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He said about 1) that Steeves must be mistaken in the attribu–
tion. Had only the highest admiration of my work there as he had
said to me. Told him to tell this to Steeves, said he wid . About 2) he
said he had not wanted to tell me about his reservations about my
thesis, because it was still inchoate (when else? I asked)
&
that he
had mentioned them because he felt that my sociological tendencies
had hidden my literary gifts in the thesis as in the classroom. But
that his reservations were not fundamental.
He said that he did not want me to stay because my position
was bad and likely to get worse . In what way bad? He explained my
question about my Jewish-sensitivity: had not meant that: had meant
that I was too sensitive to Weaver's "brutality." I said I ignored it. He
admitted that there was no fault to find with my teaching that could
not be corrected by a word of suggestion to me . What it really got
down to was that Weaver pressed hard
&
my contemporaries had
disliked my teaching (and me presumably)
&
that this had counted .
I blew up
&
asked him if he really meant to say that this minority,
part of it unrepresented, had swung a majority. He said things al–
ways happened so. I used no uncertain terms.
He told me that the trouble had started with my appointment .
Said it had been forced by Thorndike
14
&
put through without the
democratic consent of the dept . Said he understood I had told Thorn–
dike I was in trouble at Hunter, would get no job
&
was in desperate
financial straits. I denied that I had ever spoken to Thorndike in this
way. (Henry Ladd perhaps did.) (This accounts for Weaver's feeling
I like to be stepped on?)
Finally I asked him if I might tell Steeves that in his (Neffs)
opinion my dismissal had nothing to do with my teaching at all but
only with the dislike of Weaver and a few of my contemporaries. He
said, heartily, that I might quote him so and even gave me a for–
mulation of that opinion to use.
I said that apparently I was being fired for all the qualities I ad–
mired in myself
&
that I considered the whole matter a triumph for
me. He said (defending his success) that it was not a triumph but
luck. -I did not admit at any point the decency of his getting me
fired for my own good, though his absurd mind is sincere about it , I
believe. He said the whole matter was not to have been as peremp–
tory as it was with a short time set and hinted vaguely that it might
14
Ashley Thorndike.
