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Dr.
Waterbury accompanies Queen Noor of Jordan to Marquand House after
her arrival on campus October 27. Later the queen talked with Jordanian
students, telling them "You are privileged to be attending
AUB." Meeting First Lady Mrs. Lahoud at Marquand house, the
queen and her party then made their way to the AUB Museum where
Queen Noor was guest of honor at the opening of the "Calligraphy
in the Arab and Islamic World" exhibition. That evening she
spoke at a gala fundraising dinner at the Roman Baths in support
of the AUB Museum's renovation project.
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Academic Year Launched
The
new academic year officially began on October 6 when members of the administration,
faculty, staff and student body gathered at Assembly Hall for the Opening
Ceremony.
In his speech, President Waterbury discussed what he called AUB's
"most important internal crisis"--the Lewis Affair of 1882--and
its relevance to academic freedom then and now.
The affair began when chemistry professor Dr. Edwin Lewis praised
Charles Darwin's scientific methods in his Commencement address in1882.
'The speech caused a furor among some members of the Board of Trustees.
It clearly displeased the University President Daniel Bliss and confirmed
the negative views of Lewis," said Waterbury.
As a result, three senior professors resigned, and 17 medical students
were suspended. In addition a Declaration of Principles was imposed which
all faculty members had to sign as representing their acceptance to uphold
Christian values.
Behind the controversy, said Dr.Waterbury, was the longstanding
contest between the liberals and conservatives at the Syrian Protestant
College.
Later, Daniel Bliss apparently thought better of the Declaration of Principles
and what it stood for. In 1888 he gave a speech in which he held up Darwin
as something of a role model. In 1902, when he retired, Daniel Bliss urged
the abolition of the Declaration of Principles, thus paving the way for
increased academic freedom.
"From this long episode," said Waterbury, "I draw
two principal conclusions regarding academic freedom. First, universities,
like the legal system and the press, should be at the center of great
controversies... Second, principles such as academic freedom often grow
into the practices of an institution despite the better judgement of the
founders of the institution…"
As the Opening Ceremony concluded students, in their own demonstration
of academic freedom, raised banners to protest the new LL.60,000 "Internet
fee."
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