LETTER TO WILLIAM R. COTTER FROM WILLIAM H. WEBSTER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2012
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: February 11, 1988
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30 :CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
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FORM 61 O ~ EDITtECN Sus
I-79
R?UTING AND RECORD SKEET
SUBJECT: (OptionaQ
Speaking Invitation -Colby College -
FROM: E%TENSION NO.
tali 11 i am i9, Baker PAO 87-0196
Director, Public ffa~rs 27676 DATE
4 Jan 87
TO: (OR'icer designation, room number, and
building)
GATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
b whom. Orow o line across column oher each comment.)
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11 FEB 198
Dr. William R.~Cotter
President
Colby College
Waterville, Piaine 04901
Thank you, for asking me to speak at the April 7th Trustee/Faculty/Student
forum on-the Colby College campus. I have given very careful thought to your
invitation to debate and discuss the issue of whether the Central Intelligence
Agency should be permitted access to Colby to recruit students to join the
Agency.. I realize that you gave gone out of your way to arrange a forum that
would be comfortable for me and that would, at the same time, provide an
opportunity to talk about an issue that has become so much a matter of
discussion among your faculty and students.
But I believe that I am not the person to debate the issue of access to
recruit. I am no expert on this matter. I, of course, have a viewpoint: I
f ind no justification to discriminate against any government agency that seeks
? openly to recruit college students to join its ranks. The issue is the
propriety of barring access. I believe that should be debated by persons
within the academic community.
I wish you every success with your meeting, and I-will be most interested
in hearing about the outcome of the forum.
Best regards.
STATjCI/PAO/Wht
Distribution:
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STAT ~' z El : ~
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Sincerely yours,
/S~~:V61hiliam H.1xJe~
William H. Webster
Director of Central Intelligence
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
William M. Baker
Director, Public Affairs
[phone]
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
29 January 1988
Based on our conversation about how to word
the letter of regret to Colby College we have
reworked the letter incorporating the
suggestions from Chancellor Heyman. I believe
the attached letter will satisfy your concerns
and, at the same time, does not commit you to
speaking at Colby at a later date.
STAT
Bill Baker
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
Central Intelligence Agency
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Dr. William R.~Cotter
President
Colby College
Waterville, Piaine 04901
Dear Dr. Cotter:
Thank you for asking me to speak at the April 7th Trustee/Faculty/Student
forum on the Colby College campus. I have given very careful thought to your
invitation to debate and discuss the issue of whether the Central Intelligence
Agency should be permitted access to Colby to recruit students to join the
Agency. I realize that you Have gone out of your way to arrange a forum that
would be comfortable for me and that would, at the same time, provide an
opportunity to talk about an issue that has become so much a matter of
discussion among your faculty and students.
But I believe that I am not the person to debate the issue of access to
recruit. I am no expert on this matter. I, of course, have a viewpoint:. I
find no justification to discriminate against any government agency that seeks
openly to recruit college students to join its ranks. The issue is the
propriety of barring access. I believe that should be debated by persons
within the academic community.
I wish you every success with your meeting, and I will be most interested
in hearing about the outcome of the forum.
Best regards.
Sincerely yours,
STATjC I /PAO/W~~1~
Distribution:
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STAT 1 - ER
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William H. Webster
Director of Central Intelligence
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
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~~
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~~~~ ~~.
v~t`~a~f. Central Intelligence Agency
'~ Washington, D.C. 20505
William M. Baker
Director, Public Affairs
[phone]
29 January 1988
Based on our conversation about how to word
the letter of regret to Colby College we have
reworked the letter incorporating the
suggestions from Chancellor Heyman. I believe
the attached letter will satisfy your concerns
and, at the same time, does not commit you to
speaking at Colby at a later date.
STAT
Bill Baker
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
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PA0.87-0196
22 January 1988
Judge:
RE: Speaking Invitation
Colby College
Waterville, Maine
7 April 1988
We have revised your letter to Dr. William Cotter to explain why you would
be unable to attend the 7 April session at his school. I think it conveys the
tone you sought. It took longer than usua] to reach you because we wanted
advice from our Academic Coordinator, who spoke at Colby on 7 December. In
addition, a+e discussed the program with President Cotter later in December to
see if it might be possible to revise the suggested program from a debate to a
more forr~ial address. The material we sent was prepared over the Christmas
holidays and reached you on 4 January. I think the delay, in this case, was
unavoidable.
