Cancel Culture Discovers Jacob Gould Schurman

On October 21, the Student Assembly (SA) adopted a resolution seeking to cancel Cornell’s third President, Jacob Gould Schurman (JGS), on the grounds of one 1899 incident in a long career that has recently offended the Cornell Filipino Association  and the duo of Joseph Mullen ‘24 and Alyssandra Rae Ortanez ‘23.  The pair sponsored an SA resolution and wrote a supporting op-ed in the Cornell Sun that called for renaming Schurman Hall.  The entire callow flap shows how far the SA has drifted from Cornell’s mission of promoting the free exchange of ideas and public engagement.  

Instead of reviewing the collection of JGS’s papers in the University Archives, they rely upon Wikipedia to erroneously conclude that Schurman was a “hawk” advocating a war between the U.S. and Filipino rebels instead of a diplomatic solution.  The duo concludes that JGS’s “crimes” resulted in the death of 200,000 Filipinos, without mentioning the 4,200 U.S. troop fatalities.  In fact, when President McKinley asked JGS to serve on the Commission, JGS told him “I am opposed to your Philippine policy: I never wanted the Philippine islands.”  JGS chaired a five-member commission that included Admiral Dewey and General Otis, the Military Governor of the Philippines.  JGS arrived in the Philippines after war had already started between the rebels and General Otis’ forces, and Otis did not welcome the Commission’s involvement.  At one point JGS recommended to McKinley that he offer more detailed concessions on Filipino self-government to secure a negotiated peace, but McKinley polled the other Commissioners and decided that the U.S. forces should fight the rebels into submission without further concessions on home rule. The Commission issued its report in November 1899, and McKinley then appointed a replacement Commission under William Howard Taft.  JGS continued to advocate for expanded educational opportunities and more home rule for the Philippines.  Though the rebellion collapsed in 1902, the Philippines later received independence in 1946.

JGS went on to have more success as a diplomat to Germany and China. As US Ambassador to Germany, JGS was also a notable fundraiser for Heidelberg University.  (In fact, the last time JGS was cancelled was in 1939 when the Nazis removed his bust at that university and replaced it with Adolf Hitler’s.) JGS also managed to lead Cornell through the challenges of the Spanish-American War and WW I. At 28 years, JGS is still Cornell’s longest-serving President. His leadership transformed Cornell from a small college into a major research university, by convincing New York State to provide annual operating funds for the Vet, Ag, Home Economics and Forestry colleges.  In appreciation, in 1960, when the state built a new campus for the Vet School at the East end of Tower Road, the new building was named Schurman Hall.  Further, in 1967, Jacob Gould Schurman III endowed the Schurman professorships in JGS’s honor.  

Instead of calling for further study and debate on JGS’s role or Cornell’s role in the Philippines, the SA was quick to condemn both, and demanded that JGS’s name be removed from Schurman Hall.  The SA would have a plaque placed in the building “explaining Schurman’s role in the conquest and colonization of the Philippines.”  The SA demands that Cornell apologize “for President Schurman’s role in American imperialism in the Philippines.”  The Sun op-ed goes so far to claim that JGS’ “words and actions are currently harming and killing countless lives belonging to Muslim, Indigenous, Filipino, Filipino-American communities”  when Schurman made anti-imperialism speeches 120 years ago.

Freedom of Inquiry.  The history of imperialism is very complex and worthy of academic debate.  However, Cornell must provide a forum where all views can be considered and tested.  The idea of the SA dictating a mandatory view in the face of contrary evidence shows a lack of understanding of how universities should function.  The work of the Schurman Commission was just one of many examples of diplomats and war “hawks” clashing over policy.  Cornell should not weigh in with official dogma on each such historic decision.

Academic Freedom and Public Engagement.  Starting with Cornell’s first President, A.D. White, Cornell faculty and administrators have served as diplomats or in other important government roles.  For example, economics professor  Alfred E. Kahn served as Chair of the New York Public Service Commission, the Civil Aviation Board and as the White House “Inflation Czar.”  Many Cornellians worked on the Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bomb.  To engage in the private sectors, many faculty spend one day a week consulting outside the University.   All of this adds to the intellectual focus and experience of the faculty, and the University should never be asked to apologize for any of their actions.  Cornell should not apologize for imperialism in 1899, the atomic bomb, high utility bills, crowded airports, high inflation in the late 1970s, or anything else that a Cornell faculty member may have ever addressed.  If a student or the entire SA dislikes a position taken by a faculty member in an outside consulting task, or dislikes the hiring group or Presidential administration, they are free to voice their views, but should never try to “cancel” anyone. Cornell should never cancel people. 

Here, JGS was a valuable dissenting voice inside the McKinley Administration as it took more of a “hawk” position on dealing with the insurrectionists.  Despite his efforts, JGS was not able to avert a long, armed conflict.  While the question of the US role in the Philippines was an important one at the time, and was publicly debated (including by JGS),  the SA is now merely creating a distraction from its more important tasks such as allocating the student activity fee or advocating to improve the lives of present-day Cornell students.  Any renaming of state-owned Schurman Hall would require the approval of both the Cornell and SUNY Board of Trustees, and would use up what limited good will the SA has left. The SA could better target its limited clout to more pressing student needs.

The SA should be fighting to create a climate of free expression, academic freedom and greater public engagement instead of seeking to construct a centrally-dictated orthodoxy of viewpoint with violators punished by banishment from the pages of Cornell’s history.  

UPDATE – Since the initial publication of this piece, university president Martha Pollack responded to SA Resolution #33 with the following statement:

Dear [SA President] Anuli [Ononye],

Thank you for conveying to me Student Assembly Resolution #33: Confronting Cornell’s Legacy in American Imperialism in the Philippines.

During his presidency of Cornell, President Schurman was viewed as a champion for increasing the diversity of the student population at Cornell, writing in 1911 that “…All university doors must remain open to all students irrespective of color or creed or social standing or pecuniary condition…,” a perspective that was rare for that period. As we view history through our modern lenses, however, our understanding of Cornell’s past leaders—indeed, our understanding of the history of the U.S.—becomes more complex.  While we do not fully understand the involvement of President Schurman in developing the policies that affected the people of the Philippines, the rhetoric he expressed as part of that process are antithetical to Cornell’s values. 

Sincerely,

Martha E. Pollack

This article was written by a member of the Cornell community who requested to stay anonymous.