Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The D MY EDWARD * and LYNNE PERRI After almost one year, the whispering speculators, bead shaking disbelievers, resentful friends, knowing politicians and distant onlookers now seem ready. EmotIos have cooled and people are more willing to talk about the event that surprised them last January. Close friends say, "It was an underhanded deed." State politicians say, "The time was right." He could have fought the issue, but when USC Board of Trustees Chairman T. Eston Marchant called former President Tbomas F. Jones and told him, "The Board is stacked against you," Jones made the decision to resign. So after dinner at an Atlanta restaurant, on Friday evening, Jan. 25, Jones and his wife, Mary, ordered coffee. Jones wrote a rough draft of a resignation letter on a' napkin, and later that evening called Zane Knauss, then director of Information Ser vices, and told him of his decision. Jones, now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), admits "There was pressure against me in the State House and on the Board. This makes It difficult to perform at one's best. "Rather than continue it was time for me to... 12 years is long enough." The decision stunned the Carolina and Columbia community. One close friend of the Jones' said, "Pressure had been b1ilding for years. They Just hit him with It. He had reached the point of making a decision - to fight or give it up. He gave it up. He was too much of a gentleman to fight." Views at the State House ranged from "Well, it's been 12 years. We understand," to "Thank God," according to Mac John ston, who was the liaison between Jones and the Legislature. "Of irse,It was Marchant, Sol Blatt, Jr. and Sr., and Patterson," said an informed source close to the University. Marchant is chairman of the Board of Trustees; Sol Blatt Sr. was Speaker of the House of Rpresen tatives from 1937-1945 and 1951-1971; his son is a federal judge and former Board member; and William H. Patterson is now USC president. "Eston (Marchant) violently disliked Mrs. Jones," said a State House source, and "Marchant got along better with Patterson than with Jones...I don't think It's any secret." The University source said, "When Sol Blatt Sr. gets on top of somebody, he's powerful enough to swing." However, Gov. John C. West said, "When Mr. Blatt (Jr.)I was at the height of his power, he called for Jones to resign. He (Jones) didn't. So where's the influence?" But, both the Blatts rarely differ in their political opinions, according to Johnston, who is now working with the State Senate Finance Committee. And Lt. Gov. Earle Morris adds, "Speaker Blatt has been most influential on the affairs at the University of South Carolina." The Board: Polit Days before the announcement of the Jor was waged in the South Carolina Legisla At stake was the Board of Trustees seat I the seat was William Bowen. The race was most hotly contested political races in So Bowen's bid was backed by Sol Blatt and source, the fact that Bowen was "going tc Jones."Bowen had denied this. But Bowen's campagn to unseat Mungo f more money into the race that many polit electorate. He also gave legislators free r1 Club. This is just one example of the ressti4 compensated, retains and the efforts that Twenty people make up the Board of Turst one form each of South Carolina's 17 ju Supeintndet of Education and the H chairmen of the legislature. The governor oresiding officer of the board. Jones R One University source claims Jones first felt pressr at early as Jan, 41 when the Board of Trustees members and their wives attended a dinner party. "Politicians were trying to make educational kinds of decisions," said .a former Jones staffer. But West said Jones' resignation was "very logical, very un derstandable." He added that "I don't know that I had any role." However, the University source said,. "West was involved in - this...He may become president of the University because of this." Johnston said West and Blatt are "political confidants." And West admits he's close to Marchant. West said Marchant called him to tell him nes had resigned. McNair also learned of .ones' resignation through a phone call from Marchant. "At that time I said my personal choice would be Dr. Patterson," West said. "The main reason I went to the Board meeting was because I felt Dr. Patterson should be the president. He wanted the job of interim president. I thought he should be president period...full-fledged." West, as governor and presiding officer, can attend any. Trustees meeting. The only meeting he has attended to date was the Jan. 30 meeting when Jones' resignation was accepted and Patterson was unanimously approved for the presidency. West says no one else's name was even mentioned for the job. Rita McKinney, president of the Student Government Association at the time of the resignation, attended the meeting. She said