Series XII: Student Affairs Series, 1962-1975 (Boxes 70-79)

The student affairs series consists of 25 linear inches of material arranged alphabetically into 5 boxes. Within most folders, material is arranged chronologically. This material relates to all student activities including admissions, athletics, campus disorders, clubs, associations, financial aid, dormitory regulations, placement, student publications, centers, and conduct. The bulk of the material in this series relates to the hiring and firing of John F. Hatchett, the director of the Martin Luther King Center for Afro-American Studies.

The material on Hatchett begins in Box 1, folder 4 and continues until Box 5, folder 6. Briefly, the controversy began when the University attempted to reintegrate the Martin Luther King Jr. Afro-American Student Center into NYU. The Center asked the University to hire Hatchett as director of the Center. Hatchett had been dismissed as a school teacher when he took his students to a Malcolm X memorial service despite an explicit order from the school system not to do so. According to the correspondence from the President's office and memos on the subject, the University was unaware when it hired Hatchett that he had published an article accusing Jewish school teachers of being unable to teach black school children. This article was viewed as anti-Semitic by the Jewish community. When President Hester became aware of this controversy, he discussed the problem with Hatchett and determined that Hatchett was not anti-Semitic. The University defended its decision to hire Hatchett in an internal memo sent to alumni and faculty. Many of the alumni responded with threats to discontinue financial contributions to the University. Since many of the alumni were Jewish and the University was suffering a financial crisis, this threat was taken seriously. Hatchett then made a speech accusing Richard Nixon, then Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and Albert Shanker of being "racist bastards." This remark prompted the University to fire Hatchett. A controversy remained over whether Hatchett was actually fired over this comment or because he had been such an embarrassment from the beginning that the University was looking for an excuse. The letters regarding the Hatchett controversy are filed alphabetically instead of chronologically because that is the way they were received.

Box 5 contains an exchange between the alumni and the University over the decision to discontinue intercollegiate basketball and diminish encouragement of track because of financial difficulties. This box also contains a dispute over scholarship aid and placement of Puerto Rican students in the Graduate School of Social Work. Also of interest is a folder on the Students for a Democratic Society, which contains posters and bulletins circulated by the organization and the administration response.

Folder names followed by an asterisk (*) contain materials of a sensitive nature. Researchers must consult with the archivists before being granted access.