orthodox position cannot be defended.Such exclusion will inevitably lead to a

coercive uniformity of opinion and astatic view of the universe that willweaken our chance of survival.

America has been able to adjust tothe modem world because new ideashave been permitted under our conceptof free inquiry. The approach to a new

idea, and also to an old idea up for re-

consideration, should be to appraise it,

approve, modify, or reject it as a guideto action-never to ban it. Teachers, li-

brarians, authors, publishers, and the

public must unite to prevent the burn-ing of the books. For the burning of

the books forecasts the decline of thenation.

)3vuiding AYmetica:a 1a U Sin n-

KIMBALL WILES

At this time the future of Building America is an unknown quantity.

To ASCD members this situation has particular import and is one of

immediate concern. To those members who have worked closely with

Building America the developments over the course of the past few

years have been of particular regret. It is not with the purpose of re-

viewing the history of this publication or to present an "official state-

ment" that we include the following article. It is presented, rather, as a

sample case to illustrate what may happen if free inquiry is not allowed

in our schools. To Kimball Wiles, associate professor of education at

New York University, and a present member of the Building America

editorial board, we are indebted for this discussion of what happened

to Building America in California and its implications for educators

everywhere.

ALTHOUGH AMERICAN SO-

CIETY has many common values, itsmembers also hold conflicting ones. Outof conflicts in basic values which we

hold, the nation as a whole and all localcommunities have issues on which there

is controversy. All citizens must dealwith controversial issues day by day inmeeting the problems of the communityand nation. Ability to think throughthese issues and to take action in terms

of the decisions reached is an essentialskill in our democratic society. No

school adequately trains for Americancitizenship unless it helps its studentsdevelop skill in dealing swith controver-sial issues.

Such skill cannot be developed un-

less students have experience in study-ing the issues. Skill comes with practice.Since only about fifty percent of our

youth finish high school, study of con-

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troversial issues is essential citizenshiptraining at least as low as the juniorhigh school.

It's Only RealisticIn addition to developing a basic

citizenship skill, the study of controver-sial issues helps to bridge the gap be-tween an idealized academic descriptionof the,workings of our society and thepractical operation of everyday life. Ex-ploring the realities of life while study-ing national and international life inschool is the best way of keeping thegraduate from becoming a disillusionedcynic upon his post-school contact withimperfection. One has only to comparethe adults who have had opportunityto really examine controversial issues inschool with those who have not hadsuch opportunity to tell which type ofeducation produces the creative, con-structive citizen.

The teaching of controversial issuescannot be successful unless students haveaccess to sources which present variouspoints of view. Keeping pupils fromseeing certain materials is a propagandadevice to load the dice in favor of theconclusion the teacher or persons se-lecting the material want the pupils toaccept. If youth are to learn how todeal with controversial issues they mustgain skill in analyzing information todetermine the facts, the source of thematerial, and the slant given it.

In addition, the teacher needs teach-ing material which attempts to presentall sides of the issue being studied in anobjective, analytical manner. BuildingAmerica, owned by the Association forSupervision and Curriculum Develop-ment, is one type of material which fillsthis very need.

November 1948

The Legislature ActsFor the past fourteen years Building

America has been used by schoolsthroughout the land and by many gov-ernmental agencies, including the armedservices. Educators, librarians, parents,and governmental officers have foundit an effective teaching tool.

But in January, 1947 the followingamendment was added to the CaliforniaAssembly Bill No. 973:

"Provided, however, that no part of thisappropriation may be expended for thepurchase of any text or supplement theretowhich is in any way a part of 'BuildingAmerica Series' or a duplication thereofwhether known by that name or anyother name."

Prior to this action by the legislature,the State Board of Education, acting onrecommendation of the State Curricu-lum Commission, had authorized theadoption of certain issues of BuildingAmerica as supplementary texts for sec-ondary school social studies classes inCalifornia. A representative of the Sonsof the American Revolution had pro-tested the adoption and the CaliforniaSenate had established bv resolution aSenate Investigating Committee onEducation with general powers of in-vestigation.

