He added, "All un-American groups and the professors who tolerate them must go. Queens is an American, God-fearing community and those that don't see eye to eye with us have no place in our midst. We want our students taught 'Queens style' or not at all."

Republican Councilman Clemente also demanded the dean's resignation, but in spite of this bi-partisan attack, Lenz did not resign. The Schultz amendment, the cause of the dispute, was finally defeated on November 20.

Shortly after this, the A.Y.D. case was reopened. Under the college rules, the group had the right to apply again for a charter in September. The new student council was favorable to it, and there were indications that the A.Y.D. would have been rechartered if the decision had been entirely in student hands.

Kiely versus A.Y.D.

On November 30, however, Dean Margaret Kiely, acting as president in the absence of Klapper, declared her opposition to giving A.Y.D. another charter. Four days afterwards, the faculty voted 67 to 40 to reaffirm its ban on the organization.

Announcing the vote, Dean Kiely stated: "Because American Youth for Democracy is in conflict with the best interests of the college, the faculty moves that it be banned from the campus." The student council registered disapproval of this decision; but the decision stuck.

In April, 1948, President Klapper resigned, and the scene was set for the latest--and biggest--campus at Queens College. The Board of Higher Education chose a five member nominating committee under the chairmanship of Henry Schultz to propose Klapper's successor. In the meantime, Dean Kiely continued to set in Klapper's place.

The search for a president was a long one, but by February, 1949, the Schultz committee had brought at least two candidates up for the Board's consideration. One was Dean Kiely; the other was Bryn Hovde, president of the New School for Social Research. Hovde, it was understood, had the inside track.

James Roe and other Queens Democrats preferred Dean Kiely. When they heard that Hovde was the "anticipated" selection, they went to New York Mayor William O'Dwyer and complained that the Board was ignoring the "wishes" of their borough's residents.

On February 17, O'Dwyer called the Board together and rebuked them for this reason. He was at once sharply criticized for "attempting to interfere" in the business of the Board. Newspapers, organizations, and private citizens claimed that he was bowing to political pressure, with an eye to the next mayoralty campaign.

Roe defended the Mayor against this criticism. "The Queens taxpayers provided the funds that created the college and they now foot the bills. Their children make up the student body. Certainly they should have everything to say in the selection of their college president and the type of philosophy that is taught their children. This is not Russia; this is America and the rights of the citizens must prevail."

Student Groups Protest

Student groups at Queens issued jointly a leaflet which stated, "We want public officials and professional politicians to refrain from putting political pressure on our campus...."

The Young Progressives of America also issued a leaflet. Because it charged that O'Dwyer had "cow-towed" to "elements of the N.Y.C. Catholic Hierarchy, the Catholic War Veterans, and the notorious pro-Coughlin paper, 'The Tablet'," this leaflet aroused much interest on the campus.

The Young Democrats whipped out a counter-leaflet which said: "This was never a religious issue until the Communists and Y.P.A. made it such. The issue on our campus is that Y.P.A., the Communist Party, and their allies are the ones who are really trying to dictate to the Board of Higher Education."