Fear of another world war and significant domestic political unrest was evident in the Daily Tar Heel editions of the early and mid-1950s when Louis Armstrong and his All Stars jazz band played at UNC - Chapel Hill.

At time of Armstrong's 1954 concert, the Communist menace was very real to some Americans. Senate hearings were seeking out domestic Reds, including a previous instructor at UNC - Chapel Hill. The Korean war was a very fresh memory. Not long before, 19-year-olds had been the target of the military draft.

Political cartoons were plentiful, and typically made fun of the hyperactive search for Reds in positions of influence.

Caption: I Think We've Been Had

On May 12, 1954, the week after Armstrong's concert, an anti-McCarthy torch rally was held at frat court. The rally, under the sponsorship of the Young Democrats Club, featured speeches by Dr. E. J. Woodhouse, University political science professor, and John Umstead, Orange County representative to the state legislature.

Rally organizer Bob Williams, a law student from Wilson, said the rally "is being supported... out of feelings of resentment that McCarthy's methods and tactics have injured the nation's prestige and the dignity of high office..." At the rally, Umstead said Joe McCarthy must go. Woodhouse said McCarthy had disgraced the Senate. ("Anti-McCarthy Torch Rally Will Start In Frat Court at 7; Wingfield Talks at 8 Tonight," p. 1, May 12, 1954, The Daily Tar Heel)

The paper published photos of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, noting the "two atomic spies who were sentenced to death in New York, have been denied their appeal for commutation of their death sentences by the Supreme Court." (Photo caption "Julius (right) and Ethel Rosenberg, two atomic spies..." p. 1, Oct. 15, 1952, ibid)

The next day, the paper reported that a former UNC woman instructor refused to tell a Senate committee if she belonged to the Communist party. "Mrs. Dorothy Hope Eldridge of New York, editor of a UN publication on populations statistics, refused any statement on connections with various organizations and persons which the committee indicated were communist."

"...Eldridge said she was a member of the faculty for 11 years, but refused to say if she was a member of a Chapel Hill, NC, communist unit." Chancellor Robert House confimed that Eldridge was a one-time faculty member there between the 1930s and 40s. She was with the Sociology Department, the chancellor said. ("Ex-Prof Won't Answer Senate on Red Query," p. 1, Oct. 16, 1952, ibid)

It was a disturbing world both on and beyond the campus boundaries. For example, it was time of diseases without cures. That fall, for example, the paper reported Sam Sanders, freshman football player from Winson-Salem, was the fifth case of polio at the University. ("Fifth Athlete Stricken By Polio; 3 Improve" p. 1, Oct. 4, 1952, ibid)

The October 19, 1952, Daily Tar Heel displayed a photo of dead Republic of Korea troops. (Photo caption "Brought Down from the Fighting Atop White House Mountain in Korea...", p. 1, Oct. 19, 1952, ibid)

The November 11, 1952, edition cited Carolina physicists who said it a hydrogen bomb had probably been detonated by the United States. The same edition published photos of GIs in combat in Korea. ("Carolina Physicists Believe H-Bomb Test is Probable," p. 1, Nov. 11, 1952, ibid, and photo caption "Three GI's of a U. S. Division somewhere in Korea..." p. 1, Nov. 12, 1952, ibid)

The next week, a report proclaimed 19-year-old men "don't need to be worried about the draft. Selective Service Director Lewis Hershey said he will give the go ahead on drafting 19-year-olds but they cannot be drafted until local boards are unable to fill their quotas." ("19-Year-Olds Need Not Worry About Draft at Present Time," p. 1, Nov. 26, 1952, ibid)

In December, a somber front page photo of a church service proclaimed "Someone in Korea Will Die for You Today." (Photo caption "Someone in Korea Will Die for You Today," p. 1, Dec. 12, 1952, ibid)

The world outlook wasn't cheery. Ms. Demaree Bess of the Saturday Evening Post came to campus to describe the new anti-Red administration in Washington. The story in the Daily Tar Heel provided scant comfort when it reported she said, "the new Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, made it clear to the Senate Foreign Relations Committe in the week before he took office, and the first few months of the Eisenhower Administration are likely to show whether or not World War III is just around the corner." ("Bold New Anti-Red Plan Seen," p. 1, Dec. 23, 1953, ibid)

On October 6, 1953, Dan K. Edwards, former undersecratary of State, told a UNC assembly called the Phi that Russia was dangerous, and "it now behooves us to defend our way of life against destruction." Edwards defended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ("'Russia Is Dangerous,' Says Dan K. Edwards in Phi Inaugural Talk" p. 1, Oct. 7, 1953, ibid)

The cartoon Pogo was occasionally published in the campus paper, and students may have wondered with Pogo whether they had met the enemy, "And they is us!" (Sample Pogo cartoon, p. 2, Jan. 27, 1953, ibid)

For example, the October 9, 1953, Daily Tar Heel reported that the University of Maryland Dean of Men had destroyed several hundred copies of the Diamondback, the student newspaper, because of pictures he disapproved of, "one being crowded quarters for 24 women students in a dormitory basement, the other showing an empty chair at a student council meeting." ("University of Maryland Dean Destroys Student Newspapers," p. 1, Oct. 9, 1953, ibid)

Another visitor to campus was Lt. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, who was responsible for development of the atomic bomb. The November 11, 1953, Daily Tar Heel described his speech to the Symposium on Accounting and Taxation. Groves said the U.S. survived the tensions of the Cold War for only one reason: "It was still ahead of Russia in the race for the development and production of atomic weapons." ("U.S. Has Survived Cold War, Ahead In Atomic Race -- Groves," p. 1, Nov. 24, 1953, ibid)

In a world where armed might was the determining factor, it was quite possible that competing economic theories were too hazardous to study. A December 4, 1953, Daily Tar Heel reported that speaker Jim Wilkinson said "Communism is an appealing ideology. It would be dangerous to expose students to a class in it here at the University." Wilkinson spoke for the negative in a debate titled "Whether Communism Should be Taught at Carolina," held by the Free Lance Forum. ("Students Not So Dumb, Debater Says, Forum For Courses On Communism" p. 1, Dec. 4, 1953, ibid)

In the fear, a poet's voice was heard at UNC. Campus visitor David Frost said "something short of religion, perhaps the understanding of poetry, could counterbalance science."

