 

A cop recalls Grinnell’s
radical past

by David H. Green

But (or the Concession and ac,
ceptance speeches, it was all over
early in the morning at November
3, 1976. The election of 1976, with is
long and sometimes tedious
buildup had ended with a

’resounding sigh oi i'eliel. The finish
was greeted with the clicking oii of
television sets across both the
country and the Grinnell campus.
As has been noted ad nauseam, this
vear's election featured both

‘ conservative candidates and
conservative campaigns. The
radical, emotional, ideological
Iones of 1968 and 1972 were con-
spicuously absent, Not apathy but
complacency was the watchword.

Headaches and Ulcers

In direct contrast to the quiet,
inactive solitude of today's cam-
pus, a situation once existed which
was the source oi much anxiety for
the local police department. In
early, post election 1959, a group or
eight Grinnel] College students

5 re arrested and found guilty oi
violating Iowa’s public nudity laws
(the iamous Playboy protest). At
approximately the same time, an
iowa state attorney coniiscated a

rinnell underground newspaper,
The Pterodaclyi. tor breaking the
state‘s obscenity regulations. The
ACLU rushed to the paper's
detense. A bit later in the spring of
that year, a Grinnell College
classics proiessor (no longer a
member oi the faculty) stood a
vigil atthe school flagpole to insure
that the [lag continued to fly right
side up. A student had ilown the
iiag upside down, the standard
signal for distress position, in

”tier to emphasize the country’s
pistressed, troubled situation,

These are but a few of the ins
cidents which made Grinnell

”college truly politically radical
iring the late 1960’s, From our
current detached vantage point,
such occurences seem nostalgic,
sentimental and almost unr
believable. One man who
remembers those days very
clearly and in a vividly emotional
way, is Grinnell’s Chiei oi Police,
Bill Peters,

Peters retired from over twenty
years oi service in the army to
become Grinnell's chief in 1964.

for Peters, the ending oi the war in
rietnam and iormer President
Nix‘on’s resignation made his job
iust that much easier. He thank

my says that the College is much
quieter now. He does not have to
worry about the College as he once
did.

Rumors oi Radicals

Rumors and threats of coma
munists and militant bombs
building radicals on campus,
which seem antiquated and
ludicrious now, were very real
concerns to Peters and the
townspeople he represents. Jerry
Rubin and Tom Hayden both apr
peared on campus and the College

5 considered by some to be the
inidwest connection between
radical groups on both coasts.
Peters believes that the situation in
Grinnell in the 1960‘s was unique
' cause the basically conservative

ral town was also the home of a
liberal, cosmopolitan population oi
1200 students. Peters cites the fact
that the College, as a homogeneous
body, can at times be uniiied and
motivated towards action, unlike
the rest oi the town population, It
was this potential for trouble which
made the college students
irightening to the townspeople,
Ther' , d ’ he an

 

photo av Ch» lowzi

There was a definite and unfortunate air of

confrontation between town and college in

those 'truly troubled times.‘
—

fortunate air oi conirontation
between town and college in those
“truly troubled times.” chief
Peter's duties took on a mediating,
peacekeeping tone. when a group
of students took over the ROTC
building on campus. Peters had to
restrain townspeople from getting
to actively “involved ” With the
bombing of Cambodia, the Chiei
supervised the candlelight mars
chcs which involved students and
iaculty and proceeded through
town peacefully and without in.
cident. He investigated a summer
“Free University” (which
operated out of a college owned
house), when one student pur
chased a suspicious amount oi
ammunition for “target practice."

To this day, Peters is convinced
that outside influences played a
major part in the activism which
pervaded the campus. He par
ticularly remembers hearing
rumors that students were about to
blockade interstate so here in
Grinnell, when in reality the
blockade was to take place in iowa
city. This satisfied Chiei Peters
that a network oi communications
existed which linked radicals in
iowa City with activists here. Chiei
Peters also recalls getting notices
from the Des Moines Police
Department when crinnell
students were detained because oi
disturbances caused in that city
According to Peters. Grinnell was
deiinitely related in its activities
and actions with other radical
campuses on both the east and
west coasts

”Wliatlhellellyou
PeoplcatthatCollegedoillg‘.’"

Chief Peters is proud of tile tact
that during the period of this in
tense opposition, no one was
physically harmed. Personally
Peters has always maintained the

‘policy at never carrying his gun on
Peter? . .

Importantl-

 

worked and cooperated closely
with the thenCollege President
chgett. Though they certainly did
not always agree, Peters says that
there was a delinite respect and
that a viable working relationship
did exist. This relationship was
invaluable to the maintenance oi a
relatively peaceiul atmosphere on
campus

Chiei Peters, who is a Grinnell
native, believes that with the Pub
and the Forum, students mix less

with town residents and merchants
now than ever beiore. The police
rarely have reason to venture on
campus these days, A knowing
gleam comes to his eye when the
Chiei leans back in his Chair,
chuckles and recalls 1963 and 1969,
days of late night phone calls and
near hysteria on the part ot
students and townspeople alike.
Even a cursory glance at the
Grinnoll Herald Register or the
Pterodactyi of the day will con-
vince one oi the emotion and
concern which involved students,
iaculty, and townspeople at the
time. While enjoying the calm
autumn days oi this election year,
it is hard (or us to understand or
relate to the political and socral
tension which was so much a part
of the lives of Chief Peters. and all
those who were connected with the
college, not so many years ago.

