Bellesiles Is Out. A professor at the center of controversy is forced to resign.

National Review ^ | October 28, 2002 | Melissa Seckora

[End The Hypocrisy]

>>tenured professor<<

In the past, Emory University has allowed flagrant faculty teaching misconduct to go on without even an admonishment. For example, folks would be very hard-pressed to find a worse lecturer and examiner than Emory's Ted Davis, a tenured "professor" who taught (and perhaps still teaches) European History there (mainly but not always on the Oxford campus). "Cosmic Ted" Davis would basically never lecture regarding the reading materials or what was to be tested. He often said things that were incoherent, and knowingly put students to sleep while collecting his paycheck and barely making himself available AT ALL for after class sessions. His tests would even cover material not covered, and he'd be unapologetic and even rude if folks called such mistakes to his attention. Cosmic Ted would even make fire kindling out of people's exams and papers before they could see what they lost points for, only for Emory's Oxford campus leadership (Mr. Shapiro) to say they didn't have a WRITTEN rule against such an improper practice yet. Basically NOTHING changed after students complained about Ted Davis, and the students who spoke out against this quack were stigmatized and downgraded by Emory faculty members who got brownie points by retalliating against anyone with the audacity to have challenged the Administration. And yet Emory turns up the heat on this OTHER tenured professor. What's with the double standard?

[Fixit]

Bang!

[wideawake]

And now that the Emory report is out, scholars expect Columbia to investigate the possibility of revoking Bellesiles's Bancroft Prize.

I won't hold my breath.

[LS]

I could be wrong, but I think this was a "resign, or . . . ." situation. So, in all likelihood, Emory DID act.

The amazing thing here is Bellesiles' response, which is essentially that if you ignore his data, his thesis is correct. The guy obviously is as unrepentant as ever, and mark my words: far from being ostracized, he will be LIONIZED by the Ivy League schools and will soon have a new, higher paying gig.

[elbucko]

the possibility of revoking Bellesiles's Bancroft Prize.

I won't hold my breath either, but it would add just insult to deserved injury. The "Cooking of Facts" for political agendas, is just a egregious as "Cooking the Books" for greed. Historically, perhaps more so.

[El Sordo]

Forced to resign, check.

Now we can move on to destroying his life and breaking his spirit.

[Welsh Rabbit]

What's with the double standard?

I guess Cosmic Ted didn't get enough national press. That would also be a good nickname for Ted Turner....

[lelio]

Already posted

[glc1173@aol.com]

Bellesiles benefited enormously from making a trendy leftist cause his specialty.

Had he written papers about the crap history profs generally do - and ultimately a book about it - his chance of ever having a mass-market book, let alone at his age, would have been zilch. The "mainstream" media wouldn't have given him endless free publicity for his book had it been about the history of corsetmaking in New York State.

Had he specialized in typical history-prof crap, he also would have been dumped long ago for his transparently-fake research.

Scandals of antigun politicians - with how-to guide to "outing!"

[Antoninus]

I love it. This jerk won awards for his book based simply on it having a message the leftists wanted to hear, and claiming to have documentary evidence backing it up. The fact that no one on any of these awards committees ever bothered to check some of this guy's facts indicates clearly that the academic organizations aren't worth spit. They're just left-wing front groups....

[bvw]

That's so true. A good number -- maybe even most -- "charitable and social cause" organizations are set up as the major purpose being the political and social positioning by the founders. One of the first things they'll do is set up awards to pols and doyennes they wish to curry favor with. If they have the money, they'll even have a very nice banquet, endow scholarships, etc.

But never lose sight of their founding purpose. Personal agrandizment. Improvement of the rolodex -- the kind of rolodex entries who will call you back.

[1Old Pro]

Liberal Historians only job is to rewrite conservatism out of history. This one got caught.

[The Person]

The particular article is not already posted, though the news was. The NR article gives a more detailed account.

[The Person]

BTT

[RogueIsland]

Hmm. I wonder what Bellesiles' defenders over on the Amazon.com book reviews are saying now?

[syriacus]

Bellesiles (from http://www.emory.edu/).

It would be interesting to gather all the pro-Bellesiles info that is on the web, before it "disappears."

[steve-b]

he will be LIONIZED by the Ivy League schools and will soon have a new, higher paying gig

I like the suggestion made by a letter writer in today's Washington Times

Yet all may not be lost. Mr. Bellesisles can still salvage his career, if not his reputation. I urge him to apply for a research fellowship at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library. There, he would have ample time and funding to rewrite history, advance lies, invent things that never occurred, and collaborate with others who share the same high regard for intellectual dishonesty. He might even get to meet and learn some tips from The Master himself.

[GOPJ]

Bellesiles's a liberal. Bellesiles's a liar. No surprise there.

The surprising part is the liberal establishment caring that he's a liar. It's so out of character. They brag about lying and getting away with it. Liberals feel if you lie to further "the cause", that it's OK. That's all this guy did. He did what they all do. Little brown shirt democrats.

Is there more to this story that we're not getting?

[FreedomPoster]

>>Now we can move on to destroying his life and breaking his spirit.

LOL! Let's roll! He's deserving.