Barrows Dunham ’26 *33

Barrows Dunham died Nov. 19, 1995, of heart failure at Lankenau Hospital near Philadelphia. He earned an MA and a PhD from Princeton and was for many years chairman of the philosophy department at Temple Univ. During WWII, Barrows served with the Air Raid Warning system.

The 1947 publication of his book Man Against Myth brought accolades from Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell.

In 1953 Barrows refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, which was investigating him on charges of subversive activities. These charges were brought in view of his liberal writings and alleged membership in the Communist Party. Barrows believed that teachers had a right to teach without government regulation. He was dismissed by Temple and his pension blocked. He was charged with contempt of Congress. He took on part-time teaching jobs. He wrote a number of books and pamphlets including A Giant and Chains, Heroes and Heretics, Thinkers and Treasurers, and Ethics Dead and Alive.

In 1955 a Federal District Court dismissed the charge of contempt, and in 1981 Temple Univ. restored his pension and granted him the title of emeritus professor of philosophy.

Barrows is survived by his wife of 65 years, Alice, and their son, Clarke, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Our sympathy is extended to Alice and the members of Barrows's family on the death of this courageous member of the class.

The Class of 1926