174 signers
16 January 2001 - 1 February 2006
Linguist and social critic
Noam Chomsky helped to solicit
the signatures on this open letter
|
To: Marc Brodsky, Executive Director American Institute of Physics One Physics Ellipse College Park, Maryland 20740 Dear Dr. Brodsky: As individuals concerned with freedom of
expression and freedom to organize, we were dismayed to learn of your recent
dismissal of Jeff Schmidt, who had been an articles editor at Physics Today
magazine for over 19 years. We urge you to reconsider your decision. As we understand it, you fired Jeff after you
saw his book, Disciplined Minds, and in particular after your discovery that
Jeff used some of his spare time at the office for critical writing. You were
evidently not deterred by the fact that during the years that Jeff was
writing the book, Physics Today gave him two promotions and 19 salary
increases based explicitly on the quantity and quality of his work for the
magazine, which it scrutinized closely. The fact that you dismissed Jeff after so many
years of service not only without a hearing, but also without asking him a
single question about the book or anything else, suggests that you were
looking for an opportunity to get rid of him. Indeed, we understand that you
were displeased with Jeff's workplace activism and had tried to silence him
through a number of very repressive measures short of dismissal. As you know, Jeff worked with other Physics
Today staff members to improve working conditions, increase staff
participation in decision-making, broaden the narrow range of viewpoints
allowed in the magazine, make the salary structure fairer and diversify the
staff. (At the time you fired Jeff, Physics Today's large editorial staff was
all white above the secretarial level.) Because you are the head of the American
Institute of Physics, your repressive actions harm the reputation of
physicists. Worse, your actions discourage free expression and organizing,
and thereby work against democracy and social progress. We ask you to take a
step toward undoing the damage you have done. Give Jeff his job back. Sincerely, (affiliations listed for
identification only) Chad
P. Abel-Kops Librarian National
Library of Medicine National
Institutes of Health Bethesda,
Maryland Roy Adams McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Joe Amato Department of English University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Eric
Angel Concerned
individual Middlesbrough England Alex
Ashby London United
Kingdom Eileen Asher College of Medicine, retired University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Tom Barbas Writer Redford, Michigan Eddie Becker Documentary researcher Washington, D.C. Aaron Beckerman Yeshiva University New York City Joel Beinin Department of History Stanford University Stanford, California Stephen
Blakeley Chartered
accountant and physics graduate Bristol,
United Kingdom Greta Boeringer, Esq. Zicklin School of Business Baruch College City University of New York New York City Carl
Boulay 3D artist Strategy
First Inc. Montreal,
Quebec Canada Miriam Braverman Columbia University, retired New York City Eric
Brooks 20
years, environmental and social
justice activist Mike Budd Department of Communication Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida Gary Burns Department of Communication Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois James
Chater Deventer The
Netherlands Victor Chen Editor, Inthefray.com New York City Noam Chomsky Department of Linguistics and
Philosophy Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts Bruce Cohen Department of History and Political
Science Worcester State College Worcester, Massachusetts Carl Cording Librarian, Neil Hellman Library The College of Saint Rose Albany, New York Jennifer C. Cornell Department of English Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon David
Cozy Assistant
professor Showa
Women's University Tokyo,
Japan Margaret W. Crane Department of Public Affairs Mount Sinai NYU Health New York City James A. Cumming Chaos Management Ltd. Brattleboro, Vermont Daniel Czitrom Department of History Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts Theresa Czubinski Head Clerk (Operations and Personnel) Boston Assessing Department Boston, Massachusetts Carlos U. Decena Program in American Studies New York University New York City Noah de Lissovoy School of Education University of California Los Angeles, California Anthony DeStefanis Department of History College of William and Mary Williamsburg, Virginia William DiFazio Department of Sociology Saint John's University Jamaica, New York Corey Dolgon Chair, Department of Sociology Worcester State College Arlington, Massachusetts Ligaya Domingo Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Seattle, Washington Ara Dostourian Department of History State University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia Ralph Dumain Librarian and Independent Scholar Washington, D.C. Michael Eisenscher American Federation of Teachers University of California System Berkeley, California Frank Emspak School for Workers University of Wisconsin Extension Madison, Wisconsin Joseph Entin Graduate student Program in American Studies Yale University New Haven, Connecticut Joseph J. Fahey Department of Religious Studies Manhattan College Riverdale, New York Rick Fantasia Department of Sociology Smith College Northampton, Massachusetts Andrew Feffer Department of History Union College Schenectady, New York Lenore Feigenbaum Department of Mathematics Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts Dr.
