By Liam Elkington

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most documented figures in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. His active support of anti-segregation policies in the South, his status as a community minister and his ability to speak from his experience as a Black man in America cemented him as one of the most revered and significant men not only of his time, but in all of American history. His outspoken advocacy for civil rights earned King many invitations to speak of colleges and universities, one of them being the University of Utah.

A portrait of Dr. King published in the Daily Utah Chronicle that was used to promote his visit.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born to a middle-class family in Georgia in 1929. His father, Martin Luther King Sr., was a Baptist minister, and his mother Alberta was a schoolteacher. He attended Morehouse College and Cozer Theological Seminary, later conducting his doctoral studies at The School of Theology at Boston University. In 1955, while working as a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, he became a leader in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His role in that nonviolent protest is thought to have propelled him into national awareness, as discussions surrounding the Civil Rights Movement coming out of Alabama grew in frequency and became the concern of not only African Americans living in the South, but Whites too. (Lincoln, 1970)

In 1961, King was invited to speak at the University of Utah, where he was to deliver his speech titled “The Future of Integration.” Leading up to the event, which was to be held in the Union Ballroom on January 31 at 8:15 p.m., The Daily Utah Chronicle gave context to readers regarding King and his accomplishments. On January 26, 1961, the Chronicle reported in the article, “Revered King, Set for Ute Talk, Becomes ‘Reluctant Race Leader,’” information about when and where King would be speaking, noting that the event was organized by ASUU Assemblies and Convocations committee. The article referred to King using an outdated term, calling him a “negro leader.”

Other Chronicle articles also preceded the arrival of Martin Luther King Jr., further advertising the event and further stating his accomplishments as a scholar and author. On January 30, 1961, Elaine Krans wrote in “Martin Luther King Sets Campus Speech” that King achieved fame after “his preaching of non-violence succeeded in ending the segregation on the public buses of Montgomery, Alabama.” On January 31, “Southern Leader Speaks on Race Problem Tonight” highlighted again how King used peaceful methods for social progress.

Dr. King meets with Dr. J. D. Williams, who spoke at the event before King’s arrival.

However, the event did not go entirely to plan. King was delayed and so arrived at the University of Utah about two hours later than expected. While this may have caused some stress for the event organizers, they were vocal in their appreciation for the patience of the crowd gathered to hear King speak. In their letter to the editor published on February 6, 1961, Gail Plummer and Dave Gillette of the Assemblies committee thanked the student body for the “tremendous support.” They recounted how when they received the news that King would be late arriving, Dr. J. D. Williams stepped in to provide context and background for King’s remarks, filling time until his arrival. Plummer and Gillette were astounded at the attentiveness and enthusiasm of the crowd, citing the event as a success despite the delay. One student, Kay Winston, wrote in the April 4 Chronicle how the event demonstrated the maturity of the student body, praising the ability of the Assemblies and Convocations committee. Winston also advocated for bringing more controversial speakers on campus “so [students] may decide for themselves what they would like to believe, instead of being led down a road of one type of influential speaker.”

Following King’s visit, the Chronicle published an article on February 2, 1961, that summarized his primary points. “Negro Leader Looks at Integration” reported King’s belief that “integration will be accomplished, and stressed that it cannot be accomplished without sacrifice on the part of the Negro.”

The University of Utah continues to invite scholars and public figures of varying viewpoints to speak to its students. The sentiment of Kay Winston remains true, that being exposed to a variety of opinions allows those studying different worldviews to inform their own beliefs. This can be seen how the University of Utah continues to promote discussion surrounding important societal topics and allowing a variety of viewpoints to be shared, wherever they may come from. In 2017, notable conservative figure Ben Shapiro spoke at the University of Utah campus, creating much discord and some annoyance among the student body. While this may not have been the goal of Shapiro’s visit, it demonstrated that the university is still dedicated to providing a platform for speech that encourages students to think critically. Martin Luther King’s positions about social integration of a marginalized community surely were also seen as controversial, but still provided an opportunity for the students of 1961 to gain insight into a prominent movement. King’s vision of race integration may yet to completely come to pass, and the need for students to think and interact with important ideas has never diminished, therefore it continues to be a vital function of colleges and universities to provide an environment where students can interact with important ideas from a variety of sources and speakers.

Liam Elkington is a senior at The University of Utah, studying communication with an emphasis in journalism. He hopes to use his education to aid in the recording and reporting of truth.

Primary Sources

“Reverend King, Set for Talk, becomes ‘Reluctant Race Leader,’” Daily Utah Chronicle, January 26, 1961, 2.

Elaine Krans, ”Martin Luther King Sets Campus Speech,” Daily Utah Chronicle, January 30, 1961, 1.

“Southern Leader Speaks of Race Problem Tonight,” Daily Utah Chronicle, January 31, 1961, 1.

“Negro Leader Looks at Integration,” Daily Utah Chronicle, February 2, 1961, 1.

Gail Plummer and Dave Gillette, “Letters to the Editor: Thanks,” Daily Utah Chronicle, February 6, 1961, 2.

“Secretary Hopefuls Tell Duties, Responsibilities of ASUU Office,” Daily Utah Chronicle, April 4, 1961, 2.

