It turns out that Columbia University has a long history of antisemitism and aligning itself with the enemies of the United States. Seventy years ago the University made headlines by inviting Adolf Hitler to speak at the University.

Columbia Invites Hitler to Campus

Seventy years before this week’s invitation to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Columbia rolled out the red carpet for a senior official of Adolf Hitler’s regime. The invitation to Iran’s leader may seem less surprising, but no less disturbing, when one recalls that in 1933, Columbia president Nicholas Murray Butler invited Nazi Germany’s ambassador to the United States, Hans Luther, to speak on campus, and also hosted a reception for him. Luther represented “the government of a friendly people,” Butler insisted. He was “entitled to be received … with the greatest courtesy and respect.” Ambassador Luther’s speech focused on what he characterized as Hitler’s peaceful intentions. Students who criticized the Luther invitation were derided as “ill-mannered children” by the director of Columbia’s Institute of Arts and Sciences.

Columbia also insisted on maintaining friendly relations with Nazi-controlled German universities. While Williams College terminated its program of student exchanges with Nazi Germany, Columbia and other universities declined to do likewise. Columbia refused to pull out even after a German official candidly asserted that his country’s students were being sent abroad to serve as “political soldiers of the Reich.”

In 1936, the Columbia administration announced it would send a delegate to Nazi Germany to take part in the 550th anniversary celebration of the University of Heidelberg. This, despite the fact that Heidelberg already had been purged of Jewish faculty members, instituted a Nazi curriculum, and hosted a burning of books by Jewish authors. Prof. Arthur Remy, who served as Columbia’s delegate to the Heidelberg event, later remarked that the reception at which chief book-burner Josef Goebbels presided was “very enjoyable.”

Did you read that? That’s outrageous. I suppose the effete elite was as deranged then as they are now. They still don’t understand the realities of the world. Columbia sent a delegate to an anniversary celebration at the University of Heidelberg even after that institution had been purged of Jewish faculty members, instituted a Nazi curriculum and burned the books of Jewish authors. The Columbia University delegate enjoyed the company of Josef Goebbels.

Another article written in 2006 about Columbia University’s Shame.

I was disturbed to read in Inside Higher Education (Nov. 27) that Columbia provost Alan Brinkley appears more concerned with protecting the institution’s reputation than with rectifying a similar injustice Butler committed against Robert Burke, CC ‘38. Butler had Burke expelled for leading pickets protesting the Columbia administration’s insistence on sending a delegate and friendly greetings to a major propaganda festival the Nazi leadership orchestrated in 1936 in Germany, the 550th anniversary celebration of Heidelberg University. Although he was a fine student and had been elected president of his class, Burke was never readmitted.

Even when there was no more denying what was happening in Nazi Germany, the administration of Columbia refused to accept responsibility for their actions that helped the propaganda ministry of the Nazis. Instead they justified and minimized the role they played.

They apparently have learned nothing from the mistakes of their past.

Everyone in this country should know the history of Columbia University. I hope people are outraged enough to withdraw any financial support they give to the university. I hope Columbia University doesn’t get a dime of federal funding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(cross posted My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Stop the ACLU, The Amboy Times, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson’s Website, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Big Dog’s Weblog, Right Truth, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, Leaning Straight Up, Adeline and Hazel, third world county, Wake Up America, Woman Honor Thyself, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Right Voices, Church and State, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, 123beta, DeMediacratic Nation, Adam’s Blog, Nuke’s News & Views, Phastidio.net, Cao’s Blog, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Faultline USA, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Republican National Convention Blog, High Desert Wanderer, The Yankee Sailor, Public Eye, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.