, -~ The News and 0IIserwr -arolina

Campbell debate shifts fro

By DIANE WINSTON

St8ffWrltw

BUIES CREEK - Wbat's served up as campus bumor these days - ..AJJ dry as it's been in Buies Creek, it's been awful Raney" - is evidence that neither the spring beat nor the crunch of final exams bas stifled' debate at Campbell University over the controversial book, "Raney: A Novel."

But over the weeks, the focus of debate bas shifted from the novel, written by Campbell education profe$SOr Clyde C. Edgerton, to the issue of academic freedom in a church-related university.

"I guess wbat has bothered me here is that we're pretty much free in everything except discuss

J ing religion," James Wilson, pro

:pub~atiOn in March of " Raney."

fessor of languages, said last week. "That seems a little sad because that is one of the main

, interests here." Wilson's concern about the con

,met of religion and freedom of inquiry at Campbell was echoed in conversations last week with students, faculty and administration at the Baptist-affiliated school. Some agreed with Wilson, but others, including Campbell President Norman A. Wiggins, said academic freedom is better protected a t church-affiliated schools such as Campbell than at state-supported institutions.

"We have more academic freedom here than state institutions," Wiggins said in an interview. "Their academic freedom is what the state says it's going to be. Our

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academic freedom is based on tbe church.

"The state may sometimes define the limits of academic freedom in the public sector. We don't believe a religious body would do that. We're obligated to teach all the truth, and new truth is being revealed all the time."

He cited the faet that ereatioaism - &K biblical view that the Earth _ created by God - Is taught in biology classes at Campbell along with the theory ef evolution.

"We do have greater freed .. than you generally have, " lie said, referring to the fact that some universities do not teach tile biblical theory of man's orlgiaS. .,All truth can be taught. We don't have to be fearful of what tile

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novel to academic freedom

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truth iI,· although it may not be popular."

The issue of academic freedom at campbell was raised this spring after the publication of '"Raney," which critics have" read to be derisive of Baptists. Subse· quently, Campbell officials de· layed giving a new teaching con· tract to Edgerton, finally giving him a contr~without a raise.

Wiggins be hoped to meet with Edgerton this week and declined to discuss the "Raney" controversy until then.

"I'm sorry be took private negotiations and aired them publicly," Wiggins said. "I think it's a mistake for him and us."

Wiggins said that he hoped dgerton would be back in the assroom next fall. '

"We are a Christian institution, and we are a family," he said. "We have to get along as a family. We may have differences of opinions, but that doesn't stop us from getting along."

Edgerton has said his academic freedom was abridged and asked the Washington·based American Association of University Profes· . sors, AAUP, to look into hiS case.

. A spokesman there said the request was under review.

Without commenting on the Campbell situation, a past president of the professors association said church·related institutions have difficulty promoting religious values and allowing unfet· tered academic inquiry.

"They want to be a university up to a point aDd not beyond it,"

said Wllliam Van Alstyne, a constitutional law expert at Duke University "They tolerate dissent until it calls into question eternal truths."

Wiggins said Campbell's tradi· tion of academic freedom carried responsibility .

"I don't think academic free· dom gives you the license to do anything you want to do," he said. "Academic freedom does not allow unprepared people to go into the classroom or to do sloppy work or to deviate in a manner that would be offensive to the community.

"It does give them a right to carry on teaching in the classroom without any interference.

See NOVEL, ptJge.

:N ovel spurs academic freedom debate

:Cofllinudfrofll #NIle JJA pnce we hire people, we close the Goor and don't sit around worrymg about what they're doing." : Wiggins discussed academic t reedom in a telephone interview Friday night. Other students and faculty were interviewed I at the -school last week.

TIle opinion of many was that .religion and free inquiry are not ~uany exclusive on campus jpst difficult to fit together harmoniously.

"Academic freedom, like all -other freedoms, carries responsi· .bility," said F. Leary Davis, dean :Of Campbell Law School. "It's legitimate for an institution to inquire whether that responsibility has been met and where it has :to support it and protect it. ... : "There are points where every;One agrees people are responsi~le, and there are points where :everYone agrees people are irresponsible. But we also get into a lot of gray areas. " . It is one such gray area that has :enveloped .the campus since the ;Publication in March of "Raney." ~ Last month, Edgerton asked the :campbell Faculty Senate to in~tigate whether his academic freedom had been abridged. • "The use of economic sanctions :Or the threat of economic sanc:lions used against a writer, be:cause of his work, violates the 1»rinciple of academic freedom," Edgerton told his colleagues. "A university decides to either keep :people or to fire them. Those it :decides to keep must never, never :be punished because what they -write offends someone's taste or because of imagined pressure or embarrassment from outside sources."

In a close vote, the Senate turned down Edgerton's request. JS< attempted to file a grievance ~ his faculty supervisor and ~ told he had to petition the Wihinistration officials who origiiliDy had questioned his book.

school. "I think the fact that we 're having a conversation about (academic freedom) indi

. cates it's alive and well." Student sentiment about Edger

ton and academic freedom ranges from mild disinterest to lively concern. A popular teacher, Edgerton has many admirers who are more exercised about the treatment of a favored professor . than by the abridgement of his rights. Some students view the episode as a symbol of their dissatisfaction with the university. - . '''l'his is my first and last" year at Campbell," said Lauren Nuckolls, Ii fresbman from Cary. "One of the reasons I'm leaving is the administration. They're very close-minded. "

Miss Nuckolls, whose criticisms of the school ranged from strict visitation rules in the dormitories to the treatment of Edgerton, described herself as a church-going Southern Baptist. Among the aspects of Campbell she said she liked was the comfortable blend of religion and academics achieved by several professors.

"They show you they're Christians, but they don't force it down

. your thioat," she said. "I have a professor who prayed before an exam, and that made us feel really good." .

Older students seemed to be more approving of the school's policies than underclassmen. One senior said that although he did not agree with the administration's treatment of Edgerton, he understood why it happened.

