¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ

 

¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ alumnus and former Crimson editor Randall Williams was honored at ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ's Live @ the Library during Homecoming weekend Oct. 13.

Williams, who is the editor-in-chief of NewSouth Books of Montgomery, Ala., which he co-founded with publisher Suzanne La Rosa in 2000, is known for his censorship dispute with then-¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ president Leslie Wright.

When Williams was in the process of registering for senior year classes in the 1970s, he was informed that his scholarship had been revoked, forcing him to leave ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ 10 credits shy of graduating.

A 30-minute documentary film titled Another Voice, which was created by ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ journalism and mass communication professor Jon Clemmensen, was featured at the Homecoming event. The movie chronicled the controversy surrounding Williams as well as his publication of an independent student newspaper, Another Voice.

After Williams left ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ, the journalism and mass communication major was disbanded and merged into the English department as a minor. It wasn't until 1985 that the journalism and mass communication department was brought back after the hiring of Clemmensen.

"[Dr. Thomas Corts and I] had a gentlemen's agreement if I were to teach the principles of journalism, students should be able to freely practice those principles," Clemmensen said about his hiring in 1985.

Looking back on the controversy, Williams said he had two regrets about what transpired.

"I regret that it cost Richmond Brown (¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ's student media advisor) his job and I regret that it caused the journalism and mass communication department into a side drawer for a period of time," Williams said.

The journalism and mass communication department has recovered, and now enrolls the highest number of students of any department within the Howard College of Arts and Sciences.

Williams, who has gone on to lead a successful career in journalism, returned to ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ in 2010 to finish up his senior year and graduated in May 2011.