, the site of the Herrnstein's lecture. 
Herrnstein's highly technical speech, which dealt with his research on pigeons, was to be part of a series in experimental psychology sponsored by the psychology department. 
The demonstrators, however, had planned to confront Herrstein on the subject of his September article in the ATlantic magazine which discussed a theory of intelligence connecting to IQ and social positions with hereditary factors. 
The demonstration involved members of the SDS national committee, who according to Jeff Singleton of Chicago, national inter-organizational secretary, "brought at least 50 people with us from the St.Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, and Minneapolis." 
Amid chants of "Racist Herrnstein out of Iowa," Marty Riefe of Washington D.C., national secretary of SDS, told the crowd of 400 that "we are here to confront a racist fascist Herrnstein." 
When he had not appeared by the time scheduled for this speech, the crowd began to chant. "We want Herrnstein. We want Herrnstein." 
At this point Schulz announced: "It is with regret that I must say that Mr.Herrnstein does not feel that he is able to speak to this crowd... so I feel I must adjourn this meeting and hope that you will please leave." 
After a short period of hissing, booing, and chanting the crowd filed out in an orderly manner. 
Singleton said it was unfortunate that Herrnstein didn't appear because "what SDS wanted most was to debate the issue. We wouldn't have shouted him down," he continued, "because we made it clear in our leaflets that we ould let him talk" 
"I think he refused to speak because he was unable to support his ideas," Singleton added. 
Phillip G.Hubbard, vice provost for students services, who was with Schulz when the cancellation was announced, said that the university "deeply regrets that an invited guest was unable to speak." Hubbard added that the demonstration would result in any new university policies, however, because the decision to cancel the speech had been Herrnstein's. 
Schulz said that there are no plans to reschedule Herrnstein's speech. 
Hannah Weston, meanwhile, speaking for the Hawkeye area chapter of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union said that by forcing Herrnstein to cancel his speech, the demonstrators had "trampled on his rights and on the rights of those who wished to hear his speech."

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By Steve Maxwell and Larry Hitt Daily Iowan Staff Writers After a demonstration forced the cancellation of a speech Friday by controversial Harvard professor Richard J. Herrnstein, a group of people tried to break into the Triangle Club in the Union when they discovered that Herrnstein was there for a faculty reception. According to William L. Binney, director of UI security, a crowd of "approximately 25 people were banging on the doors of the club Friday night tryin to get in, but when officers arrived the crowd dispersed." The incident occurred at about 7:45 p.m., according to Robert E. Engel, assistant to the UI president, who said that apparently someone saw Herrnstein make a telephone call in the Union and notified others of his whereabouts. Herrnstein, who refused to speak at a scheduled lecture Friday afternoon because of a hostile crowd of demonstrators, did not immediately leave Iowa, as had been announced, but went to the reception at the Triangle Club and then to dinner with the faculty of the psychology department, according to Rudolph W. Schulz, chairman of the department, and Herrnstein's host. He said, "it is customary for the faculty to entertain a visiting guest and Friday evening's activities were purely social." Schulz also said that Herrnstein left Iowa late Friday evening, after the faculty dinner. The cnacellation of Herrnstein's speech came as a result of a demonstration sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) which began on the Pentacrest and then moved to the heavily-guarded Physics Research Center, the site of the Herrnstein's lecture. Herrnstein's highly technical speech, which dealt with his research on pigeons, was to be part of a series in experimental psychology sponsored by the psychology department. The demonstrators, however, had planned to confront Herrstein on the subject of his September article in the ATlantic magazine which discussed a theory of intelligence connecting to IQ and social positions with hereditary factors. The demonstration involved members of the SDS national committee, who according to Jeff Singleton of Chicago, national inter-organizational secretary, "brought at least 50 people with us from the St.Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, and Minneapolis." Amid chants of "Racist Herrnstein out of Iowa," Marty Riefe of Washington D.C., national secretary of SDS, told the crowd of 400 that "we are here to confront a racist fascist Herrnstein." When he had not appeared by the time scheduled for this speech, the crowd began to chant. "We want Herrnstein. We want Herrnstein." At this point Schulz announced: "It is with regret that I must say that Mr.Herrnstein does not feel that he is able to speak to this crowd... so I feel I must adjourn this meeting and hope that you will please leave." After a short period of hissing, booing, and chanting the crowd filed out in an orderly manner. Singleton said it was unfortunate that Herrnstein didn't appear because "what SDS wanted most was to debate the issue. We wouldn't have shouted him down," he continued, "because we made it clear in our leaflets that we ould let him talk" "I think he refused to speak because he was unable to support his ideas," Singleton added. Phillip G.Hubbard, vice provost for students services, who was with Schulz when the cancellation was announced, said that the university "deeply regrets that an invited guest was unable to speak." Hubbard added that the demonstration would result in any new university policies, however, because the decision to cancel the speech had been Herrnstein's. Schulz said that there are no plans to reschedule Herrnstein's speech. Hannah Weston, meanwhile, speaking for the Hawkeye area chapter of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union said that by forcing Herrnstein to cancel his speech, the demonstrators had "trampled on his rights and on the rights of those who wished to hear his speech."