Editorial
Daily Texan
December 15, 1995

Friday's paper is the first extra edition of The Daily Texan in a long, long time. The staff first heard on the evening newscast the announcement of UT System Chancellor William Cunningham's resignation from the Freeport-McMoRan Board of Directors. Despite the late hour, the pressing demands of finals and the obstacle of the paper having shut down for the semester, the Texan staff decided to produce an extra edition to cover this important event.

A skeleton staff of only seven people produced the issue. A printing contract was quickly arranged with the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung (our thanks for their flexibility and understanding). Then Texan staffers took the printed issues, got their cars, and stayed up all night distributing the papers around campus.

The resignation of Cunningham is one of the most momentous events in the ongoing controversy over the University's relationship with Freeport-McMoRan. The Daily Texan has been at the forefront in covering this issue, and we'll continue to do so -- even during finals.

Cunningham

UT System Chancellor William Cunningham did well to resign from the Freeport-McMoRan board of directors. His actions remove an apparent conflict of interest, show a commendable respect for the feelings of his faculty and students, and help disentangle the University from a corporation that recently has shown a shocking contempt for free speech and academic freedom.

First, Cunningham's actions help remove a perception that a conflict of interest exists between the UT System and Freeport-McMoRan. While Bernard Rappoport, the chair of the UT System Board of Regents, has produced strong arguments that no conflict of interest existed, the relationship still presents the appearance of impropriety.

Cunningham received more than $40,000 a year for his membership on the Freeport board. Furthermore, he received 9,000 shares of Freeport stock and stock options for about 47,000 additional shares.

Would receiving this much money from a corporation unduly bias someone? Perhaps not. There may be people of such rectitude that they could accept such large sums of money and not give special favors to that company. Let's assume that Cunningham is such a man.

But even if Cunningham could take the money and not be influenced to perform special favors for the Moffetts, the perception of impropriety would still remain. Cunningham's actions, while they will cost him financially, will help remove this stain on the University's image.

Second, Cunningham's action is a welcome recognition of the cloud of reproach that has arisen around the relationship. In his resignation statement (reprinted in full on this page), Cunningham spoke disparagingly of a "few highly vocal opponents of Freeport." These words would be accurate at first. Initially, the opposition was confined to environmental activists who are always upset about something.

Over the months, however, a consensus has formed against the Freeport connection. While the faculty did not take formal action (in part because of fears of harming UT President Robert Berdahl), the faculty disapproval extended far beyond a "few highly vocal opponents."

Finally, and most important, Cunningham's actions serve to disentangle the University from a company that has threatened journalists and UT professors for exercising their First Amendment rights.

It is deeply ironic that Freeport would threaten legal action against members of the same institution that it has so generously supported in the past. But far more important than Freeport's petty behavior is the threat to academic freedom and free speech. (This issue is also covered in depth on this page.)

Cunningham is correct in saying, "the interests of UT Austin and the rest of the UT System would be best served by my resignation from the Freeport board." Although it might have been better had this acknowledgement happened earlier, Cunningham's actions still benefit the University that he has served for so many years.