ABSTRACT
Constructed in 1938 at the northwest corner of Grove City College's picturesque upper campus quad, Crawford Hall was nicknamed "the castle" not only because of its Gothic architecture, but also because it housed the college's administrative apparatus. Gara was, after all, the chairman of the History and Political Science department, as well as a campus fixture since being hired five years previously. Gara's story demonstrates the dangers of one individual wielding disproportionate and undefined power over a higher-education institution. To maintain its institutional autonomy, Grove City College refused to accept federal government monies, with their accompanying rules and regulations, either directly or indirectly. The college incorporated the Gara controversy into its mythology by identifying it as one of its great battles in its ongoing war to preserve its identity. To be sure, a convincing argument can be made that colleges should have considerable leeway to determine their own rules and regulations without outside interference.
