Wisconsin Regent Protests Bias to Jews in Rooming Houses of College Town

Denouncing the discrimination shown against Jewish students by the proprietors of private rooming houses and the management of the women’s dormitories at the University of Wisconsin, Mrs. Meta Berger of Milwaukee, widow of the late Socialist Congressman Victor Berger, a member of the State Board of Regents, asked that the University officials deny all such houses official recognition as homes for students.

Mrs. Berger’s plea, introduced as a resolution before the governing board of the Board of Regents, was referred to a committee which will investigate charges of exclusion made by Mrs. Berger. She made an earnest plea for the University to remain a democratic institution, which she said could only be done if the authorities would take the courage to attack the problem of discrimination against Jews.

The recent case of Mildred Gordon, a Jewish student at the University, who was refused admission to Langdon Hall, one of the women’s dormitories, after she had paid a deposit and which was returned, Miss Gordon claiming her rejection being due to the fact that the percentage of Jewish girls at the dormitory had already been filled, was mentioned specifically.

In asking the adoption of her resolution, Mrs. Berger declared “Langdon Hall should not exclude any bona fide students because of race, color or creed,”