"The rules are strict, but Campbell is trying to uphold a reputation and maintain an institution not seen often in North Carolina," said Scott Fitzgerald of Raleigh. "I can't say I agree with him, but I understand why Dr. Wiggins would want to look into. 'Raney,' because it does talk about sex and

religion and drinking." Within a Baptist context, where

the priesthood of the believer and the integrity of individual conscience are hallowed tenets, the tension between academic freedom and Christian orthodoxy can become acute. Problems arise when an individual espouses a belief that runs counter to .tradition or conventional wisdom.

"Campbell's on the borderline," said Duane WiIHams, a sophomore from Roanoke Rapids. "It wants to become a big university and still hold onto Its Baptist ways."

Williams, who' wants to become

an evangelist, said he came to Campbell because it is one of . the few schools that offers a major in religious drama. He supports Edgerton and also is committed to the notion of a Christian university.

"I think the biggest problem at Campbell is that we drive people

. away from Christianity," Wil

liams said. "We point a finger and

say, 'I'm a Christian and you're

nolo ...

After enumerating all ·the things that frustrated him, Williams said, "I care about Campbell. I think it has the potential to be a great schooL"

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V.an Alstyne;1be fOl'lQel' of AAUP, said he could DOt comment about Edgerton's case because he had not followed it. But he did offer observations on the protection of academic freedom.

"One of the major protections for academic freedom is for universities to provide within their own walls a reliable outlet for grievances against academic freedom," he said in a telephone interview.

A standing committee elected from the faculty would be the proper outlet for such grievances, Van Alstyne said, adding that "the omission of such a committee must have a chilling effect."

The Edgerton incident has had a chilling effect on campU6, but some say it is a result of the negative publicity that has swirled around the school.

" I'm sorry about this thing, and I wish we could bring it to a conclusion, but the place isn't all that bad," said Jerry D. Taylor, professor of mathematics. "When this kind of controversy isn't going on, we do a little teaching, and the students do a lit tle learning."

Like many of his colleagues, Taylor said the administration never had told him what he can or cannot teach.

"To the extent we have a problem from time to time, it's an aberration," said Davis of the law

·c free( reUgion and drinking."

Within a Baptist context, ~ the priesthood of the believei the Integrity of individual science are hallowed tenets, tension between academic 1 dom and Christian orthodoxy become acute. Problems a:~m a.lnSOl d when an individual esPOUSe1 belief that runs counter to .tr~ tion or conventional wisdom.

"Campbell ' s on t ,,'l! puM:aq lOU poe lUJod e 01 dn borderline," said Duane W Al!s.JOMpIIl '8 aq 01 lUltA\ A3Q.L.. Iiams, a sophomore from Ro

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Dunn, N.C. , Wednesday Afternoon, May 29, 1985 - Page 15

Campbell ·Professor Resigns Post Amid Controversy

Saying Campbell University is unwilling to deal with the issue of academic freedom, Clyde C. Ed· gerton has resigned from his job as associate professor of education at the university.

"Because the university has not seen fit at any level to deal directly, or openly, with my main concern, the abridgement of academicfreedom, I believe I will be happier working elsewhere," Edgerton said in a letter to Norman A. Wiggins, president of the university and the N.C. Baptist State Convention.

Edgerton said he had been offered a job as associate professor of teacher education and· English at St. Andrew's College, a Presbyterian-affiliated school in laurinburg. Campbell, in Bllies Creek, is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Church.

On March 27. Edgerton disclosed that Campbell officials had withheld his 1985-86 teaching contract because of a book he authored, "Raney: A . NoveL" Several days later, he received his contract without a raise.

In his letter, Edgerton thanked Wiggins for a proposed salary increase, the details of which ~ere spelled out in a recent letter from

CLYDE C. EDGEIrI'ON

Wiggins to him. Edgerton declined to disclose the contents of the letter from Wiggins.

" I find it regrettable that you have not dealt directly with my main concern, academic freedom, an issue of principle for the entire university, different frOm and clearly transcending the matter of a contract or money," Edgerton wrote.

"Raney" chronicles the first two years of a young couple' s marriage. Raney Bell Shephard is a Free Will Ba tist from a small

since Ute publication of his book in early March.

"I must take strong exception to your -belief, stated in your recent letter, that m.. Wallace and Dr. Barge intended 'merely to foresee any potential problems to the university and to you. (Edgerton) and to gather such information that would allow them to assist you and us in minimizing those problems." Such intentions would in no way call for what happened, for example, between March 1 and March 29: the withholding of my contract; or on March 6: statements to me, from the official university positions of acting dean and provost, of real dissatisfactions, rather than potential problems, regarding my novel, ' Raney.'

"I believe Dr. Barge' s and Dr. Wallace's actions relating to the publication of my novel struck at the heart of and violated my academic freedom. An impartial investigation of the entire matter could have led to .a quick conclusion and a new trust that our administration and faculty share the same definition and understanding of what academic freedom means - a trust that is now left dimmed and unsure."

This month , Edgerton asked the f Univer

that the book might embarrass Wiggins if it were read from the floor durin g the Baptist State Convention's annual meeting.

Edgerton also said the university officials claimed the book "caricatured part of the body of

Christ." ' ''The body of Christ" refers to

the Christian community, and the part administrators have said w~s caricatured was the Free WIll Baptist Church.

In a close vote, the Faculty Senate turned down Edgerton's request. He attempte~to file a grievance with his facult.y supervisor and was told that he had to petition the officials who originally questioned his book.

In his letter to Wiggins, Edgerton takes issue with the adminis·tration's interpretation of events

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North Carolina town, and her husband, Charles, is an Episcopalian from Atlanta. In a series of vignettes , the couple tries to reconcile differing views on race, religion and family relations.

At an April meeting of the university's' Faculty Senate, Edgerton asked for an indepen dent inquir into whether his academic freedom had been abridged. Edgerton told the Faculty Senate that Walter S. Barge. acting dean of the college of arts and science, and provost Jerry M, Wallace had told him

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sity Professors to investigate whethe r bis academic freedom had been abridged, A spokesman for the group said such investigation might now be halted,

.. If in fact the president was going to pay him the salary to wich he was otherwise entitled and to address those issues, then this resignat.ion would draw a close on the matter from our perspective," Jonathan Knight said in a telephone interview,

Knight said he could not speak authoritatively because he had not seen either the letter from Wiggins or t.he one from Edgerton,

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Campbell professor resigns BUIES CREEK - Campbell

University professor Clyde C. Edgerton has resigned from his job, saying the school is unwilling to deal with the issue of academic freedom.