In July, 1947 the Investigating Com-mittee met and asked the State Boardof Education to rescind their adoptionof Building America. But the Curricu-lum C- mmission, at a subsequent meet-ing, reaffirmed its belief in the worth ofBuilding America and kept the publica-tion on the approved list of supple-mentary textbooks in the State of Cali-fornia. At the October, 1947 meetingof the State Board of Education, a re-

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quest of the publishers of BuildingAmerica for execution of the contractwas tabled. During the period of con-troversy over Building America, theState Superintendent of Education criti-cized the legislature for withholdingfunds for Building America. He statedthat he would stake his professionalreputation upon the proposition thatthese books were not subversive.

The Issues Are ComplexTwo issues are involved in the Cali-

fornia situation, viz, "Is Building Amer-ica unsatisfactory for use in theschools?" and, "Are American schoolsto be learning situations in which ouryouth are free to examine all of theevidence or are they to be used to givepupils only the facts which some group,educators or otherwise, feel will leadthem to a certain set of conclusions?"

The first issue is less important eventhough our personal feelings may beinvolved. Building America is only oneaspect of the second and major issue.But to get the record straight, let's lookat the evidence for and against BuildingAmerica as a teaching tool.

For the prosecution, the CaliforniaSenate Investigating Committee was"impressed by the obvious undesir-bility of the books." (Third Report ofthe Senate Investigating Committee, p.9)1 To support their contention, thecommittee cites the following unsatis-factory qualities of Building America:

i) It uses pictures which were supplied bySovfoto.

I California Legislature 1948 Regular Session.Third Report Senate Investigating Committee onEducation. Sacramento, California: Senate of Stateof California, 1948, p. 120.

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"The power of the picture to tell a storyfar excels that of words and here the offi-cial Soviet propaganda agency supplies thepictures, scores of them, (sic) for a com-pulsory textbook for our elementaryschool children of California. Sovfoto isregistered at the U. S. State Departmentas an agency of a foreign Government,USSR. It was with the knowledge of thesefacts among others that the Senate ofCalifornia refused to appropriate thefunds to purchase Building America as asupplementary or any kind of textbook."(Third Report, Senate Investigating Com-mittee on Education, p. 13)

2) It presents political opinions in a waythat they are to be taught as accepted facts.". . . it has seemed to this committee thatanother error of Building America hasbeen that it invades the field of politicalthinking slanted as the writers wish it tobe. The authors, whoever they may be,whether educators or not, are not neces-sarily experts and authorities on politicalaction .... Political opinions with whichmany disagree most intensely are presentedin a way that they are to be taught as ac-cepted facts." (Third Report, Senate In-vestigating Committee on Education, p.14)

3) It prints cartoons unfavorable to Lin-coln and Jefferson."This cartoon is a lie, a pictured lie byLincoln's enemies and the enemies of ourcountry."

"In this cartoon President Jefferson ispictured as intemperate both in mind andin habits, as well as attempting to pulldown the federal government. This car-toon is also untrue and an attack by Jeffer-son's enemies which can well be forgot-ten today." (Third Report Senate Investi-gating Committee on Education, p. 16)

4) Material presented is not well balancedand based on unknown writers and au-thors."As a general criticism of the material inthe 'Building America Series' of publica-tions, I have noted that much valuable,

Educational Leadership

relevant material has been omitted, ap-parently not because of a lack of space,but in order to utilize the space to em-phasize other ideas. Many illustrations andcharts appear to be out of date and oftennot pertinent So the subject matter an-nounced. Some of these illustrations arecredited to known propaganda sources.Furthermore, some of the text appears tobe slanted toward the more radical poli-tical opinions of the unknown writers orauthors, and is therefore of questionablevalue to any text or supplementary text-book." (Third Report Senate Investigat-ing Committee on Education, pp. 29-30)

5) Authors of Building America are affi-liated with Communist front organiza-tions.

It is interesting to note that the personslisted as authors of Building America areauthors of books used as source materialin the preparation of Building Americaissues. Representative names from this listare: Sherwood Anderson, Charles A.Beard, Marv Beard, Pearl Buck, StuartChase, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, HelenLvnd, Robert Lvnd, Louis Mumford, Lin-coln Steffens, Leland Stowe, and FrankGraham.

6) Members of the Editorial Board ofBuilding America have been associatedwith Communist front organizations.

