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Memorandum of Understanding

April, 1997

I. Purpose of Memorandum

The Carlton Raymond and Wilberta Ripley Savage Professorship in International Relations and Peace was created in 1987. In the ten year history of the Endowment, many students have worked with and been taught by outstanding scholars and teachers commanding expertise in international relations and peace. However, after ten years of experience with the chair, we learned:

  1. That finding “Outstanding National and/or International public and academic figures” willing to spend a full quarter on our campus for the sum of money we can offer has proven to be problematic. We have discovered that major figures in International Relations and Peace are often unable or unwilling to stay in Eugene for such an extended stay.
  2. That the traditional model--namely, bringing one figure in to teach 2 courses, to give one public lecture, and to lead one faculty colloquium—may not always provide our students with the best opportunity to learn, and may, in fact, prevent the Endowment from achieving its full potential.That other models featuring multiple configurations, including but not limited to the traditional model, may better meet the pedagogical intent and goals of the Endowment.

We intend for this document to reflect a shared understanding of the goals of the Savage Endowment and the process used to achieve these goals. Our objective is to identify the educational aspirations of the chair and to establish a set of principles that the Committee can use to create programs consistent with the spirit of these aspirations. We have four sources that provide evidence of Carlton Savage’s vision for the Chair: Declaration of Gift. (The Carlton Raymond and Wilberta Ripley Savage Endowed Visiting Professorship in International Relations and Peace); a Memorandum to Paul Olum et at. from Hopes Hughes Pressmam, dated December 8, 1987; a News release prepared by Gaye Vandermyn, dated January 11, 1988; and a Letter from Peter Swan, Assistant to the President for Legal Affairs, dated April 11, 1995.

II. Intent of the Endowment.

Based on a review of the four sources available to us, Carlton Savage intended the Endowment to achieve two major objectives that we summarize as follows:

1. The Endowment is designed to “inspire” students to make their own contribution to the development of reasonableness as a substitute for violence and hate in personal, national and international affairs.

The primary goal of the Endowment is to inspire University of Oregon students to develop the ability to use reason as a substitute for violence and hate in personal, national, and national affairs. Carlton Savage was quite clear on this objective, and concluded the Declaration of Gift with these words:

I make this gift because of my abiding interest and long involvement in the field of international relations and because of my conviction that the cause of peace is paramount for our world. I make it also because of my confidence that students whose lives are touched by the occupants of the Carlton Raymond and Wilberta Savage Visiting Professorship will be inspired to make their own contribution to the development of reasonableness as a substitute for violence and hate in personal, national and international affairs (p.2). Italics added.

We believe that we are obligated to use the Endowment to promote the use of reason and reason-giving as an alternative to violence and hate. To accomplish this goal, Carlton Savage wanted the University of Oregon campus community to learn how use reason in the analysis of and approach to issues relating to international studies and peace.

2. The Endowment allows the University to bring outstanding people, with background in international relations and peace, to campus in order to teach the campus community how to use reason as a substitute for violence and hate.

In the Declaration of Gift he states:

“I make this gift…for the purpose bringing to the University of Oregon campus outstanding national and/or international public and academic figures whose services as occupants of the professorship will enhance the educational offering of the UNIVERSITY in the field of the humanities and social sciences, focusing particularly on the study of international relations, peace and the United Nations…
Occupants of the Visiting Professorship shall be chosen on the basis of their character, vision and courage, as well as their contribution, through scholarship and/or statesmanship, to the great causes of mankind: world peace, international understanding and the rule of law.” (Declaration of Gift, p.1)

The Declaration of Gift is clear that the occupants of the Chair are to “enhance” the curriculum in the humanities and social sciences. We take this to mean that Carlton Savage hoped the Chair would strengthen the existing programs in international relations and peace studies and would provide students with novel opportunities to learn about the use of reason in conflict.

In summary, Carlton Savage intended the Endowment to “inspire” students to make their own contribution to the development of reasonableness as a substitute for violence and hate in personal, national and international affairs. To achieve this goal, he hoped that we would bring outstanding people to campus in order to teach the campus community how to use reason as a substitute for violence and hate.

III. Process of Endowment

A review of the materials giving insight into Carlton Savage’s vision of the Chair (see Memorandum to Paul Olum et al. from Hope Hughes Pressmam, dated December 8, 1987; News release prepared by Gaye Vandermyn, dated January 11, 1988) suggests that Mr. Savage hoped that the Endowment would allow the University of Oregon to “become a major center for the study of international relations and peace, influencing students to come to the University who are interested in the cause of peace” (Memorandum, p.3.). Toward the end, he had many ideas that he thought might help students “gain a sense of empowerment” and “of being full participants in the workings of the chair” (Memorandum, p.3.). Some conclusions can be derived from these materials.

  1. The Professorship was not to be limited to the traditional model. Carlton Savage opinion is summarized as follows:

    One idea discussed as to the way in which the professorship might work, so that the visiting scholar or public figure does not simply stand up in front of a class or audience and spout forth, is for some funds from the chair to be used to support a student retreat prior to the advent of the visitor. Ten or so student could be selected from a number of different disciplines to meet for a couple of days to develop and publish ahead of times 3 to 4 most crucial issues with which to challenge the invitee. The hope would be to encourage a creative, quality dialogue, perhaps through a responding panel after the speaker had concluded his talk. (Memorandum, p.4).

    We believe this opinion suggests that Mr. Savage hoped that the Committee in charge of the Endowment would think in creative ways about the use of the professorship. He did not dismiss the traditional class and lecture model, but he did not want the endowment to be limited to this one model. Consistent with his emphasis on reason and dialogue, Carlton Savage sought to expand the domain of the Endowment to embrace students in informal scenes. The goal was to create “quality dialogue” which he believed was essential to peace.
  2. The Endowment could be used to sponsor a “Center” and “International projects.”

    Carlton Savage hoped that the “University of Oregon will become a major center for the study of international relations and peace, influencing students to come to the University who are interested in the cause of peace.” He was also hopeful that students would “be able to work on some international project that will contribute toward international peace. Such projects would help students “to discover what helps us gain peace…what the conditions or underlying principles are for a lasting peace” (Memorandum, p.3.)

The creation of international projects and vision of a “major center” for the study of international relations and peace” reveals a broad and flexible vision of the Endowment, one that was not limited to a single individual teaching one course for a sustained period of time.

Given our interpretation of the materials and the complications we face in bringing major international figures to campus, we believe:

  1. That it is consistent with the intent of the Endowment to sponsor workshops, international projects, and “centers” intend to help “students make their own contribution to the development of reasonableness as a substitute for violence and hate in personal, national and international affairs.”
  2. That the “occupants of the Professorship” are to “enhance” the existing curriculum and to engage the campus community, eliciting original thinking through dialogue. While it may be possible and desirable to employ the traditional model, Carlton Savage did not limit his vision to one idea or approach.
  3. Regardless of the interpretation of the Savage Endowment, the State of Oregon matching funds are not bound by the stipulations found in the Declaration of Gift and the supporting materials.
©2007 International Affairs
Last updated: 12/10/07