History Dept . decides on three profs

The tenure and promotion committee of the history department has decided not to promote three of its junior faculty members. Carl Estabrook, John Williams and Donald Mattheisen, all assistant professors in the history department, will fulfill their present contract obligations before leaving Notre Dame. Mattheisen and Williams are contracted through the 1971-72 academic year, while Estabrook's contract ends at the end of the present year. The decisions on promotion and tenure are made by a committee of the members of the department, and must be reviewed by the Arts and Letters Dean Frederick Crosson and finally by the Provost. After five years a member of the faculty is either not rehired or is given tenure. Both Williams and Mattheisen have taught at the university for five years, while Estabrook is in his second year at Notre Dame. Donald Mattheisen, not considered to be a politically active professor, received his Ph.d from the University of Minnesota, and teaches a course in German History, a freshman survey course, and a senior seminar. Carl Estabrook and John Williams are two members of the history department that are considered to be outspoken in their criticisms of the political order. Estabrook received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University, and is an expert in the history of the Middle Ages. Estabrook declined to comment on his dismissaJ at this time, as did Professor Mattheisen. John Williams did undergraduate work at Tulane University, attended Y aJe University for graduate studies, and spent a year at the London School of Economics. Williams presently teaches courses in economic history and urban history. In the case of Jonathan Ziskind, another Assistant Professor in the History Department, the promotion and tenure committee of the History Department suspended decision until a later date. Yesterday Professor Williams released the following statement to The Observer: "It was with some dismay that I read in yesterday's Observer that I had been "fired," since I had devoted some time the night before to explaining to your reporter the technical distinction between dismissal and non-renewal of contract. In my own case and in that of Professor Mattheisen, the advance notice of more than a year is no small courtesy in view of the current market for academic flesh. "The department of history has offered no explanation for its action and I have asked for none. One can speculate that the reasons were political, economic, personal, or some combination of reasons, but one can only speculate. In this context the following observations seem appropriate: "1. There is widespread financial crisis in private universities, leading to cutbacks or freezes of faculty at many institutions. This raises questions about priorities and no doubt provides an excuse to get rid of people who are burdensome for other than economic reasons. But the financial crisis exists and any discussion of such issues must take place within that context. "2. There is an equally widespread pattern of politically-