Teachers' Union Hits NROTC Loyalty Oath

The Harvard Teachers' Union stepped into the NROTC loyalty oath controversy yesterday with a statement that the oath was "contrary to the principles of academic freedom." The Union's resolution also concluded that the Navy's loyalty check "is a University matter."

The statement, prepared by Union member John O. McCormick, teaching fellow in English, held that "such an oath is obviously out of keeping with the intellectual atmosphere that should prevail at Harvard or any other university."

In elaborating on the thesis that the University should concern itself with the loyalty oath, McCormick said, "the Union feels Harvard students are admitted according to faculty, not government, standards and the Navy program here should not be permitted to subvert these standards."

This stand by the Teacher's Union is in contrast to Provost Buck's official statement of October on the oath, in which he said that "the United States Government and the Navy certainly have the right to determine the requirements by which a man gets his commission."

The Liberal Union and the Young Progressives have previously gone on record with statements that they believe the loyalty oath to be a matter for University action. The American Veterans Committee will consider this question on Monday.