Education: Athearn Ousted

Two years ago Butler University at Indianapolis acquired a new president, Dr. Walter Scott Athearn, a stocky, heavy-jowled pedagog who had written a book a year for 26 years and been dean of Boston University’s School of Religious Education and Social Service. Dr. Athearn found Butler badly off financially and because of professionalism in football no longer a member of the North Central Association of Colleges & Secondary Schools. He secured for it an anonymous gift of $2,000,000, soon got it reinstated in the Association. Last week Dr. Athearn was ousted from his job by Butler’s board of directors. They gave no reason, merely cited their right to appoint and remove presidents at pleasure. Most Butlerites said it was because Butler was not getting its full quota of students.