Censorship In Texas (Vol. 2, Issue 7)

It is too bad that so few of us have heard of what is perhaps one of the most flagrant violations of academic freedom in colleges at the present time.

We refer to the shameful imposition of censorship on one of the oldest college dailies in the south—The Daily Texan of the University of Texas.

We use the word “shameful” advisedly. There are few other words to describe the action of a college board that endeavors to reduce its student body to the level of sophomoric, unthinking ignoramuses. This it has done by suppressing—if such a thing is possible—all evidences of clear and independent thinking on the part of students.

All comment on off-campus subjects has been deleted from the Texan. So has criticism of administrative policies within the college. Exactly what pertinent subjects this leaves students free to discuss is difficult to discover.

It is significant that one of the first editorials of the Texan to be censored commended a government investigation into sulphur interests. This is an extremely suggestive indication as to motive.

Evidently, in Texas, the sensitivities of the vested interests are more highly regarded than academic freedom and all decent moral values.