Joseph Tussman
Encyclopedia
Joseph Tussman 4 December 1914—21 October 2005) was an American
educator. He was chair of the philosophy
department at University of California, Berkeley
, a prominent educational reformer, and a key figure in the campus controversy over the 1950s loyalty oath
.
Tussman was born in Chicago and grew up in Milwaukee. He studied under Alexander Meiklejohn
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. Following his graduation from Wisconsin, he followed his mentor west to do graduate work at Berkeley.
He served in an army-intelligence unit in southwest China during World War II
. After his discharge, he returned to Berkeley. California began to require University employees to sign a loyalty oath in the 1950s, and Tussman was a key organizer of protests. Twenty percent of the Berkeley faculty refused to sign, and 31 professors were dismissed. Being untenured, however, Tussman eventually signed the oath for economic reasons. He said it was the saddest day in his life.
Tussman moved to the philosophy department in 1952, leaving in 1955 when denied tenure for insufficient scholarly publication. Over the next few years he taught at Syracuse and Wesleyan and completed his first book, Obligation and the Body Politic. He returned to Berkeley in 1963 and became chair of philosophy the following year. He was a key figure in the Free Speech Movement
of 1964.
In 1965, Tussman founded the Tussman Experimental College
Program (modeled on a program that Meiklejohn had created at Madison), which was offered to 150 students through their freshman and sophomore years and focused on great works written during times of great upheaval. The experiment lasted four years. He then continued to teach in the philosophy department until his retirement in 1983.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator. He was chair of the philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
department at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, a prominent educational reformer, and a key figure in the campus controversy over the 1950s loyalty oath
Loyalty oath
A loyalty oath is an oath of loyalty to an organization, institution, or state of which an individual is a member.In this context, a loyalty oath is distinct from pledge or oath of allegiance...
.
Tussman was born in Chicago and grew up in Milwaukee. He studied under Alexander Meiklejohn
Alexander Meiklejohn
Alexander Meiklejohn was a philosopher, university administrator, and free-speech advocate. He served as dean of Brown University and president of Amherst College.- Life and career:...
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. Following his graduation from Wisconsin, he followed his mentor west to do graduate work at Berkeley.
He served in an army-intelligence unit in southwest China during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After his discharge, he returned to Berkeley. California began to require University employees to sign a loyalty oath in the 1950s, and Tussman was a key organizer of protests. Twenty percent of the Berkeley faculty refused to sign, and 31 professors were dismissed. Being untenured, however, Tussman eventually signed the oath for economic reasons. He said it was the saddest day in his life.
Tussman moved to the philosophy department in 1952, leaving in 1955 when denied tenure for insufficient scholarly publication. Over the next few years he taught at Syracuse and Wesleyan and completed his first book, Obligation and the Body Politic. He returned to Berkeley in 1963 and became chair of philosophy the following year. He was a key figure in the Free Speech Movement
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was a student protest which took place during the 1964–1965 academic year on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley under the informal leadership of students Mario Savio, Brian Turner, Bettina Aptheker, Steve Weissman, Art Goldberg, Jackie Goldberg, and...
of 1964.
In 1965, Tussman founded the Tussman Experimental College
Tussman Experimental College
The Tussman Experimental College was an American educational project at the University of California, Berkeley that lasted from 1965 to 1969.Founded by philosophy professor Joseph Tussman, about 300 students were chosen at random to participate....
Program (modeled on a program that Meiklejohn had created at Madison), which was offered to 150 students through their freshman and sophomore years and focused on great works written during times of great upheaval. The experiment lasted four years. He then continued to teach in the philosophy department until his retirement in 1983.
Publications
- Obligation and the Body Politic (1960)
- Government and the Mind (1977)
- The Burden of Office: Agamemnon and Other Losers (1989)
- The Beleaguered College (1997)