Arizona civic organizations and the State Board of Regents were in sharp conflict today over the refusal of the board to deny use of state-owned land by fraternities at the University of Arizona which admit practicing discrimination on grounds of race, religion and color.
The university has received 13 applications for funds for new fraternity and sorority buildings at the State institution. Four of the applicant fraternities have restrictive membership clauses in their constitutions. The houses would be erected with Federal funds granted to the University on State-owned land which would be leased to the groups.
The Arizona Anti-Defamation League, supported by the Civic League for Unity, the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans for Democratic Action, has challenged the decision of the Board of Regents to lease land to the fraternities which admit discrimination.
A resolution adopted at a special statewide meeting of leaders of the organization declared that “The Anti-Defamation League does not believe it is proper for the Board of Regents, as an agency of the State, to lease fraternity houses built with Federal money on State land to fraternities which avowedly under their by-laws discriminate in their membership for reasons of race, color or creed.”
The Arizona Post, English-Jewish publication in Tucson, commented editorially that “there is little doubt that more housing is needed for the growing University of Arizona student body. But more dormitories can be built and Federal funds could be made available.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