Secondary Sources

Lincoln, C. E. Martin Luther King, Jr.; A Profile. New York: Hill and Wang, 1970.

By Megan McKellar

In 1928, more than half of college fraternities incorporated an “exclusionist” clause in their constitution in order to deny membership to people of color, according to Charles LaPradd in College Male Fraternities in Controversy. (p. 60) One such clause was written into Phi Delta Theta’s constitution, which stated that “only male, white persons of full Aryan blood not less than sixteen years of age, shall be eligible.” (LaPradd, p. 61)

The Interfraternity Council at the University of Utah gathered for a meeting in January 1961. Photo credit: Daily Utah Chronicle.

However, following the end of World War II, a national movement to eliminate racial and religious discrimination had begun. Many war veterans returned home with little tolerance for discrimination, having “fought alongside Negro and Jew in a war precipitated by men with an Aryan philosophy.” (LaPradd, p. 61) Universities started to take steps toward abolishing discrimination practices.

The Associated Students of the University of Utah, or ASUU, formed a committee in the beginning of 1962 called the Human Relations Committee. The purpose of the committee was to investigate various sectors of student living for discrimination or unfair practices. The Daily Utah Chronicle reported in May 1962 that the committee found certain Greek organizations with “white clauses” (clauses that denied membership to non-whites) in their constitutions, and that even groups without such clauses still practiced discrimination. Additionally, an off-campus charter of Delta Gamma pledged a “Negro” and consequently had its charter suspended by the fraternity’s national office.

Students wrote letters to the Daily Utah Chronicle expressing their views on the discriminatory practices of the fraternities. Their opinions were varied. Student Doug Mottonen wrote one such letter in May 1962, describing the fraternities as “discriminating institutions.” He believed that each fraternity needed to be supplied with “a copy of the Bill of Rights, a Bible, a New Testament, and related documents.”

Three days later, a response to Mottonen was published in the Daily Utah Chronicle titled “Free Association” and signed by 12 male students. They called Mottonen’s perspective “narrow and bigoted” and asserted that the Constitution does not say that a person does not have the right to choose their friends. They claimed that they had no problem with riding or eating with a person of another race, but defended the notion that fraternities had the right to exclude whomever they see fit.

Mottonen wrote another letter the same month defending his initial assertions. He reasoned that “stipulating membership requirements on racial grounds implies inferiority. Such an organized practice is a breeding ground for egotism, prejudice and racial superiority attitudes. A discriminating act of a single sorority or fraternity may seem like a small thing. But if one were to multiply all the organized discrimination of our society in its totality, what emerges is a tremendous cost in human suffering.” The group of fraternity members did not submit a response.

University of Utah students prepare an application for the fraternity rush in April 1961. Photo credit: Daily Utah Chronicle.

On January 25, 1963, the Daily Utah Chronicle published the University of Utah’s Student Affairs Committee’s policy on discrimination in group organizations. The policy stated that the aims and goals of the organization needed to be aligned with the objectives of the University as a whole, and that membership requirements of the group were to further serve to reach the goals of both the group and the university. The policy emphasized unauthorized membership discrimination, stating that “the educational goals of the University are not best served by restricting organizational membership on the basis of religious belief or ethnic origin.”

This policy sparked another series of articles and letters to the editor. An editorial published in February 1963 in the Daily Utah Chronicle argued against the policy, reasoning that the policy was in direct conflict with the national policies of fraternities, thus jeopardizing the existence of the campus organizations. In a letter to the editor, three students argued that fraternities had the right to discriminate. They defended their stance by claiming that fraternities were not the only groups that practiced discrimination, and that “fraternities discriminate on more than just race and religion, although these are indeed important.”

As the University of Utah and its students grappled with discrimination within fraternities, there were those who worked to abolish discrimination, and those who defended and rationalized it. Although the community and society as a whole have since made great steps toward equality and fair treatment, social injustices still exist. In our society, there too will be those who work toward justice and those who find justifications for long-standing oppressive practices, practices that are harmful to a variety of marginalized groups. Today, the social issues that we face might involve people of color, or the LGBTQ+ community, or women’s rights. It is important to examine our own beliefs, and the practices of the organizations and societies to which we pertain, and to work toward justice and equality.

Megan McKellar is a junior at the University of Utah studying communication with an emphasis in journalism.

Primary Sources

“Letters to the Editor,” The Daily Utah Chronicle, May 7, 1962, 2.

“Letters to the Editor,” The Daily Utah Chronicle, May 10, 1962, 2.

“Greek Discrimination ‘A Problem,’” The Daily Utah Chronicle, May 11, 1962, 1.

“Letters to the Editor,” The Daily Utah Chronicle, May 16, 1962, 1.

“Student Organizations Set Policy,” The Daily Utah Chronicle, January 25, 1963, 4.

“A Threat to Greeks,” The Daily Utah Chronicle, February 5, 1963, 2.

“Greeks Present Answer in Discrimination Issue,” The Daily Utah Chronicle, February 18, 1963, 2. https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/details?id=640183

Secondary Source
LaPradd, Charles William. “College Male Fraternities in Controversy, 1950-1965: As Reported in American Magazines.” EdD diss., Florida State University, 1965.