Viorst

(continued irom page it

been different, “Carter is ascen-
ding to the Presidency with good
wishes, but with considerable
skepticism.”

Viorst predicts dire con
sequences it the “political
homogeneity" should continue,
“Liberalism did as much as it
could, but its ideas will carry us no
further," The election was dull,
Viorst believes, because there
were no new ideas. He concluded
that unless this changes,
“democracy probably won’t

survive the boredom "

Viorst’s topic Wednesday was
“I! the Underdeveloped Countries
Are Third, Why Aren't They
Trying Harder?" Underdeveloped
countries are not progressing, he
believes, because Western
methods of industrialization and
agricultural management are
beyond the grasp oi the majority of
the inhabitants oi the Third World,
The people must develop a
capacity for organization beiore
conditions can improve. Western
type prosperity cannot be achieved
on top oi the “old culture . un-
derdeveloped countries can't have
it both ways.” he said. The
countries must choose between
preserving their old cultures or
moVing forward.

With this premise many cons
troversial issues arise. “Can the
qualities of organization he imbued
in the society when they don’t
exist?” Viorst asked, He believes
the answer is “yes, but slowly,”
However he is not optimistic that
this tremendous job of ac-
culturation can be accomplished in
the near future, and questions
whether or not this is What the
Third World really wants.

The question of what kinds oi
governments can most rapidly
bring about change is also con
troversial Viorst cited South
Korea, Taiwan and Brazil, all
dictatorships, as countries which
have advanced considerably with
Western help, He denies that
dictatorship is the only means by
which leadership can bring about
change, however, he feels that
inefficient bureaucracies in non
dictatorships can greatly hinder
the process. _

Viorst’s iniormal talks with
students dealt mainly with ]our-
nalism, As an investigative
reporter, one important story he
uncovered concerned FBI
harassment oi supposedly
“radical" students at San Diego
State University in the late ’60’5,
Arrests or people accused oi

 

harassing students were made by
police, but the trials that followed
were virtually ignored by
newspapers and the Senate
committee assigned to investigate
the FBI. Viorst followed up on the
story, and discovered that the FBI
played a large part in illegal and
often violent activities,

The FBI did not give direct or
dcrs to cause violence, but, Viorst
noted, there is a fine line between
giving an order and looking the
other way when the law is broken.
“The FBI hired a couple of nuts,”
vicrst said. “unstable people, and
the evidence was pretty over-
whelming that they supplied them
with bombs and guns and just kind
oi let them go." He doesn't believe
that the powers of the FBI or CIA
were curbed to a great degree by
the scandals that arose. “The FBI
and CIA have been intimidated,
hut , . that’s different from any
structural change that would stop
this kind of thing irom happening
again," he declared.

AS a Journalist and an outsider to
Grinnell. Viorst was in a unique
position to analyze the Scarlet and
Black. He ielt (hat the SBtB is
clearly written [ruin the students’
perspective, but that the ads
ministration’s views are also
presented, Pl’csidenl Turner
seems to be “fairly portrayed,“ he
noted, and “the subject matter
dealt With is quite appropriate."

“1 was surprised and encouraged
to see so much attention given to
the question at student input in
decision-making," he added, On
most campuses he has visited,
“students seem to be progressively
less concerned" about such
matters He commented thatit was
“uriiortunatc” that most campuses
seem to have become more Con-
servative in the '70’s. “strangely
reminiscent of the '50's when I was
in college,” but that a total return
to the mood of the ’50’s does not
seem likely. “The 1960’s provided
sensitivity about social issues"
that is still present today. he noted.

The press, too, has gone through
many changes in the last iew
decades, According to Viorst, it is
in better shape than ever. “The
press has gotten much, much
better in the course of 20 years . . .
my impression is that the general
proiessional level oi journalism
has improved enormously." Gone
are the Ben Hecht “Front Page"
days when newspapermen were
depicted as drunkards who barely
finished high school, Journalists
are honest, responsible, and for the
most part appreciative oi the
power they wield in society.
Commented Viorst, “We have a
proiessional class of journalists
who take great pride in their
work.”

Treat Yourself To A

Cold

Michelob.

I t’s Worth It!

MICHELOB.

It‘s an unexpected pleasure.

WE CARE THAT YOU
GET THERE;
DON T GET HUNG UP
AT CHRISTMAS

'MAKE YOUR, RESERVATIONS
‘ NOW —

GRINNELL TRAVEL

THARP’S
PHARMACY

College Special
5279

Sollens

37H Wetting

Solution

Visaleiis 5 1

Waiting Solution »
i255 Broad ' '

$159

 