The Investigating Committee has ap-parently operated under the assumptionthat participating in an organization whichthe Investigating Committee called "Com-munist sponsored" is the equivalent of be-ing a Communist.

Two members of the present Board ofEditors and one former member are citedbecause they have been associated in otherorganizations with three prominent Amer-ican educators who have belonged to num-erous "front organizations."

Such smear attempts would be hu-morous if they were not so dangerous tofreedom to examine controversial issuesin the schools of America.

November 1948

A Grand Jury SpeaksThe opinion of the California Sons of

the American Revolution and the SenateInvestigating Committee on Educationwas supported by a resolution passedby the Grand Jury of Alameda County,California. It reads:

"Whereas, it has been called to the atten-tion of the Grand Jury of Alameda Countythat a series of textbooks known as the'Building America Series' was being usedas supplemental reading in the schools ofcertain counties throughout this state; and

Whereas, the use of such textbooks -wasopposed by various patriotic organizations[italics mine] interested in the educationof youth and the development and stimula-tion of loyalty toward American institu-tions and traditions;

WVhereas, such organizations had expressedthe opinion [italics mine] that this seriesof textbooks was critical of the ideas andideals of our democratic form of govern-ment and gave an unfavorable presenta-tion of the historical background andcontemporary growth of our country;

now, therefore, be it resolved that we, theGrand Jury of Alameda County, herebyurge and recommend the school authori-ties of this County that the 'BuildingAmerica Series' of textbooks not be usedin the schools of this Countv; and be itfurther that a copy of this resolution besent to the County Superintendent ofSchools, to each of the Boards of Educa-tion and Boards of School Trustees inAlameda County, and to the Grand Juriesof each of the other counties of this state.

Librarians Speak Up

For the defense, the California Cur-riculum Commission and the StateSuperintendent of Schools have stoodfirm in support of Building America.However, the most complete refutationof the reports of the investigators work-ing for the California Senate has conime

111

from the Committee on IntellectualFreedom of the California Library As-sociation. Its analysis of Building Amer-ica and of the Third Report of theSenate Investigating Committee, entitled"The Right to Find Out," 2 gives volumefor volume the conclusions of the In-vestigating Committee and the findingsof the California Library Association.Their report, which points out the mis-representation of the Senate investiga-tors, is summarized in the statement byHelen Luce, a member of the staff ofthe San Bernardino County Library inthe introduction to the report:

"Librarians in the school department andI have carefully read both the Los AngelesTimes account of Mr. Combs' findingsand the eleven issues of "Building Amer-ica" which he criticizes as being con-troversial. We have come to the followingconclusions:"We feel that there is no basis for aninvestigation and that Mr. Combs' criti-cisms are unfounded. There are four typesof criticism or methods which he usesthat should be pointed out and denounced.

"First, he quotes many statements fromthe text that are not there at all. Wehave read the books word for word andin many instances do not find the thinghe is quoting. It is possible that he workedwith a different edition from ours, butwhere we have two editions, we haveread both. Roy E. Simpson, Superintendentof Public Instruction, tells us that he hasno information concerning the editionused by Combs, nor has he received acopy of his report.

"Second, by lifting a single sentence outof the context, the meaning and intent areoften changed. This is a vicious practiceused to put across your own interpretation.

2 California Library Committee on IntellectualFreedom. The Right to Find Out. Reprints avail-able from the ASCD office, i2o0 i6th Street, N.W.,Washington 6, D. C.

112

In the report to follow, we have en-deavored to give full quotations wherethis has happened. When both good andbad points are mentioned, quoting onlythe bad, as Mr. Combs frequently does,does not present a true picture of the text.

"Third, Mr. Combs employs exaggera-tions and places false emphasis. When afew pictures are unflattering, he has atendency to say that a great many ornearly all are. In the same manner heemphasizes a small portion of the text orillustrations out of all proportion to theirreal prominence. Specific instances of thistype of thing are noted in the report thatollows.

"Fourth, Mr. Combs seems to have anaversion to unpleasant facts and picturesbeing used, even though they may betrue. The series, on the other hand, hasshown the bad as well as the good, espe-cially for the purpose of indicatingprogress."

Such is the report of librarians whowork daily with presentations of data.They did not find Building Americabiased, slanted, or subversive.

