Last year, I was one of a few who questioned the grant of a Washington University honorary degree to Paul Harvey of radio and red baiting fame. I thought the honor was inappropriate because Mr. Harvey had recently supported using nuclear weapons in Iraq.
Afterwards, several people in the Wash. U. community told me that the degree was given in recognition of the Harvey family’s large cash contribution to Wash. U. I was reminded about the Harvey incident earlier this week when University Law Alumnus Alphonso Jackson resigned as President Bush’s HUD secretary amid an FBI investigation (not that there’s anything wrong with that). When Wash. U. decided to honor Jackson at founders day dinner several years ago, I pointed out his general lack of character. I was rebuffed by a University official who said that Jackson was exactly the kind of graduate the University should honor.
Jackson attended Wash. U. as an undergraduate and then was admitted into the Wash. U. Law School under a minority admissions program during the late 60s and early 70s. He had to repeat his first year. The next year Wash. U. made an effort to attract more minority students, but unfortunately six of ten failed out. Jackson led an unfair ad hominem attack against the school, claiming professors and the administration were racist despite the fact that final exams were graded blindly.
After graduating, Jackson did his best selling out what little character he had by working against public housing after he became a member of the Bush cabinet. Michael Kelly, head of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities described Al’s recent budget as part of a continuing “effort to cripple, dismantle, devalue and defund public housing as we know it.” (New York Times, April 1, 2008). Another leader in the industry called his tenure a “disaster.” All these charges stand apart from the charges that he was using public funds destined to help Katrina victims for the benefit of his own cronies. Much of this was known when Jackson was honored by the University.
Doesn’t character count for anything at Wash. U.? Take a look at the various honorees over the years-while not all are under FBI investigation (not that there is anything wrong with that) or Joe McCarthy supporters, it sure seems that a lot of them are big givers, publicity hounds and people without socially redeeming qualities who sell their souls. Am I the only person who thinks that there is something basically wrong with a university administration that has a policy disallowing Barack Obama speaking on campus while making it a policy to honor characterless alumni like Paul Harvey and Al Jackson?
When Barry Bonds was indicted, the San Francisco Giants expunged his name from “Whatchamacallit it” stadium in a move similar to Khrushchev’s reburial of Stalin. Perhaps Chancellor Wrighton will un-honor Jackson in a similar way. And while the faculty/student committee is at it, how about honoring someone at graduation 2008 this May with integrity? I am sure there are at least a couple of persons in the Wash. U. community who might qualify. If the committee can’t come up with someone, I propose Professor Peter Gaspar, world class chemist, renaissance man and one of the few faculty members with the balls to stand up for the workers at Washington University.
Norman Pressman is an alumna of the law school.
He can be reached at [email protected]