"Because the university has not seen fit at any level to deal directly, or openly, with my main concern, the abridgement of academic freedom, I believe I will be happier working elsewhere," Edgerton said in a letter, dated Wednesday, to Norman Wiggins, president of Campbell and the N. C. Baptist State Convention.

In an interview Friday, Edgerton said he had been offered a job' as associate professor of teacher education and English at St. Andrew's College, a Presbyterian-affiliated school in Laurinburg. Campbell, in Buies Creek, is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Church.

Wiggins could not be reached for comment Friday.

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I , Fe Peop e S orum

It is difficult when reading the lightand delightful novel "Raney" to escape the impression that the ~ontrover~yraging around the book and Its author IS ' a tempest in a teapot. The novel seems so innocuous both in intent and content that one wonders whether even Phyllis Schlafly would agitate to have it removed from library.shelves.

The nature and quality of the book, however, are not the central issues of the controversy. What is at stake is an atmosphere of freedom, openness and trust on a university campus. Campbell University began as Buies Creek Academy and for many y~~ was kno~ as Campbell College until 10 recent tImes it was designated a university. It is now incumbent upon the institution to resist any appearance ~ pa~rnal~m and to behave like a UDlverslty. This presupposes at the barest minimum a commuoity of scholars and writers free to ~k truth, free to express truth and WIth .a shared commitment to safeguard this freedom from any and every infringement.

We need not be too distressed over the future of Professor Edgerton, the author of the novel. The action of the administration has guaranteed that his book wiIl sell like pot cakes and other

. institutions more af"l)reciative of his gift

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;}M Atmosphere on ca~pusJ!d isslfe in dispute over bl of .rception and .tale~t for expresSIon 1 ._ ~ ~.:._ _wil. be in touch WIth him. What should cOd~~tuStiand ~h~~:~:'~g~ce; ::: a : '""~ ra on,

uruterslty. .

F'or the administration this Image ~s to be one of tight control, audlority and relationship to the state Bait convention. But for many others th age .see~ ~~r~ingly to be one of resslon, mti~ldation and censorshi, present and pno~. After Edgerton, let all faculty beware .

No professor on a Baptist campus can teaCh with integrity under fear of the majesty of the administration or write' with probity while circumspect of the State Baptist Convention, any more thap a preacher, in preparing his serinon, can expect to come up with ~e straight gospel when he looks over his shoulder at the same convention.

. Raleigh

W.W. FINLATOR

ount [Olive'College president

assails Campbell teacher's novel

8y DIANE WINSTON Staff WrIIw

Lending support tO~iticism of a faculty member's c troversial novel, the president _Campbell University has begun eirculating a letter from the heat of Mount Olive College that nibukes the book and its author.

"Since the book was a novel, I think it was in poor taste and inconsiderate judgment on the part of the author to identify his straw character, Raney, with an established and recognized churCh," .Dr. W. Burhette Raper, president of Mount Olive College, wrote in an April 18 Jetter to Dr. Norman A. Wiggins, Campbell's president.

Mount Olive College, located in Mount Olive, is associated with the Free Will Baptis· Church, and Campbell with the Southern Baptist denomination. "Raney: A

Novel," written by Campbell education teacher Clyde Edgerton, is about a woman who belongs tothe Free Will Baptist Church.

The News and Observer obtamed a copy of Raper 's letter. Attached to it is an April 20 memo from Wiggins to North Carolina directors of Campbell's alumni association saYing: "I wrote to Dr. Raper expressing our regret that one of our teachers would, with absolutely no knowledge of the people about whom he writes, write a novel that would demean, make light of and in some instances hold up to ridicule' the religious values of the Free Will Baptist Church.

"We are pleased that Dr. Raper and the Free Will Baptist Church do not hold us accountable for Mr. Edgerton's unfortunate characterization of their faith ."

Wiggins could not be reached

for com4Dent. The book recounts the first two

years otmarriage between Raney Bell ShfIPherd , a Free Will Baptist, and' her husband Charles, an· Episcopalian. Written like a diary, the book. recounts Raney's struggle to reconcile differing perspectives that she and Charles have on race, religion and family.

The controversy over the novel began ill March when Campbell delayed renewing Edgerton's contract for next year. At a faculty

. Senate meeting on April 4, Edgerton said the university had abridged his academic freedom by delaying his contract and denying him a pay raise. During that meeting, Edgerton said

. Campbell officials had told him that the book might embarrass Wiggins, who is president of the

See MOUNT OLIVE, page JIA

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Mount Olive president's letter cr

Conli"".dfrom /NIle 29A N.C. Baptist State Convention.

In his letter to Wiggins, Raper thanked Wiggins for "your telephone call and letter regarding the book."

"In my opinion, the quality of ·the book does not merit the attention it has received in the news media/' Raper wrote. " I suspect that the confrontation with the administration of Campbell University was induced to promote the sale of the book which on its merits was probably not highly marketable. . ..

"If the book had been a scientific socioreligious study of the Free Will Baptist Baptist church, it would have been proper to identify it; otherwise, it is hard to

. justify a demeaning characterization of a church about which the author apparently has scant knowledge . ...

"Although the book addresses itself to such issues as race, family, use of alcohol, marital relations and religious values, it offers few positive contributions for resolving the probleinS the author identifies."

Raper said the book had not aroused much controversy among Free Will Baptists.

"I can't say there's been no discussion among Free Will Bap

tisls, but I've been out extensively and I haven't heard any Free Will Baptist bring up the subj~t o! the

"book with me," he &aid m a telephone interview.

Raper said that he had not read the book before Wiggins wrote him about it.

Besides sending Raper's letter to alumni, Campbell officials have distributed it to faculty members.

The issue of possible reaction of Free Will Baptists to the book was raised at an April 18 meeting of, the Campbell administration and tenured faculty. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a resolution from the Meredith College faculty calling for an independent inquiry to determine whether the principle of academic freedom had been violated .

A faculty committee was set up to answer Meredith.

