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assisted on the account for the last six or seven
years, devoting most of his time to obtaining
FCC approval for the radio acquisitions
described in your article. He is now a member
of the legal staff of the FCC’s Audio Services
Division, which oversees the radio
industry. So all bases are covered!
Richard J. Bodorff, JD’74
Washington, D.C.
Fair and Balanced
In our previous letters to you, several
of us noted that your magazine presents a
politically left bias in its articles and we urged
you to present a more “fair and balanced”
view. Now Mr. [Patrick] Feehan has urged
you to stay where you are, citing a “freedom
of speech” argument [Spring 2005 issue,“From
the Reader,” p. 5]. Sure, you are free to present
any view that you like, just as we alumni
are free to support any university that we
like. It is not a matter of “freedom of speech”;
it is a matter of the goals and objectives of
S u m m e r 2 0 0 5
your magazine, which reflects the goals and
objectives of Vanderbilt University. It is time
for you, Mr. Editor, to speak up and tell us
alumni what your intentions are for this magazine.
Is it to keep presenting the far-left political
bias, as Mr. Feehan calls for, or are you
going to try to be “fair and balanced”?
Carl W. Conner, BE’62, MS’64
Rockville, Md.
Confederate Hall
I am indebted to Mr. Jack D. Walker,
A’49, for suggesting a poll of Vandy alumni
on the subject of [renaming] Confederate
Memorial Hall on the campus of Peabody
[Spring 2005 issue,“From the Reader,” p. 6].
I am very happy to express my opinion.
I have sharply differed with the vice chancellor
for public affairs in years past about
attempting to rewrite history because some
overly sensitive students were offended.
Every dog has his day, and I am having my
day now. I have just received word that the
steely-eyed Tennessee Court of Appeals has
just handed the Vanderbilt lawyers and the
Gee team a lesson in contract law. I now hope
that this insane work to destroy the embedded
Southern Heritage at Old Vandy will cease
and the administration will get on with the
work of making the University an even better
place of higher learning.
I further recommend that if this attempt
to suit the liberal mind-set continues, that
those responsible hit the bricks on West End
Avenue and turn Northeast. Write when you
find work.
Robert B. Wynne Jr., BE’51
Dallas
What I loved about Vanderbilt was its
rich traditions. To change the name of Confederate
Hall is political correctness gone
awry and a slap in the face of those who contributed
to Vanderbilt.
Erica Dorwart, BA’90, MEd’92
Tulsa, Okla.
I was gratified to see that you featured
the letter by Jack Walker as to polling the
alumni for the disposition of renaming Confederate
Hall. You published my letter in opposition
to its “renaming” a year or so ago.
I hope the poll will reveal that graduates
of Vanderbilt will rise above the political correctness
mentality that seems to pervade our
society so much and recognize that history is
just that and is not the relabeling target of
those wanting to “feel good”!
Paul E. Tanksley, BE’54
Dallas, Ore.
I am writing in respect to your featured
letter in the Spring 2005 magazine
regarding Confederate Hall. I believe that
building was donated in good faith by the
Daughters of the Confederacy with the understanding
it would be named “Confederate
Hall” in remembrance of fathers, husbands,
uncles, etc., who died during the Civil War.
I believe the University should honor their
past commitment unless they are willing
to pay the Daughters of the Confederacy the
original cost of the building plus compound
interest.
I wish we could stop revisiting this era
and accept it as an irreversible fact in our
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