The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 12, 1964 Page: 3 of 10
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Campus religion: man and God at Rice
BY RICHARD BEST
Thresher Religion Editor
' Along with the freshness of
John David Maguire's theologi-
cal observations, Religious Em-
phasis Week also saw renewed
controversy over one of the
hoariest religious conflicts go-
ing: the administrative order of
May, 1961 whereby the old Stu-
dent Religious Council was dis-
solved and all denominational
groups forbidden to meet on
campus.
On October 10, the Houston
Chronicle published an account
of a speech delivered by Dr.
Paul E. Pfeiffer to the Associa-
tion of Ministers of Greater
Houston. As the chairman of the
faculty committee on religious
activities, Pfeiffer tried to ex-
plain the University's policy in
this area.
He pointed out that, although
Rice was traditionally "neutral,"
after 1948 religious groups were
permitted to meet in the library
at the request of Mrs. W. W.
Foridren, a Rice benefactor and
prominent Methodist laywoman.
This policy was halted in 1961
when "irresponsible" groups
forced the university to "revert
to tradition."
SRC Abolition
Pfeiffer stated that the SRC
was trying to "shoot down" the
chapel program and was re-
placed by: a chapel committee
composed of interested students.
He went on to praise the present
chapel program in which speak-
ers can either lecture or preach
in the context of a "simple wor-
ship service."
In itfhe Chronicle report, Pfeif-
fer was quoted as saying that
"all too often activities of
church groups must be marked
as irresponsible from the uni-
versity viewpoint" because they
seem to be "trying to save the
people from the university."
This report brought a swift
reply from Dr. Louis H. Mackey
who was faculty advisor to the
SRC in '61. Mackey claimed in
a letter published last week in
the same journal that "far from
trying to 'shoot down' the cha-
pel program, the SRC did its
best to strengthen it." He went
on to explain its dissolution as
a result of an academic "anti-
clerical mentality." "Rice is not
yet old enough nor mature
enough to be wholly objective
about religion."
'Academic Paranoia'
Again last Saturday, Sandy
Trickey, a Rice graduate ('62)
and a member of the 1961 SRC,
in another letter to the Chron-
icle, said that Rice "suffers from
a sort of academic paranoia; it
cannot stand to be wrong or un-
popular, nor is it willing to sub-
ject itself to useful criticism . . .
it is almost pathetic that a uni-
versity proclaiming its academic
excellence should be afraid of
the possible adverse publicity is-
suing from the quiet questions
of honest students of good will."
On October 25, Pfeiffer elab-
orated on his speech at St.
Bede's Episcopal Chapel at' the
request of the Rev. Lane Denson.
At that time he reaffirmed his
support of the ouster of relig-
ious groups, but acknowledged
that the administration may"
have "over-reacted." "I, for one,
think it was a mistake to dis-
band the SRC." He further cau-
tioned against groups trying to
"exploit" Rice by drawing stu-
dents from campus activities.
Denson Joins Fray
Two weeks later Chaplain
Denson joined the fray by point-
ing up the absurdity of a "neu-
trality" which builds chapels and
sponsors R. E. Weeks, which sets
up open house rules and tells
girls to be in by 11:30 pm. Den-
son further asserted that there
is an inescapable connection be-
tween a man's faith and his life
as a member of the university.
He regretted that Rice refuses
to recognize this connection and
deal with it with intellectual
honesty.
When all the verbage and vi-
tuperation has been strained out
of this tempest in a theological
teapot, the controversy boils
down to several salient points.
First it is undeniable that the
1961 administration did not
handle the situation with scru-
pulous tact. But the old order
has changed and let us hope that
the issue can soon be buried for
the last time.
Deplored Service
The SRC did not like the cha-
pel worship service and never
hesitated to make this fact clear.
It felt that each address should
be combined with a service of
the speaker's own denomination.