"I simply don't know what they could say," Dr. Jerry D. Taylor, a mathematics professor who attended the meeting. said in an interview last week. "The com· mittee they ought to have should be investigating the problem rather than answering Meredith."

The issue of academic freedom has been debated widely on campus since the Edgerton incident came to light.

Last week, the Campbell En

glish department distributed a statement on academic freedom to the facUlty and administration.

"We affirmed Campbell's statement of purpose," said Dr. Thomas C. Richardson, the department chairman_ "We believe implicit in the statement is a statement of academic freedom. '"

"What I don't see in this case is any ~nflict between the state· ment ~f purpose and what Dr. Edgerton has published," Richardson said ... Campbell administrators have asked Edgerton how his book furthered the purpose of the university.

Richardson cited -the last sentence of Campbell's statement of purpose: "This university sees the human vocation as living by faith under grace, wit~ no conflict between the life of faith and the life of inquiry."

Last week, banners supporting Edgerton were hung throughout the Buies Creek campus, and students said the notion of academic freedom was discussed in several classes.

"Students are concerned," said Lynn Pearsall, a rising senior. "They're worried about Campbell's reputation and what it's going to look like when they graduate. "

One former trustee, whose fa

TIle News and Ob.erver, Raleigh, N.C., Sun., April 21, 1915 31 A

iticizes Campbell teacher's novel

ther was Campbell's business manager and vice president, said his family had been embarrassed by the administration's handling of the episode.

"No institution of higher learn ing can properly call itself a university while holding its facul' ty members hostage by censorship and intimidation," Burgess Marshbanks of Buies Creek said in an interview. "In my opinion, the university's intellectual integrity has been called into question and its prestige has been diminished throughout academia."

After initially withholding Edgerton's contract, the university offered him one, without a raise, and Edgerton accepted it

In a letter to Edgerton regarding the contract, Dr. Walter S. Barge, acting dean of Campbell's College of Arts and Science, wrote: "I assume that the signing, of the contract will put behind us the question of academic freedom, since we both know that the university has the duty to investi gate and determine if the scholarly efforts of its faculty advance the purpose of the university."

Barge also suggested that Ed gerton had engineered the flap over tbe book to boost its sales. A copy of the letter was obtained by The News and Observer.

"Although I have yet to form a definite opinion, one could reasonably surmise that your confrontation witb the university is rooted more in the desire to sell a book than any serious objection to the procedure for negotiations of contract."

Both Edgerton and Barge said they had no comment on the letter or the current situation.

The book's publisher, Algonquin

Books of Chapel Hill, said the controversy at Campbell had not affected sales. The book is in its third printing with a total run of 11,000 copies.

"For the past four weeks, we've been selling 250 copies a week to book stores nationwide, " said Garrett Epps, associate editor at Algonquin. "There hasn't been any pickup in sales after the publicity arouml Edgerton's situation." ,

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Raleigh Police Detective J M O'Shields said Gould was arrested ,,:hen he came out the back door of hIS house. No weapons were involved.

Gould was charged with two counts of ~ault on a law enforce. ~t . offIcer and one count of reSISting ~t'. He also was ~harg«:d WIth breaking and enter. mg WIth the intent to commit felony ~ssault at the residence of Joy SmJtb, 212 Loft Lane, Apart

"ltd u~mage to personal propertbe~ongmg to Ms. Smith. A warraJ saId Gould s~ratched' Ms. Smith's 1982 Volvo WIth a metal object He al;;o was charged on that date WI~ assault on a law enforcement o~flcer by "kjcking, attemptin to ~itehonJhe arm and hitting ab~ut Offlce~~ and shoulder" of ~ POlice

H . e also was charged with resistmg arrest and damaging the Wrist watch Of. Raleigh POlice Officer G.~. SmIth. Gould was released un er $900 bond and scheduled to

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DURHAM, N. C.

A P R~18 -· 85

Academic Narrow-Minded".. 'qj . ~ '1 , ,

Clyde Edgerton, author of the talk-of-the-town novel entitled Raney, may not be getting the raise and tenure he deserves from Campbell College, but be certainly is gaining- a great deal of · valuable publicity. . That isn't exactly what the col

lege's administrators have in mind. They apparently would prefer that Raney had never been written. And they showed it by delaying the renewal of Mr. Edgerton's contract by a month after his colleagues received tbeirs-a contract that contained no salary increase for the associate professor of education.

"The act of economic sanctions or the threat of economic sanctions used against a writer, because of his work. violates the principle of academic freedom," Mr. Edgerton

. rightly said. Americana like to think that nar

row-mindedness is a thing of the past, but an incident Ute this is an unhappy refutation of that, notion.

Published in March. the novel recounts"a young couple's first two years of married Ufe. The wife, Raney Bell Shepherd, is a Free Will Baptist from a small North Carolina town. Her husband, Charles, is an EpiscopaUan from Atlanta. The story tells how the two try to reconcile their penpectives on religion, race relations, social behavior and family.

Mr. Edgerton offered reasons why university officials allegedly objected: "Dr. Barge told me he re

i ceived three messages from my \

book that he found objectionable: that the book caricatures part of the body of Christ, that the new .... places the old, and that alcohol is used 81 a catalyst...

The author did not agree with that analysis, but it is of no consequence. What matters here is that, in a place of supposed academic freedom, a man has been subjected to unconscionable treatment for a piece of writ~nc that I~body simply doelD't like. The grounds are not something understandable such as bad taste or pornography. '

No, they apparently have sOplething to do with Baptist interpretations. Jeny M. Wallace, Campbell's provost, and Walter S. Barge, acting dean of Campbell's CoUece of ~ and Sciences. raised questions about Mr. Edgerton's knowlectae of the Baptist State Convention. Bad he been to it? Did he know wbo the president of the Baptiat State Convention Is? Did he realize that someone could read parts of the novel from the floor of the Baptist State Convention durinC tbe miscellaneous portion of the convention? IIso. someone could ask President Norman A. Wiggins how the novel furthered tbe purpose of,Campb8ll.

We have a question to add-this one to the administrators of Campbell College: Bow does flour m4t. ment of this incident further the purpose of campbell Collece-indeed, of academic freedom every-lwhere? . . I .

--~~__L

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DAILY NEWS

WASHINGTON, N. C.