Parents Also Defend

The California Parent-Teachers As-sociation took an equally firm stand.Their findings, after a thorough studyof Building America materials, are sum-marized by the following quotationfrom a letter from Mrs. Rollin Brown,President, to Senator Nelson S. Dil-worth, Chairman of the Senate In-vestigating Committee:

"After careful and critical reading of the'Building America Series' of textbooks inuse in the public schools and now underattack, the Education Study Committee ofthe California Congress of Parents andTeachers finds them well prepared andfactual in approach. They are neither sub-versive nor communistic. The books em-phasize the advantages of the democratic

Educational Leadership

way of life. They stimulate students toassume their responsibilities in upholdingand improving the traditional principlesof American life."

On one hand, a "patriotic" organiza-tion, a grand jury taking the word ofthe "patriotic" organization, and aSenate investigation committee havestated that Building America is unfit forschool use. On the other hand, educa-tors, librarians, and parents who haveinvestigated the mater;al have found itsatisfactory.

We Can Act Where We Are

To indicate proposed Associationaction at this point is not my particularfunction. But all of us, in our capacityas protectors of the right of free inquiryin the schools, can and should take stepsin our immediate situations to insureagainst a second Building America epi-sode. We can:

i) Encourage local school units to inviterepresentatives of community organiza-tions to participate in the selection ofteaching materials at all times. Then,when a crisis arises, the teaching profes-sion is not isolated in the fight. It is not aquestion of professional educators versuslay groups. Pressure groups who wantcertain materials banned are confrontedby their peers. The laymen with experi-ence in selection of curricular materialswill have developed the basic point ofview that will enable them to clarify thebasis of choice to other laymen.

There is evidence that such an organ-ization prevents crises from arising.Denver has a curricular materials councilwhich includes representatives of all thespecial interest groups in the communit-.To date no serious question has been raisedabout materials used in the Denver schools.

2) Ask the local board of education toadopt a formal statement of policy whichencourages the teaching of controversial

November 1948

issues and establishes the guiding prin-ciples of teaching procedure. Cincinnati,according to the assistant superintendent,has such a stated policy and has foundthat it decreases the feelings of insecuritythat sometimes accompany the examinationof controversial issues in the classroom.

We Can Present a United FrontThere are implications, also, for a

united stand on this question. As mem-bers of the teaching profession we cantake nation-wide action.

i) We must not ignore an attack onteaching materials or method in which webelieve. The opposition will not dissolveif we remain aloof or above argument.

2) We must move to oppose such attackson a national basis. If the opponents ofthe stud', of controversial issues are wellversed in the use of the media of com-munication, any charges instituted goacross the continent. National groups mustmobilize to form nation-wide public opin-ion to support local groups in their at-tempts to combat restriction of freedomto examine issues and arrive at independentconclusions.

3) We must have full-time personnelavailable in our professional organizationswho can take leadership in spear-headingcounter measures.

4) We cannot assume that the publicunderstands. The ideas, programs, andbattles that are familiar to us and acceptedbv us mav be little known outside of pro-fessional circles. When an issue involvingthe right of children to learn arises, wemust have means of carrying it to thepublic and it cannot be a makeshift, hap-hazard, voluntary means.

This Is the American BirthrightWhile the fate of Building America

is important to us, it is only one of aseries of battles to maintain freedomof inquiry in our schools. Other ma-terials are being banned too. The article

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preceding gives information concern-ing these. Unless we become positivein our beliefs and action, other materialswill receive the same treatment. Theright of children to learn will be furtherrestricted. The basic issue is whetherspecial interest groups will be able tokeep schools from examining materialswhich question the values the specialinterest group holds.

In a society that has a multiplicityof values, as does ours, education inschools can be restricted to the present-ing of values held in common by thegroup, or it can allow a certain portionof the population to dictate the valuesthat shall be taught, or it can makethe right to examine all values availableto all members of the population.

If we accept the first alternative, thefunction of education becomes teachingskills and indoctrination of the commonvalues. If we take the second course,we are immediately confronted withthe decision as to who will decide whichof our values will be taught.

