Page 15

  "'In all lines of academic inves-
tigation it is of the utmost import-
ance that the investigator should be
absolutely free to follow the indica-
tions of truth wherever they may
lead. Whatever may be the limita-
tions which trammel inquiry else-
where . . . Wisconsin should ever
encourage that continual and fear-
less sifting and winnowing .. ."'
  Incidents like this and Harvard's
flat refusal to submit a booklist
cooled the Un-American committee
down to a stop; the book hunt has
been called off. Maybe it was just
too much work-all the fault of the
Sons of the American Revolution
who originally demanded the inves-
tigation.
UW and Little Schools
Won't Join This Year
  ORIGINALLY, the plan would
put under one command 10 state
teachers colleges, Platteville's Wis-
consin Institute of Technology, and
the University of Wisconsin.
  It was called the "integration
bill" and it was evolved by the Wis-
consin Commission on the Improve-
ment of the Educational System, a
select group of laymen and legis-
lators.
  But the little colleges fought the
bill because it meant University
"domination" and because it might
ultimately force higher standards
upon their faculties. The University
was afraid of the bill, too. Accord-
ing to the Wisconsin State Journall,
the University was "worried that
its prerogatives might be ignored."
  While the little colleges criticized
the bill, they were still unanimous in
urging liberal arts degrees for their
schools. They told the senate educa-
tinn  pnmmiftt~o that. Wi~qeonqin'q
youth deserves a chance to get a 4-
year education in schools which they
can afford. The teachers colleges
wanted new strength, but not at the
cost of their independence.
  They lobbied against the bill, and,
says the Appleton Post-Crescent,
"so effective were their strident
cries, so bellicose their insistence
upon their own bureaucratic preroga-
tives, their prestige and their rank,
their prized independence at the cost
of the taxpayers, that the assembly
education committee quietly sat on
the bill for four months and then
killed it by indirection."
  This "indirection" was in the
form of a changed bill proposing
merger with the University of the
Milwaukee and Superior colleges.
Other teachers colleges could become
part of the merger when desired
locally, according to the plan.
  Milwaukee Seemed to be for it,
and   Assemblyman    Byron   Ostby
(Rep., Superior), a University law
student, pleaded for passage. But
the little colleges fought the "foot-
in-the-door bill" and the little col-
leges won.
  The assembly voted 49 to 38
against it.
OCTOBER, 1949
PhD Index Shows
Wisconsin Near Best
  HIGH TRIBUTE to the academic
strength of the University faculty
was paid by statistics in the latest
"Summaries of Doctoral Disserta-
tions Accepted by American Univer-
sities" compiled for the Association
of Research Libraries.
  The   compilation, covering   the
1947-48 school year, indicates the
University ranks second in all the
universities and colleges of the na-
tion in terms of the number of PhD
degrees granted.
  Because candidates for the high-
est academic degree usually choose
a university because of the excel-
lence of its instruction, PhD grants
are considered a measure of the aca-
demic strength of the nation's uni-
versities.
  Harvard ranked first with 203 de-
grees, Wisconsin second with 196,
and the University of Chicago third
with 188.
  Seven "Big Ten" universities be-
sides Wisconsin ranked among the
first 20. Illinois was fourth, Ohio
State ninth, Michigan 11th, Minne-
sota 12th, Iowa 14th, Northwestern
16th, and Purdue 20th.
  In a breakdown of PhD grants by
subjects the record emphasizes the
strength  of many    University of
Wisconsin departments and schools.
In biochemistry, Wisconsin ranked
first and granted as many PhD de-
grees as the next four universities
combined. In bacteriology, Wiscon-
sin ranked first with Cornell second,
Illinois third.
  In botany, Wisconsin was first
with Chicago second, Cornell third.
Wisconsin ranked third in economics
with Harvard first and Columbia
second and also ranked third in
chemistry with Illinois first, Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology
second.
  Although the stress in the report
is on the number of PhD degrees
granted, Dean C. A. Elvehjem of the
Wisconsin graduate school says the
quality of Wisconsin graduate work
also is high "in spite of our limited
facilities and staff."
  Elvehjem explains postwar gradu-
ate research has been kept on a high
quantity and quality level at Wis-
consin by two factors:
  1. The postwar graduate students
have, in the main, been more mature
than pre-war grad students.
  2. The enthusiasm and willingness
of the faculty to take on extra du-
ties has enabled the graduate school
to handle more students.
  He predicted that, with a new li-
brary on the way, Wisconsin will
continue its "good job of graduate
research." However, he warned, "we
will need a larger upper staff if we
are to continue this heavy load of
graduate   training and   maintain
Wisconsin quality."
FACULTY
FREDERICK JACKSON TURNER, Wis-
consin professor who died in 1932,
was last month announced one of the
United States' two greatest historians
by the American Historical Associa-
tion. An -oil painting which closely
resembles this picture was recently
completed by Charles Thwaites, '27,
for the new Hall of History in Mexico
City.
More Pay for Teacher
  HALF A MILLION dollars of
the University budget goes into
salary increases for the faculty and
administrative staff this y ear.
Regents asked the legislature for a
full million but only eot $440.000:
so they added $100,000 by shaving
other allotments.
  About 80 per cent of the 1,522
educators will get raises--on a merit
basis. A third of that number will
get boosts of $500 or more.
  According   to President E. B.
Fred, faculty members on a 10-
month, academic year basis will
average an 8.3 per cent increase.
Others serving 12-month terms will
average 8.1 per cent.
  The pay increases went to instruc-
tors, assistant, associate, and full
professors and those administrative
employes not under civil service.
  Talk of salaries brings up some
questions. For what reasons are pay
boosts given? Who decides who gets
how much? How do faculty members
advance in professorial rank?
  WHY PAY BOOSTS? Much wage
hiking is done to bring salaries
somewhere near the cost of living
and to meet competition of other
comparable universities.
  Right now, the lower the faculty
rank, the closer are salaries to pre-
war purchasing levels. Instructors,
                                15
that Wisconsin's    Wisconsin ranked third in economics  full million but
onlv --ot $440 000: