Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, made its auspicious beginnings in 1866 as a result of divine intervention.
Charles M. Goodsell, moderator of the General Congregational Conference of Minnesota, had a vision.
It was to establish a college which would be 'a new North-Western Oberlin' — a reference to Oberlin College, Ohio.
A biographer told how it happened.
'He [Goodsell] had spent many months in praying for the revivifying of the church; one whole night, at least, he spent upon his knees in supplication that this community might be ready to found a Christian non-sectarian college to bless the world as Oberlin had done.'
At the climax of a particularly torrid evangelical service, Goodsell cried out: 'Now is the time to start the college.' (Carleton: The First Century by Leal A. Headley and Merrill E. Jarchow, 1966.)
From its inception, Carleton was steeped in the Puritan-Pilgrim tradition. The aim was to secure in every student 'moral culture as well as mental discipline' and the development of 'a symmetrical Christian character.'
College president James W. Strong gave a stern summary of the institution's outlook in 1894:
'From the beginning Carleton College has stood for a high standard of scholarship combined with spiritual training — a broad, thorough, systematic culture, the fruitage of which is Christian manhood.
'Piety is not accepted as a substitute for brains, nor a good intent for accurate scholarship; but Christian character is held to be the ultimate of all education.''
Today the administrators of Carleton like to boast of the college's 'liberalism.' This is a gross abuse of the English language. In reality, it is the difference between force‑feeding battery hens and giving them steroids. The result is the same.
The record shows that Carleton did not come easily to the 20th century and the scientific age. It took the cataclysmic events of World War I to introduce dancing on the campus. Smoking was forbidden and consuming alcohol was considered an act of deep ungodliness.
One of the biggest controversies in the college's history came in the late 1920s when the Trustees eventually succumbed, and decided that Darwin's theory of evolution could be legitimately discussed in the classroom. As a result, the Minnesota State Baptist Convention severed its connection with the college.
The prevailing cultural and intellectual climate was perhaps best summed up by the Northfield Chamber of Commerce which adopted the promotional slogan: 'Northfield — the City of Cows, Colleges and Contentment.'
During the 'Development Program' of 1958 to 1962, college president Laurence Gould, the Antarctic explorer, introduced a new ethos for undergraduates under the title 'A Commitment to Excellence.'
His 'new‑fangled' ideas aroused strong suspicion among old Carletonians. In his annual report in 1960, Gould tried to allay the fears of those who 'mistrusted and misunderstood' the changes. He then spelled out the Carleton 'philosophy' which the future SWP leaders had drilled into them.
''A Commitment to Excellence,' said Gould, 'is within the framework of the assumptions on which the college was founded and on which it has operated for nearly a century.''
One of these assumptions is 'that such ideas as justice, goodness, truth, beauty, and virtue ... are not merely names which men and women of all societies are free to interpret without regard to universal principles.'
This means, he insisted, 'that man does not live in a universe which has only such values as he himself gives to it, but that he lives in a universe which has a voice to which he can listen, a beauty to which he can respond, a truth to which he can be loyal and a moral order to which he may conform.'
Gould concluded that Carleton is a place 'in which young men, and women may be trained to become, in a qualified sense, the leaders of America.' 'Excellence,' he said, 'is the thing of supreme worth in our lives respond, a perfection to which he can aspire.'
'From its humble sectarian beginnings, the institution has grown in the intervening years to a position of national leadership in the intellectual life of the country as a whole.'
This is not, it seems, an idle boast. There are said to be more Carleton staff members in the encyclopaedic 'Who's Who in America' than, proportionally speaking any other educational institution in the country.
But Carleton has another, less-publicized record. It has also produced more leaders of the revisionist Socialist Workers Party than any other university in America.
They passed through Carleton between the late 1950s and mid-1960s when the post-war boom was still in full swing.
To even the untrained eye, Carleton seems a highly unlikely place to spawn almost the entire leadership of a party which claims to be Trotskyist. There was not the slightest tradition of student rebellion, let alone the intrusion of Marxist ideas. Indeed, the whole structure was designed to innoculate the student body from such alien and atheistic views.
What, then, was the college that Barnes, Seigle, Benson, Jenness, Waters, Jaquith et al went to at the expense of their parents?
