OT - Another reason to hate Harvard

Probably a little too controversial for a hockey forum, but here you go. And as a former journalist myself, I know all about taking research like this with a grain of salt.

[www.jpost.com]

Since the article might require you to login, I'll post the text below:


Harvard was 'warm' to Nazis in the 1930s

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Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 15, 2004

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Harvard University enhanced the reputation of the Nazi regime when it sanctioned events in the 1930s attended by Nazis, a historian claimed.

"Harvard remained largely indifferent to the persecution of Germany's Jews," Stephen H. Norwood, a University of Oklahoma history professor who is writing a book about the response of American universities to the Nazi party, said Sunday.

Norwood presented some of his findings at a conference on the Holocaust at Boston University, where he was the keynote speaker.

Harvard responded with a rebuttal of Norwood's claims, which they said lacked context.

"The university was then and is now repulsed by everything that Hitler represents, and the specter of Nazism rightly inspires horror and revulsion to this day," the university said in a statement.

Norwood claimed administrators welcomed one of Hitler's closest deputies to a reunion, hosted a reception for German naval officials, and sent a delegate to a celebration at a German university that had expelled Jews.

Harvard administrators, alumni, and student leaders "remained indifferent to Germany's terrorist campaign against Jews and indeed on numerous occasions assisted the Nazis in their efforts to gain acceptance in the West," he said.

Norwood criticized former Harvard president James Bryant Conant for failing to speak against the Nazis despite numerous opportunities between 1933 and 1937.

He said that during that time, it was widely reported that German Jews were segregated in schools, beaten in the streets, purged from universities, and their businesses boycotted.

Much of Norwood's presentation focused on a campus visit by Ernst Hanfstaengl, the Nazi party's foreign press chief.

Hanfstaengl, a Harvard graduate, attended a 25th-year reunion on the campus in 1934 – the year after Hitler became chancellor of Germany.

The reunion sparked protest in the Jewish community.

"Conant could easily have denounced the visit but did not," Norwood said.

But the university said in its statement that Conant made it clear he did not support the Nazis. Conant showed his disdain for Hanfstaengl by coldly ignoring his greeting during a reunion receiving line, and asked for clemency for students arrested at an anti-Nazi protest over Hanfstaengl's presence on campus, the university said.

Later, Conant twice rejected Hanfstaengl's attempts to donate money to the university, according to his 1970 autobiography.

But we all need to be careful before throwing stones. I, myself, have no knowledge about how CU responded in the 30's. Back in my day, I do know how difficult it was to get, what many felt was a needed response to the South African crisis.

[Q]Jim Hyla Wrote:

But we all need to be careful before throwing stones. I, myself, have no knowledge about how CU responded in the 30's.[/q]

I was actually thinking that as I was posting it, which is part of the reason why I included the disclaimer. Whether or not his research is accurate, it certainly doesn't tell the whole story.

Still, I saw the headline and figured if I was going to forward it to anyone, it might as well be elynah.

Jim, while I have your attention, there was a woman handing out cherry tootsie pops at the Cornell-Columbia football game on Saturday. Relative of yours, or merely a disciple?

[Q]Greenberg '97 Wrote:
Jim, while I have your attention, there was a woman handing out cherry tootsie pops at the Cornell-Columbia football game on Saturday[/q]
There was?? Dammit... the things I miss guest-announcing for the Band!!

Beeeej

Oh, that was you?

You know, I would have found the Cornell Medical College jab funnier had they not summarily rejected me oh so many years ago.

Sorry, man - one can't always amuse 100% of the folks without torquing any of 'em. Hell, I didn't get into Columbia Law, so it was as much of an exercise for me not to sound bitter as it was to sound funny.

Anyway, I suspect this was the last time I'll ever "relive my glory days" as band announcer. It was hard enough to be funny on demand every week thirteen years ago when I actually knew the people I was nicknaming and when I had a week to prepare (and when I could get drunk first).

Beeeej

[Q]Greenberg '97 Wrote:Jim, while I have your attention, there was a woman handing out cherry tootsie pops at the Cornell-Columbia football game on Saturday. Relative of yours, or merely a disciple?[/q]No, not I. Actually I've not been doing it at Lynah. Some ushers said some were thrown on the ice. I was stopped at Sacred Heart and have not yet gotten an OK.

So now we're back to Nazi's on this thread.