Douglas E. Ferguson Research
Associate Smith
College Northampton,
Massachusetts H. Kassia Fleisher Department of English University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado Steve
Flemming Career
coach Toronto,
Canada Ian C. Fletcher Department of History Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia Arthur L. Fox, Esq. Lobel, Novins & Lamont Washington, D.C. Joshua Freeman Department of History Queens College City University of New York New York City Erik
Freye Undergraduate,
history Western
Michigan University Kalamazoo,
Michigan Gerald Friedman Department of Economics University of Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts Judith Kegan Gardiner Department of English and Women's Studies
Program University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Carol Giardina Department of History Graduate Center City University of New York New York City Robert Ginsburg Research Director Center for Labor and Community Research Chicago, Illinois Elisa Glick Women Studies Program University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri Jeff Goodwin Department of Sociology New York University New York City Michael A. Gordon Department of History University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin Linda Gordon Department of History New York University New York City Van Gosse Fellow at Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars and at Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. Hunter Gray American Indian Studies, retired University of North Dakota Pocatello, Idaho Harriet Gross Governors State University University Park, Illinois David Gullette Department of English Simmons College Boston, Massachusetts Margaret M. Gullette Women's Studies Program Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts Donald K. Gutierrez Department of English Western New Mexico University Silver City, New Mexico Kenneth J. Hammond Department of History New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico Benjamin Harris Department of Psychology University of Wisconsin, Parkside Kenosha, Wisconsin Carol Hayman Department of Anthropology Austin Community College Austin, Texas Anselm Hollo Writing and Poetics Naropa University Boulder, Colorado Carwil James Project Underground Member SPS, Physics Honor Society Berkeley, California Andrew Jones Department of Sociology University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Michael Kazin Department of History Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Elizabeth Kennedy American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Sacramento, California David A. Kleist Writer Emmaus, Pennsylvania Bonnie Koylu Home educator Omaha, Nebraska Kitty Krupat Graduate Student Organizing Committee United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO New York University New York City Jack Kurzweil Department of Electrical Engineering San Jose State University San Jose, California Gordon Lafer Department of Political Science University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Jayati Lal Women's Studies Program and Department
of Sociology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland Shafali Lal Program in American Studies Yale University New Haven, Connecticut Albert V. Lannon Chair, Department of Labor Studies Laney College Oakland, California Magali Sarfatti Larson Department of Sociology Temple University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Paul Lauter Department of English Trinity College Hartford, Connecticut Andrew H. Lee Tamiment Library New York University New York City Jesse Lemisch Department of History John Jay College of Criminal Justice City University of New York New York City Peter Levine Institute for Philosophy and Public
Policy University of Maryland College Park, Maryland Joshua
Lokken Fred Lonidier Department of Visual Arts University of California San Diego, California Eric Lott Department of English University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Wahneema Lubiano Program in Literature Duke University Durham, North Carolina John MacDougall Department of Regional Economics and
Social Development University of Massachusetts Lowell,
Massachusetts Steve Macek Program in Mass Communications Wilson College Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Peter Marcuse Department of Urban Planning Columbia University New York City Julian Markels Department of English Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Andrew Marki Department of Comparative Literature State University of New York Binghamton, New York Erin
Martel Game
designer Strategy
First Inc. Montreal,
Quebec Canada Kevin Mattson Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and
Politics of Democracy Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey Joseph McCartin Department of History Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Alan McConnell Pixel Analysis Maryland Jeff McMahon Writer and teacher New York City David
McQueen Al
Ain Men's College Al
Ain United
Arab Emirates Thomas Meisenhelder Department of Sociology California State University San Bernardino, California Eli C. Messinger Associate Clinical Professor of
Psychiatry, retired New York Medical College Valhalla, New York Alvaro
de Miranda Principal
Lecturer in Innovation Studies School
of Cultural and Innovation Studies University
of East London London,
United Kingdom Uday Mohan Graduate student Department of History American University Washington, D.C. Matthew
Moore School
of English University
of Liverpool Liverpool,
United Kingdom R. David Myers Director Fogelson Library The College of Santa Fe Sante Fe, New Mexico Immanuel Ness Department of Political Science Brooklyn College City University of New York New York City John J. Neumaier Department of Philosophy Empire State College State University of New York Former president of SUNY, New Paltz and of Moorhead State College,