MAY -25-85

f).9/

Author Lashes College,

1Subm.its ·His Resignation

BUIES CREEK (AP) - Campbell University Professor Clyde C. Edgerton has resigned from his job, saying the school is unwilling to deal with the issue of academic freedom.

"Because the university has not seen (it at any level to deal directly, or openly, with my main concern, the abridgement of academic freedom, I believe I will be happier working elsewhere," Edgerton said in a letter, dated Wednesday, to Norman Wiggins, president of Campbell and the N.C: Baptist · State Convention .

In an interview Friday, Edgerton said he had been offered a job as associa te professor of teacher

education and English at St. Andrew's CQ"llege, a Presbyterianaffiliated school in Laurinburg. Campbell, in Buies Creek, is affiliated with the Southern BaptiftChurch. ,

Wiggins could not be reached for questioning about Edgerton's resignation and his comments about Campbell.

On March 27, Edgerton, associate professor of education at Cam{>bell, disclosed that Campbell officials had withheld his 1985-86 teaching contract because of a book he wrote, "Raney: A Novel." Several days later, he received his contract without a raise.

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DURHAM, N. C.

MAY-26-R~

Says Campbell

Denies Freedom

rPro~r Quits, BUIES cREEK (AP) - Campbell

UDiversity professofClyde C. Edger·

ton has resigned from his job, saying

the school is unwilling to deal with I

the issue of academic freedom.

"Because tbe university bas not

"seen fit .at any level to deal directly,

or openly, with my main concern. the

abridgement of academic freedom, I

believe I will be bappier working ,,

elsewbere," Edgerton said in a let·

ter, dated Wednesday, to Norman

Wiggins,.president of Campbell and

tbe N.C. Baptist State Convention.

In an interview Friday, Edgerton

said be bad beeD offered a job ._

sod ate professor of teacber educa·

tion and Englisb at St. Andrew's Col·

Ieee, a Presbyterian-affiliated school

in Laurinburg. Campbell, in Buies

Creek, is affiliated witb the Soutb·

em Baptist Church.

Wiggins could not be reacbed for

comment Friday.

On March 27, Edgerton, associate

professor of education at Campbell,

d~osed that Campbell offidalJ had

witbbeld his 1985-86 teaching con·

tract because of a book be wrote,

Raney: A Novel. Several days later,

be received his contract witbout a

raise.

Raney chronicles tbe (irst two

years of a young couple's marriage.

Raney Bell Shephard is a Free Will

Baptist from a small Nortb Carolina

town, and ber husband, Cbarles, is

an Episcopalian from Atlanta. In a

series of vignettes, the couple tries

to reconcile differing views on race,

religion and family relations.

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D-130,0{)0 5-160,000

[I t\ Y-2 5-35

Clyde C. Edgerton

'ns'rsays " school urta.cade dom ;t.H Writer

Saying Campbell dniversity is unwilling to deal with the issue of $cademic freedom. Clyde C. Edgerton has resi~ from his job as associate professor of' educatiolJ at the university.

"Because the university has not seen fit at any level to deal directlf, or openly, with my main concern, the abrh,igejnent of academic freedom, I believe I will be happier working elsewhere," Edgerton said in a letter to Norman A. Wiggins, president of the university and the N.C. Baptist State Convention. The lettei" was dated Wednesday.

In an interview Friday, Edgerton said he had been offered a one-year appointment as associate professor of teacher education and English at St. Andrew's

College, a Presbyterian..,filiated school in Laurinburg. Campbell , in BuiesJ:reek , is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Church

. Wiggins could not be reached comment Friday. On March '1:l, EdgertOn disclosed that Campbell

officials had withheld hiS 1985-86 teaching contract because of a book he authored, "Raney: A Novel." Several days later, he received his contract without a raise.

In his letter, Edgerton thanked Wiggins for a proposed salary increase. the details of which were spelled out in a recent letter from Wiggins to him. Edgerton declined to disclose the contents of the letter from Wiggins.

See CAMPBELL, page 2C

ContinlUld f rom page I e , . "I find it regrettable that you have not dealt

directly with my main concern, academic freedom, an issue of principle for the entire · university, different from and clearly transcending tbe malLer of a contract or money," Edgerton wrote.

"Raney" chronicles the first two years 'Of a young couple's marriage. Raney Bell Shephard is a Free Will Baptist from a small North Carolina town, and . her husband, Charies, is an Episcopalian from Atlanta. In a series of vignettes, the couple tries to reconcile differing views on race, religion and family relations.

At an .4.pril meeting of the university's Faculty Senate, Edgerton asked for an independent inquiry

• ;1 into whether his academic freedom had been abridged. Edger,ton told the Faculty Senate that Walter S Barge, acting dean of the college of arts

2C The News and Observer, Raleigh. N.C.• Sat.. May 25. \'1915

Campbell prflfessor resig

and science, and provost Jerry M. Wallace had told him that the book might embarrass Wiggins if it were read from the floor during the Baptist State Convention's annual meeting.

Edgerton also said the university officials claimed the book "caricatured part of the body of Christ . It

"The body of Christ" refers to the Christian community, and the part administrators have said was caricatured was the Free Will Baptist Church.

In a close vote, the Faculty Senate turned down Edgerton's request. He attempted to file a grievance with his faculty supervisor and was told that he had to petition the officials who originally questioned his book.

In his letter to Wiggins, Edgerton takes issue with the administration's interpretation of events since the publication of his book in early March.

" I must take strong exception to your belief, stated

I A Ralp;l1h rpdlll11"!mt mllnllO':" 'VlI" I'hll1"cfOO PlI..iv R+iRAv ~,"F !W""'I 3diiiJlDSlJ'btMN ' J3 .

--

s, saysfreedoin abridged

in your recent letter , that Dr. Wallace and Dr. Barge intended 'merely to foresee any potential problems to the university and to you (Edgerton) and to pther such information that would allow them to ....t you and us in minimizing those probleml.' Sue" intentions would in no way call for wb4llhappened, for example, between March 1 and Marda '2e: the withholding of my contract ; or oa. . Ma~h 6: statements .to me, from tile offic(al . university positions of acting dean and PNv.t, o.f real dissatisfactions, rather than ~ problems. regarding my novel, 'Raney.'

