Education: Willie Loves Dottie

Ohio’s century-old Marietta College was founded by strait-laced Congregationalists, and it has never quite cottoned to some of the newfangled freedoms. Marietta’s trustees didn’t like it when President William A. Shimer, 53, got a divorce a year ago. They disapproved even more when Shimer began courting Dean of Women Dorothy Blair, 36, and someone printed on the wall outside his house: “Dottie loves Willie—Willie loves Dottie.”

President Shimer and the dean of women were married in June. Last week, honeymooning in Canada, they heard from Marietta: the trustees wanted Dr. Shimer to resign. He had been a good administrator, the trustees said; the whole trouble was his “divorce and remarriage. A college president should be an inspiration. . . . An example is better than ‘a precept.”

Dr. Shimer & bride hurried home to protest. He had strong support: 22 of the 28 professors at the summer session signed a petition backing him. The petition referred to his previous career as national secretary of Phi Beta Kappa and editor of the American Scholar, as dean of the faculty at Bucknell and as a Navy lieutenant during the war. Said greying Professor T. D. Phillips of Marietta’s physics department: “Marietta College needs some new trustees.”

While Dr. Shimer and two of his professors argued with the trustees, students marched around the campus bearing placards: “We Want Shimer,” “Let Him without Sin Cast the First Stone.” Marietta’s trustees were unyielding. Dr. Shimer at last agreed to resign.