Controversy Trails Ayers in Retirement

Wall Street Journal ^ | October 5, 2010 | Douglas Belkin

[lbryce]

Bill Ayers, the former Weather Underground radical, retired from the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago this summer, but he is still stirring up controversy at the school.

The board of trustees voted last month to deny Mr. Ayers the honorific of professor emeritus after its chairman, Christopher Kennedy, argued that the title shouldn't go to a man who was co-author of a book dedicated to about 150 political figures—including his father's assassin.

The rejection has set off a lively debate across the state and reopened 40-year-old wounds. This week, faculty members will begin formally debating whether to ask the board of trustees to reconsider the vote. The rejection has drawn support in hundreds of messages to the university and newspapers.

"I must ultimately vote my conscience," Mr. Kennedy said in his remarks to the board before the vote Sept. 23. "And I would ask anyone who challenges my judgment, how could I do anything else?"

Mr. Ayers retired in August from the university's education department after 23 years. His request for the honorific—which carries no perks beyond library access—was approved by a series of faculty organizations before it reached the 12-member board. After Mr. Kennedy spoke, board members voted unanimously to reject it.

Mr. Ayers didn't return a phone call seeking comment. Several trustees didn't respond to requests for comment.

Thomas Hardy, spokesman for the University of Illinois, said he was unaware of any other professor who had been denied the title. At the Sept. 23 meeting, the board voted on 16 professors up for emeritus status; only Mr. Ayers's request was rejected.

[lbryce]

Mr. Kennedy is president of Merchandise Mart Properties, which owns Chicago's landmark trade-show facility and others across the country. Last year, he considered a run for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama. He said at the board meeting that he was unable to support Mr. Ayers because his "body of work includes a book dedicated in part to the man who murdered my father."

"His politics were really irrelevant and shouldn't have entered into [the board's] decision," said Elliot Kaufman, a recently retired professor who served with Mr. Ayers on the university's Senate Executive Committee, which represents the faculty. Mr. Kennedy "should have recused himself from the issue. He tried not to make it terribly personal but come on, it was a personal issue for him…he had a conflict of interest and his statement, I thought, influenced the other board members. I didn't think the process was right."

Aren't all liberal, left-wing minded attitudes, determined on the basis of emotionalism?

[shalom aleichem]

I find that university repugnant because they gave this slime a job 23 years ago. He should still be in jail. He is not fit to teach anyone anything.

[muawiyah]

Kennedy's position was well reasoned and if he'd pulled out a pistol and blown Bill Ayers brains out on the spot I'd hope good luck would put me on his jury ~ so's I could turn him loose.

Alas, Bill Ayers wasn't actually on the scene.

[tubebender]

I just found out 2 months ago that Ayers and Dhorn were hiding from the FBI here in northwestern Calif and come back every summer to the commune that harbored them. I’ll look for a link...

[Marty62]

The amazing thing about this is that apparently NO ONE at theis “prestigious” Univ. even knew about his dedication to Sirhan Sirhan. Absolutely shocking.

[tubebender]

Here is one... Murderers Ayers & Dohrn

[guitarplayer1953]

Sirhan Sirhan pulled one of the triggers but who programed the shooter and who was the second shooter at the hotel? Why did they destroy the ceiling panels that showed how many shot were fired into it along with all the other gun fire. I seem to remember that some of those holes were made by magic bullets just like in the JKF takedown.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks lbryce. Here's something one doesn't often see around here -- BRAVO FOR MISTER KENNEDY.

The rejection has drawn support in hundreds of messages to the university and newspapers. "I must ultimately vote my conscience," Mr. Kennedy said in his remarks to the board before the vote Sept. 23. "And I would ask anyone who challenges my judgment, how could I do anything else?" ...Ayers[']... request for the honorific -- which carries no perks beyond library access -- was approved by a series of faculty organizations before it reached the 12-member board. After Mr. Kennedy spoke, board members voted unanimously to reject it... Several trustees didn't respond to requests for comment. Thomas Hardy, spokesman for the University of Illinois, said he was unaware of any other professor who had been denied the title. At the Sept. 23 meeting, the board voted on 16 professors up for emeritus status; only Mr. Ayers's request was rejected.

About time. WtF was Ayers teaching at the U of Ill in the first place, whacko?

[isom35]

Here’s a motivational poster idea: a picture a Ayers with the caption “Who does a guy have to blow up to get professor emeritus these days?”

[purplelobster]

“which carries no perks beyond library access”

Ayers should be kept out of the library. You never know when he will start planting bombs again.

[cookcounty]

"This week, faculty members will begin formally debating whether to ask the board of trustees to reconsider the vote. "

These people would vote to honor Adolph Hitler. Universities have become a sick joke.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Ayers and his crazy communist wife Bernadine Dohrn are scheduled to participate in the “GREEN FESTIVAL” in Washington, D.C. in a couple weeks.

This “GREEN” festival is really going to be a “Watermelon Festival”, green on the outside, RED on the inside.

Go to its site and see who is speaking. Enough to gag a maggot.

[Fitzy_888]

“I must ultimately vote my conscience,”

...as opposed to?

[cookcounty]

"WtF was Ayers teaching at the U of Ill in the first place....? "

He was teaching in the Department of Education, running something called "The Small Schools Workshp" along with self-described Marxist-Leninist and Maoist Michael Klonsky. For years they shared an office on the third floor of 115 South Sangamon Street. I used to do the FedEx route there when the regular driver was off. It's interesting that on the tax papers for some of the joint efforts (Chicago Annenberg Challenge) Barak Obama was listed as CEO and his address was listed as ......115 South Sangamon Street.

Not that any mainstream reporter cares.

By the way, Ayers' brother in LA (also an extreme radical) is also in on Small Schools Workshop, they seem to have been working on perverting the charter school movement for the purposes of radical political advancement.

[cookcounty]

As to my previous comments, my knowledge does not come from my FedEX work (I don't recall any of the 3, though I do recall being in the building). Jerome Corsi has done a lot of work on this, getting the CAC tax papers through FOIA. Somewhere they were posted on FR,though I have no recollection exactly where.

For 2012,It might be a good idea to reattempt to draw attention to Obama's nut-case friends, there is a more receptive audience now.....and it is growing every day.

[Marty62]

Didn’t the door frame with bullet holes get “misplaced” also

Sirhan Sirhan was sent by someone, interesting that no one seemed interested in finding out who.

[purplelobster]

“Ayers and his crazy communist wife Bernadine Dohrn are scheduled to participate in the “GREEN FESTIVAL”

No doubt that Barry wishes that he could go and cheer on Ayers if not for the controversy that would ensue. Barry has a long history with the Ayers family - more so than I knew before reading this website linked below. Apparently David Axelrod is a former employee of Thomas Ayers:

http://www.pathlessland.net/weve-been-had/2010/4/17/meet-the-ayers-family-chapter-6.html

[guitarplayer1953]

Just like JFK MLK and Malcolm X there was a lot of lost evidence and stonewalling of what was known.

[Marty62]

I have given up on finding the truth on those matters, I just assume the Gov is lying about it.

[guitarplayer1953]

Not me I am a student of the hole 60’s deal that truly started in 50’s with the OSS. There are lots of new stuff coming out since the people involved are getting old and dieing. E H Hunt gave a death bed tape stating that he was one of the tramps picked up in the railroad yard.