"The reason for the going back to the poetry of the ages is to make sure in our own breast that love and hate and being sensible were the same then as now," Frost told campus listeners. Frost read a poem, "Tis almost the year 2000," and said, "It almost is, you know. Some of you will see it, won't you? That makes me laugh." ("Understanding Poetry Can Balance Science, Says Frost," p. 1, Jan. 21, 1954, ibid)

The June 16, 1953, Daily Tar Heel reported that Albert Einstein said every intellectual called before a Congressional investigating committee should refuse to testify and "must be prepared for jail and economic ruin, in short for the sacrifice of his personal welfare in the interest of the cultural welfare for his country." ("Dr. Einstein Advises Intellectuals Not To Testify Before Red Probes," p. 1 June 16, 1953, ibid)

Tar Heel reporter Louis Kraar covered a campus speech by Sen. Russell B. Long, D-La, who said the United Nations had "dignified one of the most fiendish governments (Russia) that has ever existed in that during this time the Soviets have paralyzed the UN" with abuse of their UN veto. ("Sen. Long Outlines UN Without Soviet Union," p. 1, Feb. 27, 1954, ibid)

Senator McCarthy's activities made lively copy. The campus Dialectic Society debated a bill "commending Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy for his anti-Communist investigations." ("Di To Debate McCarthy Topic," p. 1, March 16, 1954, ibid)

Kuralt and his fellow journalists turned on the April Fool's ink to fill a special front page in 1954 with the announcement Sen. McCarthy had come to campus to conduct a "whirlwind investigative tour to root out subversion at the University. He was accompanied by his chief counsel, I. C. ("Ice Cream") Cohn, and his unpaid consultant, Monk E. Shine, who works without salary but receives three meals a day." ("McCarthy on Campus To Probe Subversion" in The Daily Witch Hunt, April Fool, 1954, ibid)

Other headlines said that Tom Peacock and Charles Kuralt both "invoked the Fifth Amendment last night in a Star Chamber session of the student council as charges of 'liar' filled the hall." Special witness Joe McCarthy declared, "Both these candidates are trying to gain the power of the student propaganda medium."

Kuralt won the editorship of the Daily Tar Heel after he won political endorsement from campus groups. Kuralt promised to have the paper completely delivered before class time each morning - the next year. His opponent, sports editor Tom Peacock, pledged a "dynamic battle against Saturday classes." He criticized the coed visiting agreement, saying the UNC administration refused to consider a revision of "the archaic and Victorian rules now in effect." On March 18, 1954, Peacock called his opponent's campaign manager a liar. Peacock also took the opportunity to claim he (Peacock) was at least as literate as his opponent. Peacock said he wanted to save the Tar Heel from a fate that would take it out of the hands of the students and "make it an organ for the School of Journalism." ("Peacock Says Kuralt's Man Horton 'Lied'", p. 1, March 18, 1954, ibid)

On March 26, 1954, Peacock's campaign manager proclaimed, with 11 days to go before the election, that Peacock had already won. Unfortunately, on April 7, 1954, Kuralt won the editorship, beating Peacock by 226 votes. Peacock commented, "...all I have to say is best of luck to Charlie." ("Kuralt Wins Editorship, Creasy Presidency," p. 1, April 7, 1954)

Peacock, right, congratulates new editor Kuralt (1955 Yakkety Yack)

Quieter views also came to campus. The May 4, 1954, Daily Tar Heel reported that nuclear chemist Harold Urey said "there is not any internal Communist menace, and there never has been." He told members of the Faculty Club that "the neurotic behavior that we see in the world at the present time comes from fear, the result of the tactics of McCarthyism, rather than the immediate threat of international Communism." ("United States' Reds' No Menace' -- Urey" p. 1, May 4, 1954, ibid)

The Red-baiting just wouldn't go away from UNC's door. A December 1, 1954, edition of the Daily Tar Heel reported that Ralph Long of Durham, NC, a "self-confessed former red, told the House Un-American Activities Committee yesterday the Communist Party operated openly at the University of North Carolina when he was a member in 1946-48 and that the school never did anything about it."

The paper reported, "In two hours of testimony yesterday morning, Long named five faculty members and a number of students who he said attended communist cell meetings with him." Long "...was apparantly just getting started on his list when the hearing was recessed for lunch." Long said "the purpose of the student communist clubs at Chapel Hill was to 'build up the Party among the young intelligentsia of North Carolina,' print and circulate literature, and raise money to advance the Red cause." ("Self-Confessed Red Names His Comrades," p. 1, Dec. 1, 1954, ibid)

The urge to attack domestic Communism grew strong in the minds of some student legislators, and editor Kuralt had to defend the campus paper against charges it was a "second The Daily Worker."

The student legistlature heard complaints that quality was lacking on the Daily Tar Heel and "something ought to be done about it or the paper done away with." Student legislator Lewis Brumfield called the paper a "second Daily Worker." Lewis Brumfield said "Kuralt should not impose his liberal beliefs on the students."