By the time the 'Carleton Twelve' took up residence, the college had already been earmarked by Washington and the big foundations for lavish funds. Behind its much-cultivated image as a college of old world charm and god-fearing principles, Carleton was in fact a high-powered operation.
The Rev. James Strong's founding motto, 'Simple living and high thinking,' had given way to a pragmatic appreciation of a bulging bank balance.
When Carleton was founded, shortly after the Civil War and the Sioux Uprising of 1862, it had very limited resources. Public subscriptions brought in $20,000 and 20 acres of land. Today the campus and adjoining lands cover more than 900 acres, while total assets have risen to about $70 million.
To achieve this, the trustees had to overcome their Puritan disdain for government money and contributions from big business.
In Carleton: The First Century, the authors say:
'Government at both state and federal levels has entered into the financial affairs of Carleton College in ways which cannot be overlooked. The nature, extent, and possible consequences of help from public sources have been matters of concern to the trustees and friends of the college throughout its life.'
'The problem is not new. By tradition extending far back in English history, schools and colleges and other organizations of a broadly charitable nature have received special treatment at the hands of government.'
'How far such aid can be accepted by colleges without surrender of their basic freedoms has remained for their boards of trustees to decide. Carleton throughout has attempted to steer a safe and even course.'
The test of Carleton's 'safe and even' course is whether they took the money or not: the answer is yes. By the bucketful.
With superlative humbug, the authors relate how Carleton was first offered government mortgage loans. 'Each contract has been carefully scrutinized by the board (of trustees) in advance of signing but, finding no feature which in any way limited its freedom in the pursuit of truth, several such mortgage loans have been made. Independence has not been surrendered.'
The Carleton College administrators have always been anxious to obscure the relationship with the government and private foundations and to cultivate the image of righteous independence.
In one of its lavish pieces of prose, Carleton: The First Century says:
'Carleton is an independent college. It runs itself. Within wide limits, it is beholden neither to state or church nor to benefactors or alumni.'
What are the 'wide limits'? A careful reading of the 489-page centenary book shows that the links with government are more extensive than the brochures declare.
For example, in World War I and World War II, Carleton threw open its facilities to the armed forces. Pearl Harbor created a flashpoint for the college's claim to 'independence.'
'For the student, the question was to enlist or not to enlist. For the college, it was how best to serve,' say the authors.
During the next three years, Carleton trained cadets of the meteorology detachment of the Army Air Force Technical Training Command, soldiers of the Army Specialized Training Program for work in 'language studies and basic engineering' and other technical units.
“Military officers were on campus and gave orders to academic officials concerning certain college routines. Except for military indoctrination, commandants interfered little with instructional programs. No enduring evil effects of these periods of military occupation are traceable.”
No doubt the armistice restored “Cows, Colleges and Contentment” to the pastures of Northfield!
However, the authors reveal another vital relationship with the military requirements of Washington. They say: “Another sort of national emergency which had repercussions on Carleton followed Russian advances in nuclear discoveries and techniques.
“Especially after the launching of Sputnik in 1957, congressmen were impressed with the desirability of stepping up education in advanced physics and higher mathematics. Resulting legislation enabled Carleton to accept federal aid in the form of scholarships for students, grants for specialized courses, and loans for dormitory construction.”
The authors quickly added: “The procedure revived and quickened an old question regarding the relation between federal aid and federal control. Carleton experience does not point to imminent curtailment of independence.”
Other government funding is recorded. “The National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Health, both subsidized by the federal government, have made various grants to Carleton for organized research, special projects and institutes, but without restrictions as to paths to be followed or the patterns to which they may lead. (Why this curious phrase?)
“The National Defense Education Act of 1958 provided loan funds at advantageous rates to which Carleton students since 1962, without fear of compromising their integrity, (curiouser and curiouser) have turned in increasing numbers.”
Just how fast Carleton has grown up from a “liberal arts” college is shown in another snippet from the centenary book: “Since 1962, selected advanced students in biology, chemistry and physics have had an opportunity to study and do research for a term or two at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago.
“Operated under contract with the Atomic Energy Commission, this institution is one of the country’s great research centers and the scene of important work in nuclear science.”
It was turning out graduates whose belief in “the American way” and whose patriotism was unshakable. The college boasted of the high proportion of Carletonians who went “into government service.”
By the time the “Carleton Twelve” reached the campus, Carleton was highly-integrated with the requirements of the American ruling class and its state machine.