STAT
STAT DCI/PAO/Wf~tE~
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 STAT
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Cole College
November 25, 1987
STAT
The Honorable William H. Webster
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
1724 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20505
Dear Judge Webster:
You may have heard that the Colby faculty in October voted to ban the CIA from
recruiting at the College and that the Student Association voted to continue the College's
standing invitation to the Agency to recruit Colby students on campus. There has been a
good deal of national press concerning this issue and we plan to hold aTrustee/Faculty/
Student forum to discuss these resolutions on Thursday, April 7, 1988 at Colby. I hope
that the Honorable Lee Campbell, Chief Justice of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and a
Colby Trustee, will chair the forum at which we hope you would be free and willing to
participate.
I have already discussed this with) in your Public Affairs Office and
would be pleased to provide any additional inforn~ation which you might need.
Cordially,
illiam R. Cotter
STAT
WRC/as
cc:
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PAO# 87-0196
STAT
STAT
STAT
DCI/PAO/Wht
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RE: Speaking Invitation
Colby College
Waterville, Maine 04901
7 April 1988
4 January 1988
President of Colby College, William R. Cotter, has invited you to speak
Thursday, 7 April, at a Trustee/Faculty/Student forum that will be held on the
campus in Waterville. The suggested format is 20 minutes of remarks followed
by 20 minutes of questions and answers. President Cotter suggested as a topic
"The Role of the Intelligence Community." 'You could structure the meeting as
you would wish with either a small group of 60 - 70 students and faculty or a
meeting open to the entire campus with an audience of 400 - 500 in either the
late afternoon or early evening. Media would be included at our request. The
Honorable Lee Campbell, Chief Justice of the First Circuit Court of Appeals
and Colby Trustee, would chair the forum.
You are already aware of the Colby faculty's resolution to ban CIA
recruiting at the College, and the Student Association's vote to continue the
College's standing invitation to the Agency. This would surely enter into the
discussion period.
Although this is an interesting twist to the CIA recruiter on campus
issue, I believe that it is not appropriate for you to participate in a forum
where a campus ba ld evolve between students and faculty. Our Academic
Coordinator, appeared at Colby College in December 1987 and found
his reception to be friendly, but the issues to be rather narrowly focused on
internal problems of the college. I recommend that you decline this
invitation. If you agree, attached is a letter of regret for your signature.
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 STAT
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STAT
PAO# 87-0196
January 1988
ADMINISTRATIVE INTERNAL USE ONLY
' 1 - PAO ~
1 - PAO Ames
JUDGE: 1 - PAO Chrono
1 - t~1ED(Subject) .
RE: Speaking Invitation
Colby Col lege
Waterville, Maine 04901
7 April 1988
President of Colby College, William R. Cotter, has invited you to speak
Thursday, 7 April, at a Trustee/Faculty/Student forum that will be held on the
campus in Waterville. The suggested format is 20 minutes of remarks followed
by 20 minutes of questions and answers. President Cotter suggested as a topic
"The Role of tl~e Intelligence Community." You cowld structure the meeting as
you would wish with either a small group of 60 - 70 students and faculty or a
meeting open to the entire campus with. an audience of 400 - 500 in either the
late afternoon or early evening. Media,would be included at our request. The
Honorable Lee Campbell, Chief Justice o~ the First Circuit Court of Appeals
and Colby Trustee, would chair the forum.
You are already aware of the Colby faculty's resolution to ban CIA
recruiting at the College, and the Student Association's vote to continue the
College's standing invitation to the Agency. This would surely enter into the
discussion period.
Although this is an interesting twist to the CIA recruiter on campus
issue, I believe that it is not appropriate for you to participate in a forum
where a camp ld evolve between .students and faculty. Our Academic
Coordinator, appeared at Colby College in December 1987 and found
his reception o e riendly, but the issues to be rather narrowly focused on
internal problems of the college. I recommend that you decline this
invitation. If you agree, attached is a letter of regret for your signature.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30: CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
 STAT
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/30 :CIA-RDP90G01353R001900070019-9
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Colby College
WATERVILLE, MAINE 04901 207/872-321.4
November 25, 1987
STAT
The Honorable William H. Webster
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
1724 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20505
Dear Judge Webster:
You may have heard-that the Colby faculty in October voted to ban the CiA from
recruiting at the College and-that the Student Association voted to continue the College's
standing invitation to the Agency to recruit Colby students on campus. There has been a
good deal of national press concerning this issue and we plan to hold aTrustee/Faculty/
Student forum to discuss these resolutions on Thursday, Apri17; 1988 at Colby. I hope
that the Honorable Lee Campbell, Chief Justice of the First Circuit Court of Appeals, and a
Colby Trustee, will chair-the forum at which we-hope you would be free and willing to
participate.
I have already discussed this wi in your Public Affairs Office and
would be pleased to provide any additional. information which you might need.
cordially,
illiam R. Cotter
President
STAT
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