Spencer Heath Archive

Item 1691  

Carbon of a letter from Heath, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont CA, to F.A. Harper, PO Box 113, Burlingame CA.

May 27, 1961

 

 

 

 

Dear “Baldy”:

 

     It gives me heart to know that you are starting a new project under Volker Fund auspices, as I infer. I will surely be glad to help your “furthering an understanding of the free society.” But I’m afraid I scarcely know of anyone who knows how to educate people to it who is not already better known to you than to me. However, I think you might not know William Teague (I think it is William), Vice-President of Pepperdine College, 1121 West 79^th Street, Los Angeles. I know he is a very forceful and entertaining speaker and effective publicizer, and I hope to improve acquaintance with him. M. Norvel Young , President, is very likeminded, as is, I believe, the whole administration of the College, including Mr. Pepperdine himself.

 

     I am doubting if any very wide public can be educated to understand any good thing until after the event. I can’t think of any particular advance in human welfare or of civilization in general that came to pass by any popular action or acclaim. Quite the contrary. So I dare say you have no aim to “educate” people as voters or in any very large numbers. I suspect that with most people right action does not spring from right thinking. They seem in the main to act right first and only afterwards to have any understanding of it. Surely, it has been so with free enterprise. Those who understand first are always pioneers, educating themselves, even as you and I. But they can and do in large measure inspire and enlighten one another and in that way let their light so shine, etc.

     I feel sure you are making the right kind of start. For any number of people from two up, thinking together and exchanging their thoughts can increase their knowledge much as men working together and exchanging their services can increase their wealth. Such goodly company can and will inspire one another and be thus encouraged to further understanding. Also, selectively, they will increase their numbers. But for people in general perhaps the most they can do is to inspire them with hope and stimulate their self-confidence so they will act creatively above the popular counsels of terror, false hopes and despair. Bob LeFevre, turning out his graduates, seems to be headed somewhat along this way. Members of such a good and increasing company might well become, many of them, evangels of the dawning new day.

     I’m going to be in Seattle with Spencer and two other grands between June 10^th and 15^th, stopping off in San Francisco and perhaps Burlingame and also Pacific Grove to visit Emerson College, a promising new adventure in college education.

     My own situation tax-wise and estate-wise continues very unsatisfactory.

     I hope you and all yours are fine and many things eventuating well with you.

                        Cordially,