Moorhead, Minnesota Molly Nolan Department of History New York University New York City Lis
Nygaard Librarian Vancouver,
British Columbia Canada Paul
Ortiz Department
of Community Studies University
of California Santa
Cruz, California T. Seamus O'Sullivan University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Paul Pamias SEIU Local 32B-32J, AFL-CIO New York City Joseph G. Peschek Department of Political Science Hamline University Saint Paul, Minnesota Frances Fox Piven Graduate Center City University of New York New York City Lana
Poukliakova School
of Business University
of Alberta Canada Ellyn Rabinowitz MSW, CSW Nyack, New York Peter Rachleff Department of History Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota Gerda W. Ray Department of History University of Missouri Saint Louis, Missouri Ariel Reinheimer Executive board New Politics Club of Long Island Massapequa, New York Chris Rhomberg Department of Sociology Yale University New Haven, Connecticut Nancy Romer Department of Psychology Brooklyn College City University of New York New York City Sam Rosen Department of Economics University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire Roy Rosenzweig Department of History George Mason University Fairfax, Virginia Keith Rozendal Department of Psychology University of California Santa Barbara, California Preston Rudy Department of Sociology University of California Davis, California Roderick N. Ryon Department of History Towson University Towson, Maryland Barbara
R. Saunders Writer
and communications strategist San
Francisco, California Robert Saut‚ Program in Sociology Graduate Center City University of New York New York City Jay Schaffner American Federation of Musicians, Local
802 New York City Thomas
J. Scheff Professor
Emeritus Department
of Sociology University
of California Santa
Barbara, California Ellen Schrecker Department of History Yeshiva University Rebecca Schreiber Program in American Studies New York University New York City Doreen Seelig Teacher and Chapter Chair, United
Teachers of Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Jo
Semp Linthorpe,
Middlesbrough Teesside United
Kingdom James A. W. Shaw Recording Secretary, Local 2322 United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO Northampton, Massachusetts Geoff
Sheridan London United
Kingdom Paul Sheridan Department of Art Brooklyn College City University of New York New York City Gordon Simmons West
Virginia Commission on the Arts Secretary-Treasurer AFSCME
Local 3248 Charleston,
West Virginia Vera Simone Department of Political Science California State University Fullerton, California David Singer Graduate student Economics New School University New York City Donovan P. Smith Department of English University of New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana Michelle
Squitieri Field
Representative University
of California-AFT Local 1474 Berkeley,
California Ellen M. Starbird MSW Oakland, California Chelsea Starr, PhD Department of Sociology University of California Irvine, California Anthony
Stavrianakis International
History Department London
School of Economics London,
United Kingdom Marc Stein Department of History York University Toronto, Ontario, Canada Martin Steingesser Poet and teacher On Artists Roster of the Maine Arts
Commission Portland, Maine Michelle Ann Stephens Department of English Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts Margaret D. Stetz Department of English and Women's
Studies Program Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Christopher
J. Sturr Committee
on Degrees in Social Studies Harvard
University Cambridge,
Massachusetts Richard Sussman, Esq. Nyack, New York Carl Swidorski Program in History / Political Science The College of Saint Rose Albany, New York Mary Anne Trasciatti Department of Speech Communication and
Rhetorical Studies Hofstra University Hempstead, New York Brian Turner Department of Political Science Randolph-Macon College Ashland, Virginia Tamara
A. Turner, MLS Seattle,
Washington Marta Van Patten Artist, former teacher and chapter chair,
United Teachers of Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Lise Vogel Department of Sociology Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey Eleanor Walden Department of Folklore University of California Berkeley, California Dorian T. Warren Graduate student Department of Political Science Yale University New Haven, Connecticut Neil Watkins Center for Economic Justice Washington, D.C. John Weber Committees of Correspondence for
Democracy and Socialism New York City Lois Weiner College of Education New Jersey City University Jersey City, New Jersey Naomi Weisstein Department of Psychology State University of New York Buffalo, New York Dr
Geoff Williams Department
of Phonetics and Linguistics University
College London United
Kingdom James H. Wittebols Department of Communication Studies Niagara University Lewiston, New York Barbara Wolf Scholars, Artists and Writers for
Social Justice Cincinnati, Ohio Neil Wollman Department of Psychology Manchester College North Manchester, Indiana David C. Yamada Law School Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Brad Yeakel Teamsters Local 773 Allentown, Pennsylvania Joan Yoshiwara Documentary researcher Washington, D.C. Cynthia Young Department of English Program in American Studies and
Ethnicity University of Southern California Los Angeles, California June Zaccone Department of Economics Hofstra University Hempstead, New York Ali Zaidi Department of Modern Languages Bronx Community College New York City |