INVITATION FROM GETTYSBURG COLLEGE FOR AN AGENCY SPEAKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000200010025-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2005
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: February 11, 1969
• Content Type: MF

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,VO
SUBJECT Invitation from Gettysburg College for
an Agency Speaker
1. I have no contacts at Gettysburg and I have no
sense of the situation there. I note that Mr. Fick warns
in advance that "the audience will be demanding and
hostile." I have no doubt that if anyone in the Agency
can handle the kind of situation and audience likely to
be encountered at Gettysburg, it would be Mr. Smith.
2. However, I doubt the usefulness of open forum
discussion and defense of-the Agency's role, morality, 11 effectiveness, etc. Certainly my own effort at a faculty
seminar at the University of Florida was a non-productive
one. Useful dialogue comes easily on substantive matters,
i.e., China, the Soviet Union, or economics. But when
one takes on the broad and philosophic questions of
intelligence and the Agency before a spiritually-mixed
audience, the going gets pretty sticky.
3. I favor accepting requests from visiting student
or faculty groups who want to come to the Agency, in
reasonably limited numbers, for a briefing and discussion.
Under such circumstances we exercise some control, and
have the advantage of performing in our own environment.
We would even outnumber the visitors, instead of the
other way around. I also believe we should maintain
policy consistency in handling such requests. You may
recall I recently drafted a letter replying to a very
intelligent and thoughtful invitation from the Dean of
Students, University of South Carolina, for an officer to
participate in an open forum discussion of the CIA. The
reply, copy attached, was staffed through Mr. Goodwin,
Col. White, and Mr. Bannerman.
Attachment:
Draft Letter to Carolina
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25X1
11 February 1969
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
6 W fikU I1ryTC!9" D.C.
Mr. C. 0. Cathey
Dean of Student Affairs
The University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Dear Dean Cathey:
The Director has asked me to reply to your letter of
December 13 inviting an official of the Central Intelligence
Agency to come,to Chapel Hill to debate in public forum the
activities of the Agency.
You are justified, I am sure, in your confidence that
such a dialogue on your campus would take place in an atmos-
phere of reasonableness and order, and there can be no doubt
that many students and faculty would find such a meeting
interesting and informative. As you may know, Agency offi-
cers have met occasionally with small groups of students
and faculty for off-the-record discussions. However, it iq
not appropriate for the Agency.to debate in public forum
its assigned mission and activities, or issues of inter-
national policy.
We do appreciate the spirit of good will and the
thoughtfulness apparent in your letter; hence, it is with
regret that we must decline your invitation. The Director
asked me especially to convey to you his appreciation for
your continued cooperation with the Agency recruiting
program.
Sincerely yours,
Coordinator or Academic Re ations
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 Speakers for Universities
I talked to Col. White about the
requests for speakers from Gettysburg
College and Drew University. He agrees
with our suggestion that:
a) We talk to the Drew people
here in the building, and he
thinks the letter which the
Director is to sign is perfect.
b) He wants us to prepare a
negative reply to Gettysburg
College to show to the Director
for his approval. We are having
this letter prepared for
signature.
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a
0
 Approve aEp1200Pfi Oi j) RDP80B01495R0
DATE: 17 Feb 69
TO: M.-Po-ctor/Mr. Smith
FROM :
SUBJECT: Request for Agency Briefing of
Student Group from Drew University
The Director asks that you accept
the attached request from Drew Univer-
sity (New Jersey) to hold a briefing
for a small (14 students) political
science seminar. The requester is a
Williams College alumnus.
has prepared the attached
reply for the Director's signature,
agreeing to receive the seminar.
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 STAT
Approor r 1ff?ear
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
pIA-RDP80BO149
DATE 11 Feb 1969
tom.
Gettysburg College Requests
Agency Speaker in Academic Year
1969-70
The Director asks if you would
like to take this one on..
STAT
STAT
ILLEGIB
This is to inform you of the
Director's question. I i ave asked
to give you his recommen-
a ion.
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 Approved3FE EasO W0051 cJ lRDP80B01495RO
t -WP
Mr. -24astQ.t/Mr . Smith
DATE: 17 Feb 69
SUBJECT: Request from Gettysburg College
for Agency Speaker
Prof. Fick requests an Agency
speaker, for a "demanding and
critical" audience in the academic
year 1969-70.
doubts that it would be
in a Agency's interest for an
Agency representative to participate
in an open forum on campus. He
recommends that we decline the
request. I favors receiving small
academic groups at Headquarters,
where we have some control.
I recommend that be
authorized to send a polite "The
Director h4s asked me..." letter
to Prof Fick declining the invitation.
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