jbgotmar

More oxford books @ www.OxfordeBook.com
LOVE IS EXCEPTION MAKING 221
(although eventually the ideas were to cause political change). Their
version of rebellion was fundamentally scholastic: reading philosophy
rather than taking over buildings.
Still, student Objectivists had to be careful how they used Rand’s ideas or
they would incur her wrath. The University of Virginia Ayn Rand Society
planned an ambitious three-day conference, with speakers, discussion
groups, a banquet, and several cocktail parties. Eager to draw Rand’s blessing
and interested in her advice, the organizers shared their plans for an
event intended to “provide what neither our colleges nor our culture provides—an
exciting intellectual experience and a social event.” What Rand
noticed instead was that the club used a phrase from John Galt’s oath on its
stationery. Her lawyer dispatched a blistering letter ordering removal of the
offensive quote. The club’s president was apologetic and ashamed: “I have
cut the bottoms from all of our stationery I have, and have issued instructions
and anyone else who has any of our stationery shall do likewise.” 18
A similar fate befell Jarrett Wollstein, a dedicated student of Objectivism.Wollstein
offered a course on Rand’s thought at the University of
Maryland’s “free university,” hoping to balance the overtly leftist content
of the other courses. He was careful to identify himself as an independent
operator who had not been sanctioned by Rand. But his disclaimer was
to no avail. The local NBI representative soon visited his class to read
aloud a legalistic statement announcing that he was not an approved
teacher, in the process scaring off several students. Next Wollstein’s
application for an NBI class was rejected and his registration fee
refunded. Rand then publicly disowned his project in The Objectivist,
writing, “I wish to put it on record that I repudiate and unequivocally
disapprove of Mr. Wollstein’s entire undertaking.” 19 Lengthy letters to
Rand and Branden brought no reply.
When Wollstein attended an Objectivist-sponsored conference on
the draft his presence caused a storm of controversy. Although the conference
was not an offi cial NBI event, Leonard Peikoff was the keynote
speaker. Peikoff refused to speak if Wollstein was permitted to attend
even a single session of the conference, throwing the day’s proceedings
into jeopardy. After a tense confrontation with two NBI-affi liated
lawyers, Wollstein accepted a refund and left the conference. He later
received a brief letter from Nathan banning him from all NBI lectures.
Even such treatment could not wean Wollstein off Rand or dampen his
Fore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.com