Tulane, dazzling you with gloss and misdirection!

The hard working folks over at newcomblives.com continue to dismiss the propoganda by big, bad Tulane. This is just an excerpt.

By now you have undoubtedly received Tulane University’s very expensive four-color glossy “brochure” outlining its position on the lawsuit to restore Newcomb College.

While The Future of Newcomb College, Inc. cannot afford to produce a similar brochure – nor would we find it ethical to spend our limited resources (for which we owe you our thanks) on a slick propaganda publication such as that – our board believes Newcomb College alumnae and supporters need to understand that Tulane’s clever “wordsmithing” has distorted the truth about Mrs. Newcomb’s intent, the state of Newcomb College prior to the university’s decision to dissolve it, and the status of the new lawsuit to restore Newcomb College. (The new action, Montgomery v. Tulane, has been filed by Mrs. Susan Henderson Montgomery, a great, great grand niece of Mrs. Newcomb, who fits the Louisiana Supreme Court’s definition of “successor” and who is dedicated to ensuring that Tulane honors the intent of Newcomb’s founding benefactor.)

Below are the facts:

Tulane’s Version of the Truth: Mrs. Newcomb did not impose any conditions upon Tulane as to how it should further the higher education of women.

The Truth: Mrs. Newcomb’s bequest was subject to both a condition and a charge, or an expectation of performance. When she made her bequest, Mrs. Newcomb made it clear that her intent was for Tulane to use her donations “in establishing the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College [not Institute] … for the higher education of … girls and young women” and “for the present and future development” of Newcomb College.

What Tulane Says: The Newcomb endowment was created by Tulane.

The Truth: Tulane did not donate the Newcomb endowment. Instead, in 1923, the university took money that Mrs. Newcomb had restricted in her will and used it as the basis for the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Fund, designated as funds “functioning as endowment.” Between 1974 and 1979, Tulane University continued to take and use the funds intended to maintain and support Newcomb College because the university had “financial needs.” By 1996, Tulane returned more than $15 million in Newcomb-designated money that it had taken in the 1970s. (See “Endowing Newcomb Forever” on on the upper right corner of this page.) This was money repaid, not money donated as endowment.

What Tulane Says: Today, the Newcomb endowment funds provide the programs of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute.

The Truth: That is true and it is beside the point. The H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute is not a college. It is an umbrella organization with no academic standing at the university, no dean, no degrees, no advisors, no campus, no student body, and no alumnae association, and the endowment funds were intended for the support of Newcomb COLLEGE and not the Newcomb Institute. Tulane is overstepping its authority in using the funds for this purpose.

What Tulane Says: Degrees have always been awarded by Tulane University.

The Truth: This is yet another example of the deceptive use of semantics by Tulane. Newcomb College graduates received a degree that was granted by Tulane University for fulfilling the requirements of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College or on the recommendation of the Newcomb College faculty. The diplomas were signed by the dean of Newcomb College. The H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Institute has no degree requirements, nor faculty, nor a dean, because it exists in name only.

It's always been about the money. Please, President-Elect Obama, give Scott Cowen the Secretary of Education gig so he will get the hell out of town.