"I believe Dr. Barge's and Dr. Wallace's actions relating to the publication of my novel struck at the heart of and violated my acadernic freedom. An impartial investigation of the entire matter could have led to a quick conclusion and a new trust that our administration and faculty share the same

-~--- ------

definition and understanding of what academic freedom means - a trust that is now left dimmed and

sure." Barge and Wallace were unavailable for comment

Friday. This month. Edgerton asked the American AIaocla·

tlon of University Professors to irwutigate wflether his academic freedom had been abri~ged. A spokesman for the group saki ;ueh investigation micbt now be halted. j. " .

"If in .. the presta. _u lOin, to pay 114m the lary to which he, WU otherwile entitled lad to

address those issues. then this resignation would draw a close on the matter from our perspective," Jonathan Knight said in a telephone interview.

Knight laid he could not speak authoritatively because he had not seen either the letter from Wiggins or' the one from Edgerton.

1- _w

IS

,e liof I lY irr~'-

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RALEIGH . Ne 27603NEWS - RECORD TEL . (919) a33 .2079?GREENSBORO, N. C.

f'iAY-25-85

Campbell professor resigns

BUIES CREEK - Campbell University professor Clyde C. Edgerton has resigned from his job, • saying the chool is unwilling to deal. with the issue of academic freedom.

"Because the university has not seen fit at any level to deal directly, or openly, with my main concern, • the abridgement of academic freedom, I believe I wiU be happier working elsewhere, " Edgerton said

in a letter, dated Wednesday, to

Norman Wiggins , president of

Campbell and the N.C. Baptist

State Convention.

In an interview Friday, Edgerton said he had been offered a job' as

associate professor of teacher edu

cation and English at St. Andrew's

College, a Presbyterian-affi liated

school in LaUrinburg. Campbell, in

BUies Creek, is affiliated with the

Southern Baptist Church.

Wiggins could not be reached for comment Friday.

SUN JOURNAL

NEW BERN, N. C.

MAY-25-8S "Pj' Professor quits t?" CREEK N.C. (AP) _

BUIES . 'ty' professor ClydeCam bell Uruversl his p has resigned from

C. Edg~rton school is unwilling ~ job, saymg ththe issue of academiCdeal with e

freedom. iversity has not "Because the un I directly,

. t y level to dea seen fit a a? main concern, the or openly, With my mic freedom, I abridgement.of ~a~~ppier working believe I :rndgerton said in a lett~r,elsewhere. E Norman Wlgdated we~esda~,~mpbel1 and thegins president 0 I t ' n

' . State eonven 10 •

N C Baptist 'd Edgerton.. . . w Frl ay,

In an mtervle ff rt!tl a job as . h had been 0 e said e of teacher educaassociate pro~ess:~ St. Andrew's Coition and English . ffilia ted s

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KIt'-lSTON, N. C. D·18 ,QOO

t1A~-()6 -85

truth is, although it may not be popular. "

·.

Some Campbell professors say the Novel," written by education professor the book itself to the issue of acade university. Critics say the novel is derisi

.-. q\Raney' Gives Ris¢ To Questions Abo

'I- BUIES CREEK, N.C. (AP) - ,Although Campbell University delayed giving a contract to a professor who wrote a controversial novel, president Nonnan Wiggins says academic freedom is better protected at cburchaffiliated schools like his than at state-supported institutiGIIS.

"We have more academic freedom here than state institutions," Wiggins said. "Their academic freedom is what the state says it's going to be. Our academic freedom is based on the church.

"We're obligated to teach all the truth, and new truth is being revealed all the time, .. he said.

Wiggins cited the fact that creationism - the biblical view that the Earth was created by God - is taught in biology classes at Campbell along with the theory of evolution. Some universities do not trach the biblical theory of man's orgin.

"All truth can be taught," he said. "We don't have to be fearful of what the

After delaying Edgerton's contract, without a raise.

t Academi

bate over the book "Raney: A de C. Edgerton, has shifted from c freedom in a church-related

of Baptists. ':versity officials gave. him one

Edgerton has said his academic fredtom was abridged and asked the Washington-based American AssociatiorlClf Professors to look into the case. Aspokesman there said the case was und" review.

"I guess what has bothered me here ;1a that we're pretty much free in everything except discussing religion," said James Wilson, professor of languages at the Buies Creek college. "Tijat seems a little sad because that is one of the main interests here."

Wiggins said he hoped to ~t with Qlgerton this week and declined to

extend state drunken-driving laws to motorbOa operators.

The facts speak for themselves about the hazaroJ drunken boaters pose:

- The state Wildlife Commission estimates that near ly 40 percent of people killed in boating accidents are In toxicated enough to fall under the legal definition of impairment.

'J'l",.. ~. vern, r',.. "'-: ~. ng that

..

~

c Freedom At ~ampbell

discuss the "Raney" controversy until then. _

"I'm sorry he took private negotiations and aired them publicly," he said. "I think it's a mistake for him and us."

Meanwhile, the opinion of students and faculty members interviewed was that religion and free inquiry are not mutually exclusive on campus - just difficult to fit together hannoniously.

"Academic freedom ... carries responsibility," said F . Leary Davis, dean . of Campbell Law School. "It's legitimate for an institution to inquire whether

that responsibility has been met and where it has to support it and protect it I

"There are points where everyone agrees people are responsible, and there are. points where everyone agrees people are irresponsible. But we also get into a lot of gray areas. "

Student reaction about the controversy ranged from mild disinterest to lively concern.

"This is my first and last year at Campbell," said Lauren Nuckolls, a freshman from Cary. "One of the reasons I'm leaving is the administration. They're very close-minded." •

Older students, however, seemed mo~e approving of the school's policies than underclassmen.

"The rules are strict, but Campbell is trying to uphold a reputation and maintain an institution not seen often in North Carolina," said senior Scott Fitzgerald of Raleigh. "I can't say I agree with him, but I understand why Dr. Wiggins would,.. &0 look into 'Raney,' because it does talk about sex and religion and • • ,..

rt of it.

