Oct
9th
Thu
9th
There was nothing radical about Ayers. He did not talk about radical political beliefs in the class. He was a reformer, not a revolutionary. He didn’t say anything anti-American. In fact, he didn’t mention the government or economics or anything that didn’t have to do with research and education. “He never brought up his past. He did not talk about his radical days. I’d say 95% of the students didn’t know anything about him other than he was a great professor. Students were told by other students to take him. They raved about him. And he was a brilliant, smart guy. A captivating teacher. We were in awe of him, of his charisma, and we just sat there listening to him talk about his teaching experiences and research. He filled the room.” - former University of Illinois student of “terrorist” Professor Bill Ayers
