earned at a prestigious institution innthe northern Midwest. However,nwhen she arrived on campus to assumenher duties, she stunned the administrationnby announcing that she had noninterest in directing minority studies.nRather, she demanded to profess in thendepartment of history.nThe administrators at this A&Mncollege already were smarting undernchastisement by bureaucrats fromnWashington because this rural aggienschool had too few hyphenated Americansnon its faculty; therefore the institutionnfaced the threat of curtailednFederal dollars unless the situationnchanged rapidly. Thus they feltnobliged to give in to the demands ofn.their new colleague to prevent hernfrom leaving.nThe decision made by the administratorsnof this A&M school was conveyednto the chairman of the departmentnof history by the dean of arts andnsciences: “I’m sending over an assistantnprofessor for your faculty.”nAfter the situation was completelynexplained to the history departmentnchairman, he asked the one questionnthat seemed to matter to him at a timenof budgetary austerity, “Where willnher salary come from?”n”Don’t worry,” the dean assurednhim, “my office will pick up her salarynthis year.”nThe dean’s meaning was clear. Thenhistory department, which had a professornretiring the following year,nwould have to use those dollars to paynthe salary of their new colleague. Inneffect, this meant the departmentnwould have no say in hiring a replacementnfor the retiree.nA few days later, the members ofnthis history department were invited tona reception to meet their new fellownhistory professor. Not one of themnasked about departmental integrity innhiring—or even about the demands ofnaffirmative action that any position benwidely advertised, that applications bentaken by a departmental committee,nthat three candidates be selected andninvited to the campus to read a paperndemonstrating academic worthiness,nand then that the department vote onnwhich of the three to hire.nThere likewise was not a murmurnabout their new colleague’s particularnfield of competence, Russian history.nAlready this department had two Rus­nsian historians. Now it had three tonteach the one or two classes offeredneach semester in this area — whilenother needed areas were neglected.nNor yet was there complaint aboutnthe salary being paid their newncolleague—which was higher thannmost associate professors in the departmentnwere receiving.nThis episode proved a painful paradoxnfor the members of this historyndepartment. Like most historians, theynwanted to consider themselves part ofnthe mainstream of liberalism, and thusnthey favored preferential treatment fornblacks and females. Yet as cardcarryingnmembers of the academicnprofession, they believed in departmentalnautonomy in hiring rather thannhaving new colleagues forced on themnby administrators. Moreover, most ofnthem reacted in knee-jerk disagreementnwith administrators on everynissue, seeing their relationship asnadversarial. Had their new colleaguenbeen a white male, the local chapter ofnthe American Association of UniversitynProfessors would have rung the tocsinnand shouted for the faithful tonthrow up barricades in front of thenAdministration Building.nIn this one situation can be seen thenpainful dilemma of this brave newnacademic age facing the faithful. Andnin it can be seen the moral bankruptcynof today’s university campuses, particularlynin the liberal arts.nIf someone gathered in book formnevery abuse and fraud perpetrated innthe name of expediency in the face ofnFederal demands, it would make anlarge, sad volume — and no doubtncause the compiler to be read out ofnthe ranks of his profession. His resignationnwould be demanded by an outragednadministration and faculty.nThere would be no call for due processnor for justice. Lynch law would prevail.nApparently every professor nownshares the inheritance of Professor X,nwhich is that academia truth does notnset anyone free; rather, it results inncries of death for the messenger.nOdie Faulk is author of Arizona: AnShort History (University of OklahomanPress) and of other standard volumesnof Southwestern history.nKmg Kong Visits McDONALD’5nnnSv^A^MU..^nFEBRUARY 1987 / 35n