William & Mary President’s Contract Not Renewed
Remember the old Dick van Dyke Show? Well, memories of that show stay with me. In one episode Rob (Dick van Dyke), in desparation, hires his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) as a typist for the comedy show (“The Alan Brady Show”) for which Rob is the head writer. Rob and Laura get into a fight, I think because Laura kept offering jokes and Rob kept rejecting them, which culminates in Laura quitting. Laura’s in such a tizzy, she says, “I’m fired!” Rob responds, “You can’t fire, I quit you!!” I haven’t checked the script, but I’m pretty sure that’s right.
I’ve always found that exchange hilarious. And apparently a similar exchange has now occurred between the College of William and Mary and its (now ex-) President, Gene R. Nichol. But unless Nichol has Mary Tyler Moore’s extraordinary comic delivery, the recurrence is probably more in the mode of tragedy than of farce. According to The Washington Post, upon learning that his contract would not be renewed, Nichol resigned, effective immediately. The College’s Board of Visitors contends that the decision had nothing to do with ideology or public controversy, but one William and Mary professor characterized the decision as the result of a conflict between “old Virginia and new Virginia.”
Many William and Mary alumni were unhappy with Nichol because he had a permanent cross taken down from the school chapel in the Wren Building. According to Wikipedia, Nichol thought that removing the cross would make the place more welcoming to non-Christians. After protests, Nichol announced that the cross would be displayed on Sundays and other Christian holidays. Further controversies involving NIchol relate to the student sponsored Sex Workers Art Show. Nichol allowed the show to proceed, while not endorsing its content, on free speech grounds.
Nichol will now return to teaching in the Law School. Current Law School Dean, W. Taylor Reveley III, whose work on war powers I’ve long admired, will act as interim president.
[Jeremy Telman]