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Copy

Exhibit "R".

San Francisco, Cal.,

1457 Clay Street,

June 11, 1901.

Dear Sir:

A copy of a circular letter dated May 28, sent by you to members of the
Faculty of Stanford University, has come into my hands. Until I saw that
letter I had believed that the circular letter of Dr. Ross, which you include in
your communication, contained the exact facts regarding the appointment of Prof-
essor Ross in 1897. The additional facts disclosed by your letter were ab-
solutely unknown to me. I did not know of the existence of the memorandum
of April 8 nor of the memorandum of April 2; although I had heard of an alleged
appointment of April 3, being in substance nearly the same as the document of
April 2. I do not see that the position of the University authorities in the
case of the enforced resignation of Professor Ross is in any way strengthened
by these memoranda. On the country they, with the attendant circumstances,
show beyond reasonable doubt that President Jordan was willing to punish a member
of the Faculty for what he had said in the discussion of public questions.

As a matter of record I have deemed it just to make the foregoing statement.
Will you oblige me by placing this letter on file and showing it, at your con-
venience, to President Jordan and to the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and
Means?

Very truly yours,

George E. Howard.

Mr. G. A. Clark,

Secretary.