The beauty of the operation was the seclusion and anonymity of the college — far from the influence of student radicalism, a prying press or any trace of an organized labor movement.
It was an idyllic place. Rolling lawns, extensive parks and gardens, playing fields, tennis courts and walks along the winding river.
Funds from the Ford, Carnegie and Rockefeller Foundations flowed into the coffers and into the classroom.
The “Carleton Twelve” did not encounter Marxism or Trotskyism in this environment. They were talent-spotted and went “into government service.”
A review of Carleton’s brochures during the late 1950s and mid-1960s gives some idea of how this procedure worked.
For example, there are the wide variety of scholarships and overseas facilities offered by the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM).
One was an exchange scholarship between ACM and the Cuttington College in Liberia, West Africa. Presumably this had been discontinued since this year’s coup led by Sergeant Doe and the execution of the Tolbert regime.
One of the other intriguing facilities available to Carleton undergraduates, is provided by the American Universities Field Staff (AUFS).
The college brochure for 1958-1959 says:
“Carleton College was one of the charter members and continues to participate in the research activities of a unique research organization, the American Universities Field Staff, Inc.
“The Field Staff is an outgrowth of the Institute of Current World Affairs and is supported by the foundation grants and the 11 participating colleges and universities of which Carleton is the only liberal arts college.
“The organization maintains staff associates in many parts of the world, particularly in areas not usually covered effectively by present research agencies i.e. the Philippines, Formosa, Indonesia, India, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and the Middle East countries, North and South Africa, and the Latin American countries.
“During an extended period in the field the associates send news letters to the participating institutions and other subscribers. Periodically — usually every third year — they return to this country and make a tour of the member institutions staying for a ten-day period on each campus.
“These associates are required to know the languages of their speciality areas, and the depth of their research makes them a valuable source of research information for students who require special materials.
“They are also available to give lectures and conferences on campus and in the community where they are placed.” (Carleton brochure.)
The Field Staff and the Institute of Current World Affairs were later supported by the Foundation and special grants. Carleton faculty were recruited to act as part-time correspondents in this whole operation and several of the “Carleton Twelve” have been placed for assignments in foreign parts with AUFS.
Students and faculty are encouraged to correspond with them in the field or consult with them in person during the visits on campus.
'For detailed information, inquire at the Office of the Dean, 22 Severance Hall, Carleton College.'
Some of the AUFS scholars who went talent-spotting to Carleton and other colleges in the 1960s were quite extraordinary individuals. Take E. A. Bayne, author of the book, Four Ways of Politics: State and Nation in Italy, Somalia, Israel, Iran.
He began life as a newspaper reporter and then graduated to become Fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation. Still later he became 'personal economic adviser' to the Prime Ministers of Iran and Formosa, and then consultant to the US State Department.
Others include: Boyd R. Compston who visited Indonesia in the early 1950s as a Fellow of the Institute of Current World Affairs and ended up with the Rockefeller Foundation as an 'assistant director, humanities and social sciences.'
Reuben Frodin, who taught at the University of New South Wales (Australia) and the University of California, became a 'consultant and program specialist' for the Ford Foundation and then gave advice on the educational policy of Nigeria.
Lawrence Olson, who served with the US Navy as a translator in World War II, then became cultural attaché at the US Embassy in the Philippines, and completed his PhD in Asian history and languages at Harvard.
Irving P. Pflaum, who spent 20 years in journalism with the Chicago Times and the Chicago Sun-Times before receiving his PhD from the University of Madrid. He became director of the Center for the Interpretation and Study of Contemporary Latin America and wrote a book on Cuba entitled Tragic Island.
James W. Rowe, who is described as combining 'an interest in Latin America with an academic background in political science, experience in government and several years' association with cultural exchange activities.' He served in the US State Department and joined the Institute of Current World Affairs in 1961 to study in Brazil and Argentina.
Dennison I. Rusinow was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford in 1952 and later taught at New College as Extraordinary Lecturer. He then based himself in Belgrade to write on Yugoslav affairs.
These were some of the scholars on the AUFS circuit in the late 1950s and early 1960s when Barnes, Benson, Jenness, Seigle, Jaquith et al were ensconced at Carleton. As the brochure advised, faculty members and students could meet these gentlemen for personal interviews when they did their rounds.
The Office of the Dean could supply 'more detailed information.'