'isH was ople have

litariansiIn nceofhap. e that in. . ts where that there

-

BecaUSe to native. The

Europe _ I

may be _ _

POSsible transatlantic Partner tbeu.s. tor

Measured by Power realities, to be

sure, the lOgical Partnership lies

between the U.S. and Russia. The

twogiants On the outside of Europe,

the Countries that are Continents, .

emerged as the PrinCipal Victors 0(

World War n. They Wrote the ter.

ri tOrial settlement at Yalta and

Potsdam. It still stands today _

largely becaUSe a divided Europe

defines the boundaries for which RUSSians and Americans are prepared to fight,.

But the SOViets have fOrfeited a

I

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INDEPENDENT DURHAM, N. C.

Banned in Buies Creek?

Slowly but steadily more and more attention

is being paid to possible restrictions of aca...dcmk...fr=dom at the conservative Baptist Campbell University in Buies Creek. . The controVersy began this fall in a seem

il'lgly unconttoversial manner. Algonquin Books in Chapel Hill published a short first nove], Raney, written by Campbell Associate Professor of Education Clyde Edgerton. The story portrays the marriage of a Free Will Baptist young woman and a young Episcopalian college librarian. Publishers Weekly cal1ed Raney a "charming vignette" and predicted that "few readers will fail to respond with sympathy and understanding to a young couple whose problems are neither epic nor earth-shaking but very much like our own:'

But Campbell's president, proYOSt-and-dean were among the unsympathetic readers. According to Edgerton the administration told him they had three objections to his novel: "It caricatured part of the Body of Christ, the new

. replaced the old, and alcohol was used as a catalyst for sexual relations."

At first, when contracts for the 1985-86 school year went out, Edgerton did not receive one. Later he received a contract, but it did not include any pay raise. His previous seven years he had received raises of between 5 and 10 percent, and this year his colleagues received pay raises of that magnitude.

Edgerton says, "The provost told me my work was exemplary except for the book." And, "The dean even told me he thought the book was funny, and he said I was a good writer."

But, no raise. Edgerton says the administration told him the novel left the school open to criticism from the state Baptist Convention. Campbell President Norman Wiggins is also currently president of the convention, which last year provided about $800,000 of Campbell's budget.

=

Last month Edgerton asked the faculty senate to investigate whether his academic freedom had been violated. Seven Campbell senators voted to investigate, and only three voted not to. But, on a technicality, an investigation was rejected.

The American Association of University Professors is now reviewing the case. Dr. Jonathan Knight, who is doing the review, said that, although he has n~t yet heard from the Campbell administratio~ "there seems to havt: been a significant violation of academic freedom:'

And Edgerton's case doesn't seem, to be the first one. Bernard Cochran, a professor at the Baptist-supported Meredith College in Raleigh, has brought to the press' attention two previous incidents. About eight years ago a tenured religion professor who also happened to be chairman of the faculty s~nate was fired ostensibly he joined the Meth~t church. Four or five years ago, Cochran says, a French professor was fired for ordering for the library a copy of a "morally objectionable" book (Cochran thinks it was a work of the Marquis de Sade's).

'1 saw the letter;' Cochran says, "that in the first paragraph congratulated (the professor) for having finished his doctorate at Duke, and in the second informed him that he had been dismissed from his job because his views were not in accordance with those of the administration."

When asked the Campbell administration's position on these issues, Provost Jerry Wallace said they were "happy that Dr. Edgerton has signed his new contract;' and that Edgerton's raise was a "personal matter that we won't discuss." '

?"

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THE PILOT

SOUTHERN PINES, N. C.

~ APR-24-~i . '~~_______

;11/ Something In Common BY JAY JENKINS

Clyde C. Edgerton of Campbell University and Russell Brantley of Wake Forest University have something in common: each wrote'a first novel that irritated their Baptist employers.

The resulting rhubarbs helped the sales of both books. And during the 13 years that separate ~ublication of the two novels, it is obvious that we Baptists have made little progress in raising our level of tolerance.

Edgerton's novel is "Raney" (Algonquin Books, Chapel Hill) and it has received critical aeclaim, not only in newspapers but in a national news magazine. But it pokes a little fun at Baptists and some of their customs.

The powers-that-be at Campbell, a Baptist school like Wake Forest, didn't publicly complain about the book but made clear their displeasure:uiey delayed offering Edgerton a renewal of his teaching contract. I

When the contract finally was sent to the new author, Edgerton, a factilty member of seven years, fOlmd that he was not offered the customary pay raise and neither

was he granted tenure. The censure could hardly have been more explicit.

Russell Brantley was the public relations director of Wake Forest when "The Education of Jbnathan Beam" was published in the winter of 1962.

Jonathan Beam was something of a country rustic and the novel was an account of his life on a Baptist campus. The novel spoofed some Baptist beliefs and its treabnent of Baptist ministers incensed some of the brethren.

There was a storm of protests. Angry Baptists fired off letters to their journal, "The Biblical Recorder." There were

. widespread demands that BranUey be fired.

He was summoned before the Wake Forest Board of TruStees. BranUey ouUined his reasons for writing the book, explained why some of the language in ~ narrative was not what is normally beard at a meeting of sewing circles.

But Brantley, despite all the pressures, refused to retract anything that he had written and

defended his fictional child, Jonathan Beam.

Members of the Wake Forest Board of Trustees voted ''to take no action" against him, sustaining the man's right to apeak his piece. Incidentally, at the same m~ the trustees voted to desegregate the school.

If "Raney" and "Jonathan Beam" had been novels featuring heavy doses of grapbic sex, the Baptist reaction would have been more un~ble. But both of them togethet don't contain as much raunchy action as can be seen in a 3O-minute SQ8p opera on any weekday afternoon. ·

BranUey's career was unscathed by the uproar over his novel; he is now Assistant to the Presi. dent of Wake Forest. Edgerton probably will discover that the Campbell put-down actually will prove ,a boost .even though ,he finds it necessary to seek a more hospitable academic climate.

One Baptist of 54 years standing offers this unsolicited advice to his denomination's schools:

Don't get in a tizzy about fiction about US; save your fretting for the facts about us. '\ \

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CHARLOTTE, N . C

..,.. • I'lC ~JJA"",Q,91-J3~~.t.AY.t.A lYl"dt.IiI), ,.,..y 0, I ~O;, - - " •

r;Academic Freedom ) .Focus ' Of Debate

ovel Stirs Controversy At Baptist School ASIOCIItM ..,..

