Ohio Trustees May Revise Speech Rule

Protest by Ohio State students and faculty may force the University's board of trustees to revise a recently instituted "gag rule" at a meeting today.

The rule requires all speakers on the Ohio State campus to be approved by President Howard L. Lewis. Trustees ordered the censorship after two Columbus, Ohio, newspapers condemned the speech of Harold O. Rugg, Columbia University professor emeritus, who is well known for his "unorthodox" economic views.

Although invoked only once in several weeks, the ruling caused heavy protest on the part of student and faculty organizations, some Ohio newspapers, and prominent church and labor leaders. All charged it was an infringement of academic freedom, and freedom of speech.