Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1350

Carbon copy of a letter to Dr. Harry D. Gideonse, President, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York NY.

January 18, 1941

Dear Doctor Gideonse:

Much grist has gone through the mill since I had the pleasure of meeting you at Barnard College through the good offices of Marie Leighton. From your printed and other communications, my thought keeps going to you as an earnest and penetrating mind reaching deeper in the direction of fundamentals in order to attempt to understand the positive and constructive features of our social organization that has brought us thus far towards a vision of the Good Society, but which now so wavers and gives so much concern.

I admire the firm stand you take with respect to subversive and destructive ideas and influences, and often feel that I would like to confer with you and, perhaps, some of your colleagues and more serious stu­dents for the consideration of positive and constructive ideas concerning the existing organization and operation of community life.

I believe that we who cherish a philosophy of free­dom can cut the ground from beneath the doctrines of public violence and compulsions most effectively by giving to our existing community organization the credit for such good results as it has achieved and disclosing its mode of operation in bringing this about. Such a realistic, as contrasted with a materialistic approach, enables us to illuminate our minds as to the normal social processes and thus avail ourselves of their further oper­ation and extension.

Dr. Harold W. Dodds poignantly propounds the ques­tion of our day — “How can we conduct our community affairs without resort to violence and war?” We find a large area controlled by the voluntary contracts under which men freely and democratically exchange services and employment with one another. This relates almost exclusively to private and individual affairs. I am intensely inter­ested in pointing out how contractual and consensual relations can be extended in the public and community affairs as rapidly as we illuminate our minds concerning the positive aspects of the situation as it now exists.

It will, indeed, be a great pleasure to talk some of these matters over with you, either alone or with some of your colleagues, and I believe there can arise among us a more constructive approach to our problem than simply resistance and a denial against the per­sistent doctrines of force.

I expect to be in New York during the week of January 27th, and will be delighted, indeed, if I can have you (either singular or plural) as my luncheon or dinner guest (or guests), or some other circumstance favorable to conversation or communication. Please let me have your suggestions as to a suitable convenient time.

I look forward to the probability that your in­fluence will give to Brooklyn College an eminence in respect to social economic matters quite contrary from that towards which it has drifted heretofore.

Sincerely yours,

Spencer Heath SH:ML

Enc.

P. S. Please let me assure you that my interest in all of the above matters is wholly aesthetic and intellectual and that I do not seek nor contemplate obtaining from any source any material aid or personal prestige.

S. H.