On the other hand, if we believe ina type of education which gives stu-dents opportunity to examine all pointsof view or sets of values and to arrive

at the ones they feel are most desirablein terms of our social situation, educa-tors must make their position very clearto forces seeking to interfere with theright to exercise intelligence.

This issue is not one that concernseducation alone. It is fundamental inAmerican democracy. If we believe inthe right of people to make up theirown minds, to make their own decisionsabout who will govern them and howthey will be governed, to decide forthemselves the type of social restrictionsthat they will place upon themselves, wemust believe in the right of citizens tohave all of the information available. In-telligent decisions cannot be made with-out access to all data. If citizens aregiven only the information that certaingroups consider desirable, democracy isa farce and men are manipulated bythose who control the sources of infor-mation.

Unless we recognize the issue andbegin to fight for the type of learningsituation in which there is free playof the intelligence and encouragementto examine the multiple points of viewand values, we will lose our birthrightas citizens of democracy.

It is encouraging to see that people in public life as well as educators are deplor-ing the censoring of materials. Recently there appeared a statement entitled AnAppeal to Reason and Conscience, signed by over ioo prominent citizens concern-ing the action of the New York City schools in banning The Nation. We wish wecould reprint this appeal in its entirety, but space does not permit. The followingquotations are from the statement:

* The exclusion from public institu- on the basis of the character of the pub-tions, by public officials, of future issues lication as a whole, cannot be defendedof newspapers, magazines or other peri- even as censorship. It is extra-judicialodicals on the basis of particular ma- punishment pure and simple, and it in-terial published in the past, rather than volves a power of intimidation and pos-

114 EuainlLaesi

114 Educational Leadership

sible blackmail in officials of govern-ment which no free society can tolerateand which a free press could not longsurvive.* Ignorance is notoriously the worstfoundation for tolerance, and the Amer-ican people have never felt that it wasthe purpose of education to teach theirchildren to be blind.* The truth is that the suppression ofideas impoverishes human life and warpsthe human mind in an increasing andprogressive sickness.* The only test with books and peri-odicals as with men is the individual test-the decision of each case on its merits.Is this book or this periodical, regardedas a ,whole, a serious and responsible ex-ercise of the right of free inquiry andfree report? If it is, and if it deals withmatters within the general interest ofthe citizens, in terms which students canunderstand, then there is no justificationfor its suppression because an article, ora group of articles, or several passagesscattered through various articles, areobjectionable to special groups, what-ever the grounds of the objection. If itis not a responsible exercise of the rightof free inquiry and free report-if, forexample, a publication, considered as awhole, is found to be an attempt not toget at the truth but to disseminate hatredof a race or a faith or a group by thedistortion or suppression of the truthor by forgery and lies-then it shouldreceive the special handling that suchmaterial is generally accorded by Amer-ican libraries.* One of the principal purposes ofAmerican education should be to see toit that no generation grows up in igno-rance of the controversial issues it willhave to face.

November 1948

0You can help teachersfeel more securein their work with

CHILDREN AND READINGwith William S. Gray's On Their Ownin Reading and May Hill Arbuthnot'sChildren and Books.

Dr. Gray's book deals with an aspect

of reading that especially troublesteachers-word perception. "Whatshall we do about phonics?" they ask."How can we bring children to thepoint of getting new words for them-selves as they read ?" In On TheirOwn in Reading Dr. Gray presents the

what and why and how of word per-ception-in terms of actual teachingsituations. Teachers can immediatelyapply what they find in On Their Ownin Reading with their own pupils-

and see results.

Children and Books is Mrs. Arbuth-not's contribution to teachers whowant to bring children new andhappy experiences with books. Mrs.

Arbuthnot shows teachers how to use

literature with children in effectiveways-poetry, folklore, realistic sto-

ries, adventure and animal tales, biog-raphy, and the rest. She helps teachers

choose books-new and old-to meetchildren's needs. During Book Weekand every week, Mrs. Arhuthnot'sbook can be depended upon for prac-tical-and inspirational-assistance.

Make sure your teachers have accessto these two important professionalbooks. Better yet, read and discussthem together.

SCOTT, FORESMANAND COMPANY

Chicago 11 Atlanta 3 Dallas 1San Francisco 5

Pasadena 2 New York 10

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Copyright © 1948 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. All rights reserved.