BUIES CREEK - The debate *r a controversial novel written . by a campbell University professor bas shifted from the book itself to the issue of academic freedom in a cburcb-related university, offl~alsH say. . guess wbat has bothered me Iltre is tbat we're pretty mucb free • 'eve~ing except discussing reJliloD,' said James Wilson, profesIJilr of laDguages at Campbell. "Tbat lleems a little sad because that Is one of tbe main interests btre."

Wilson's concerns were echoed It conversations last week with · Students, faculty and administration officlalJ at the Baptl,,-affiJiated scbool as tbe controversy fWer the book, "Raney: A Novel" .continued.

Critics have viewed the book by Clyde Edgerton, an education professor at the scbool, as beina derisive of Baptists.

While some agreed with Wilson, ers, including President Nor

man Wiggins, said academic freedom is well protected at churchaffiliated schools.

'We have more academiC freeddm here than state institutions," be said. "Tbelr academic freedom is what the state says it's going to be. Our academic freedom is based on the church.

"We're obligated to teach all the truth, and new truth is being revealed all the time."

He cited the fact that creation-in - the biblical view that the

-EFtb was created by God - Is taught in biology classes at Camp~11 along with the theory of evolUtion. Some universities do not ~ch the biblical theory of man's attgin.

"An truth can be taugbt," he ",d. "We don't have to be fearful , .

.

of what the truth is, although It may not be popular."

The issue of academic freedom at Campbell was raised this spring after the publication of Edgerton's book. campbell officials delayed giving Edgerton a teaching contract, but finally gave him a con- \ tract without a raise.

Wiggins said he boped to meet with Edgerton this week and declined to discuss the controversy over the novel until then.

"I'm sorry he took private negotiations and aired them publicly," Wiggins said. "I think it's a mistake for him and us."

Edgerton has said his academic freedom was abridged and asked the WaahlDgton-based American Association of Professors to look into the case. A spokesman there said the case was under review.

Meanwhile, the opinion of students and faculty members interviewed was that religion and free inquiry are not mutually exclusive on campus - just difficult to fit together harmoniously.

"Academic freedom... carries . responsibility," said Leary Davis,

dean of the Campbell Law School. "It's legitimate for an Institution to inquire whether that responsibility has been met and where it has to support it and protect It .. ..

"There are points where everyODe agrees people are responsible, and there are points where everyone agrees people are irresponsible. But we also get into a lot of gray areas."

Student reaction about the controversy ranges from mild disinterest to lively concern.

"This is my first and last year at Campbell," said Lauren Nuckolls, a freshman from Cary. "One of the reasons I'm leaving is the administ ration. They're very elos minded."

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pr?fessor has . qui t a Baptist I .uruversity over academic freedom to ~ublish his novel that school officials 'claim "caricatured part of the body of Christ." .' Clyde Edgerton, Campbell University a ociate professor of t;ducation, said in a resignation letter 'ijated May 22 the Southern Baptist

school is unwilling to deal with the issue of academic freedom.

Campbell officials last . March delayed Edgerton's teaching contract next year then failed to give him a raise because of his book, "Raney: ANovel."

The book is a bout the first two years of a marriage between a smalltown North Carolina Baptist woman and an Atlanta Episcopalian who try to work out their differences on race, religion and family relatien8;

Edgerton said university officials claimed the book "caricatured part of the body of Christ" because of his portrayal of the Free Will Baptist Church. "Tbe body of Christ" refers to the Christian community, he said.

"I find it regrettable that you have{ not dealt direcUy with my main concern, academic freedom, an issue of principle for the entire university, different from and clearly transcending the matter of a contract or money," Edgerton said in the letter. "I believe I will be happier working elsewhere. "

Edgerton had called on the school for an independent inquiry into whether his academic freedom had been abridged. He also asked the American Association of University Professors to investigate the issue, but a sPokesman for the group said such a probe might now be halted because "this resignation would ~awacloseonthematter." )

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.2.41 betrayal UJ one • '8Jm. " '-;;/

Art V s. Dogma At Campbell U. ·

At Campbell University in Buies

Creek, an education professor, the book he wrote and the institution's president have become embroiled in a controversy over just what "furthers the purpose of the university." That disagreement can't be resolved without first answering a more basic question: Is the university's purpose to educate or indoctrinate?

Clyde Edgerton, the professor, satirizes (among other targets) Free Will Baptists in his novel, "Raney." But Campbell is a Baptist-affiliated school, and its president, Norman Wiggins, is a leader in the N.C. State Baptist Convention. Mr. Wiggins and Campbell's acting dean, Walter Barge, apparently became worried that the book's treatment of religion, sex and alcohol were offensive to Baptists in general and to Campbell in particular.

"Raney" has received much critical praise. Its plot involves the marriage of the title character, a Free Will Baptist from rural North Carolina, to an Atlanta Episcopalian. The novel depicts the clash of backgrounds and attitudes between Raney and her husband which ultimately strengthen their marriage.

After the novel was published, the university administration delayed renewal of Dr. Edgerton's teaching con

tract and denied him a raise. When

Dr. Edgerton asked the faculty to look

. into an abridgement of his academic

freedom, the faculty refused, although

the vote was close. He has taken his

case to the American Association of

University Professors in Washington.

According to Dr. Edgerton, "Dr. Barge told rile he received three messages from my book that he found dbjectionable: that the book caricatures part of the body of Christ, that the ·new replaces the old and that alcohol is· used as a catalyst."

The real problem, it seems to us, is that Mr. Wiggins and other university administration officials are guilty of what ails many of Dr. Edgerton's characters: narrowmindedness. If Mr. Wiggins thinks Dr. Edgerton's gentle satire is threatening for Baptists, the Baptists he knows are a good deal punier than the ones we know.

If Mr. Wiggins wants to make sure every utterance by a Campbell University faculty member conforms to his view of propriety, that's fine. But a decent regard for honesty would make him advocate changing the name of the institution to something other than "university." A university,

. after all , is an institution whose leaders understand that free speech::J's essential to the pursuit of truth and wisdom. . It

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