Patterson, she and Mike Grier, University counsel, stayed together in a room separate from the other- Board members while they discussed the resignation and Patterson's nomination. Patterson had a prepared speech with him at the Board meeting even though he sup posedly had no prior knowledge of his election. It was issued to the press within minutes. The press was also given a biography of Patterson which was prepared by USC Information Services. McKinney says Grier, Patterson and Marchant met at Marchant's home the night before the Board meeting and Grier served as a liaison between the students and Jones. Board meetings are regularly held in the Administration Building on the USC campus in a room adjacent to the president's office. But the Jan. 30 meeting was held in Mar chant's law office on Laurel Street adjacent to the Governor's Mansion. McKinney says "He (Marchant) will say it vvas because they didn't want to upset Dr. Jones by holding the meeting at the University." Although Marchant says he did not recall having any prior knowledge of the Jones' resignation, he also says he did have a conversation about Dr. Jones resigning approximately i day prior to receiving his formal letter of resignation. And he added, "I knew the letter was coming." ical Springboard ies resignation, a critical political contest ture. ield by Michael J. Mungo, and contesting reported at the same time to be one of the isth Carolina. mnotivated by, according to one University do everything in his power to get rid of ailed as the Columbia millionaire pumped iclans spend when going before the entire m~embership In his exclusive Cold Stream ~ge that Board membership, though un go into gaining admittance to the office. es. They are elected by the Legislature dicial circuts. The others are the State ous and Senate Education Committee is the final member and has the titie of esignation or.. 'There was pressure against me...' "There was pressure against me in the State House and on the Board. This makes it difficult to perform at one's best." - Tom Jones "I'm glad he's gone. I wish I could take credit for getting rid of him. He just didn't belong there as president." - Solicitor John Foard "The main reason I went to the Board meeting was because I felt Dr. Patterson should be the president." - Gov. John C. West "He (Jones) had reached the point of making a decision - to fight or give it up. He gave it up. He was too much of a gentleman to fight." - close friend of Jones. When asked if he would confirm calling he's gone. I wish I could take credit for Dr. Jones and telling him "The Board is getting rid of him. stacked against you," Marchant said, "I "He just didn't belong there as don't have any comment on that at all." president," Foard said. Marchant also says he had no personal Foard said he did not know Jones was choice for president. resigning until "I read about it in the paper But, according to Johnston Patterson was the logical choice for president. "The Continued on Page Five legislature likes Patterson," he says. "He's a Charlestonian, a great educator, he's known them, worked with them for years. C s He has more political sense about him tanOf na eer most of the people I've met." A close friend of the Jones' confirms T.EtnaranIshima fheBrdf Patterson's ties with the Board by saying, Tute deCumiatony "He is a puppet of the Board."Rbet.MarwsSohCalnaGeno "The whole move was political," said the Jon.WetiprstlSuhCaonaGvnr source close to the Jones', and a University anPrsdgOfieofteBrdfTute. source continues to name politicians in- a ontnwslaln ewe rsdn oe volved by claiming former Gov. Roer E. n h eiltr.H snwwrIgwt h McNair asked Solicitor John Foard to work r hmsF oe wsPeIeto h against Jones. Foard continually attacked uiest ~Sit aoiefr1 er.H Jones in the late '60's and early '70's on reindJn2419.Hewlrtunitefalsa Jones' handling of the stL'rient riots, and his DsigihdPoesr stand concerning city police interfering with SlBatS.wsSekroteHueo the drug problems on campus. Foard has RersnaieinSuhColafom17tO94 even made personal accusations against d191t17. Jones. And McNair said Foard "had a SoBufJ.wsambe fteordf runnmng feud with the Jones'."reintn.Hisowafdaluge In 1970, f lo i g the student riots, thereWila H. ates n w sSc tryO th Bo d was a Board of Trustees meeting which pootbfr en ae rsdn nJnay Foard attended. At the meeting Foard said ln nuswsDrco fifrainSrie he presented two hours of "evidence" we oe eind ewsapitdpbi n against Jones hoping to convince the Board ~a~lao o atro olwn h to fire him. His talk was recorded on two SgHmi o ietro nomto evcs tapes. One tape was stolen with the tape McalJ ag saBado rsesmme recorder,.i oubara saedvlpr Recently Foard admitted giAnu the Tute ae Board of Trustees "more than sufficient RiaMineywsSCtuntbdpeset Information to demand his (Jones') frm1719. resgnaio an thy idnt o i.Imlad iesignier unish Iversity aboutnsel. pe myself."