Today the "simple worship serv-
'MAN FOR ALL SEASONS'
Players produce another winner
By DANIEL ALBRIGHT
Thresher Staff Reporter
Almost everything that can
go wrong in a play goes wrong
somewhere in "A Man For All
Seasons." It is an intellectual
play, but through some kind of
magic it turns the most import-
ant' questions of human exis-
tence (such as the relationship
between God and man) into
melodrama and cliches; and, even
worse, the central character
manages to be so noble that he
is practically petty.
Yet, for all this, it has great
dramatic effectiveness; it al-
most never dull, and it commits
even the most sickening blun-
ders (Thomas' final farewell)
in the grand manner, without
the least hint of embarrassment
on the part of the playwright.
Praises Staging
The Rice Players generally
seem to do best in this type of
strong and unsubtle drama, and
they have triumphed here again.
The best thing about this pro-
duction was Neil Havens' di-
rection, which was austere and
imaginative; the lighting and
the scene transitions were
among the most original I have
seen at Rice. Ed Cragg's stark
set design was nearly faultless,
complementing well Mr. Havens'
interpretation.
Most of the acting was ex-
cellent, considering. Tom Davis
did the best job, by far, in the
role of the Common Man, the
most difficult and interesting
character in the play; he had to
be fawning, rebellious, vulgar,
repulsive, inexorable, frivolous,
and didactic.
Davis could portray all these
qualities well, and he slipped
from one emotion to another in-
stantaneously and with a fine
sense of comedy.
Corput Casting
From a dramatic view, the
best parts of the play were the
Cromwell scenes. Cromwell is
the arch-villain type, played to
the iironic hilt by Chuck Mar-
stand. Cromwell's "motiveless
malignancy" is marvelous to be-
hold, but there is absolutely
nothing inside of him except col-
orful corruption — the same,
however, could be sai.d about
Shakespeare's Iago.
As for the minor characters:
John Harris was outstanding as
Wolsey, not so much by acting,
but just by standing on the
stage and exuding personality;
John Epstein acted well, but he
was thumpingly and irretriev-
ably miscast as Henry VIII;
Jenny Baird sounded extremely
gruff playing Lady More, espe-
cially when she was supposed
to; Bob Lowenstein seemed
rather innocent for the part of,
Richard Rich, but pronounced
all his lines clearly; and Bob
Scully did well as the Duke of
Norfolk—a hearty character,
and not too bright.
Sentimental Sir
This leaves only Sir Thomas
More himself to be considered.
Bill Seward coped, but the part
is almost impossible; the play-
wright seems to have intended
More's constant clinging to med-
ieval dogmatism to be the result
of an exalted and perhaps
(Continued on Page 6)
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ice" remains. It is contended
that the service draws more reg-
ular attendance and it seems
doubtful that dropping it will
draw vast hordes to hear theo-
logical speeches.
The ban on religious groups
holding meetings on campus will
eventually have to go, for it
clearly contradicts the right of
students to meet for whatever
purposes they wish. Yet there is
a necessity for some sort of
discipline in this area to prevent
the "irresponsibility" so dis-
tasteful to Dr. Pfeiffer. Surely
the various organizations could
agree on ground rules for types
of meetings and speakers and
enforce them accordingly.
Religion vs. Freedom ?
Finally, in defense of the ad-
ministration it can be said that
some groups did take advantage
of the university's facilities;
some criticisms were leveled
without proper courtesy. For
those who criticize the adminis-
tration (myself included) it can
be said that there is a certain
tendency for some administra-
tors to look at book-buming sec-
tarians in Texas and conclude
that religion is essentially hos-
tile to the free spirit of inquiry.
Yet Rice does not really be-
long to Texas—Rice is part of
a great intellectual community
in which the names of Tillich,
Chardin, and Buber are now ut-
tered with respect and in which
many find the ground of their
scholarship in Faith.
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Kelly, Hugh Rice. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 12, 1964, newspaper, November 12, 1964; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244927/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.