DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | Students for a Democratic Society, Herrnstein lecture, February-June, 1972 | 1972-02-26 Des Moines Register Article: 'Harvard Prof Refuses to Deliver Speech at U of I'

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

1972-02-26 Des Moines Register Article: 'Harvard Prof Refuses to Deliver Speech at U of I'

Harvard Prof Refuses to Deliver Speech at U of I
By Larry Eckholt
(Register Staff Writer)

IOWA CITY, IA. - A controversial Harvard psychology professor refused to deliver a scheduled speech on the University of Iowa (U of I) campus Friday before a crowd scattered with noisy hecklers decrying a magazine article he recently published. 
   The Harvard professor, Richard J. Herrnstein, 41, was to have delivered a speech on his research with pigeons as part of the U of I department of psychology's guest lecture series. 
   Herrnstein did not make a public appearance during his short visit to the campus here. U of I officials said he left Iowa City immediately after deciding not to deliver his talk. 
   The hecklers were members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), many of whom said they came from as far away as Washington, D.C., to confront Herrnstein, demanding that he debate the premise of an article he wrote for the Atlantic Monthly magazine in September. 
   University officials said Herrnstein - who was not available for any direct comment - sensed that he would be unable to talk on his prepared topic because of the mood of a sizeable portion of the crowd. 
   For more than an hour, SDS leaders denounced Herrnstein in the crowded, heavily guarded lecture hall of the Physics Research Building while the Harvard professor waited in an adjacent hallway. 
   In a shrill voice which set the tone of the rally preceding the scheduled visit, Marty Riefe of Washington D.C. - the national chairwoman of SDS - called Herrnstein a "racist, sexist and a fascist."
   "We should confront this man." Miss Riefe shouted. 
   Herrnstein has been a target of SDS harassment since his Atlantic article discussed a theory of intelligence in which he maintains that IQ - and the degree of social status that goes with IQ - is mostly determined by heredity.
   The shouting match before the speech consisted mostly of debate between the SDS people and those who wanted to hear what Herrnstein had to say. The latter appeared to outnumber the former by about two to one. 
   When the talk was 10 minutes behind schedule his critics began to chant:
   "We want Herrnstein. We want Herrnsetin. Racist Herrnstein out of Iowa."
   A few minutes later, Dr. Rudolph Schulz, chairman of the U of I psychology department, walked to the stage. 
   "It is with regret that I must say that Mr. Hernstein does not feel that he is able to speak on the subject which he has come here..." Schulz said, his voice barely audible over the hisses and boos of some of the crowd. 
   "Therefore, with even greater regret I feel that I must adjourn this meeting and I would hope you will please leave," Schulz said firmly. 
   Although there were no incidents, the university was prepared to deal with them. Uniformed and plainclothes security officers were stationed at all entrances of the physics building and the lecture hall itself. 
   Local and national SDS leaders termed Herrnstein's failure to show "a big success for SDS."

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Harvard Prof Refuses to Deliver Speech at U of I By Larry Eckholt (Register Staff Writer) IOWA CITY, IA. - A controversial Harvard psychology professor refused to deliver a scheduled speech on the University of Iowa (U of I) campus Friday before a crowd scattered with noisy hecklers decrying a magazine article he recently published. The Harvard professor, Richard J. Herrnstein, 41, was to have delivered a speech on his research with pigeons as part of the U of I department of psychology's guest lecture series. Herrnstein did not make a public appearance during his short visit to the campus here. U of I officials said he left Iowa City immediately after deciding not to deliver his talk. The hecklers were members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), many of whom said they came from as far away as Washington, D.C., to confront Herrnstein, demanding that he debate the premise of an article he wrote for the Atlantic Monthly magazine in September. University officials said Herrnstein - who was not available for any direct comment - sensed that he would be unable to talk on his prepared topic because of the mood of a sizeable portion of the crowd. For more than an hour, SDS leaders denounced Herrnstein in the crowded, heavily guarded lecture hall of the Physics Research Building while the Harvard professor waited in an adjacent hallway. In a shrill voice which set the tone of the rally preceding the scheduled visit, Marty Riefe of Washington D.C. - the national chairwoman of SDS - called Herrnstein a "racist, sexist and a fascist." "We should confront this man." Miss Riefe shouted. Herrnstein has been a target of SDS harassment since his Atlantic article discussed a theory of intelligence in which he maintains that IQ - and the degree of social status that goes with IQ - is mostly determined by heredity. The shouting match before the speech consisted mostly of debate between the SDS people and those who wanted to hear what Herrnstein had to say. The latter appeared to outnumber the former by about two to one. When the talk was 10 minutes behind schedule his critics began to chant: "We want Herrnstein. We want Herrnsetin. Racist Herrnstein out of Iowa." A few minutes later, Dr. Rudolph Schulz, chairman of the U of I psychology department, walked to the stage. "It is with regret that I must say that Mr. Hernstein does not feel that he is able to speak on the subject which he has come here..." Schulz said, his voice barely audible over the hisses and boos of some of the crowd. "Therefore, with even greater regret I feel that I must adjourn this meeting and I would hope you will please leave," Schulz said firmly. Although there were no incidents, the university was prepared to deal with them. Uniformed and plainclothes security officers were stationed at all entrances of the physics building and the lecture hall itself. Local and national SDS leaders termed Herrnstein's failure to show "a big success for SDS."