Wendy Sherman: “I am indeed an alumnus of UCLA. I was proud when we won the NCAA championship in basketball again and again and again. I…”

“I am indeed an alumnus of UCLA. I was proud when we won the NCAA championship in basketball again and again and again. I was proud when we won the Rose Bowl, and proud when we beat our crosstown rivals, a school whose name I have forgotten. I have been proud to be a Bruin my entire adult life. I am always aware of the fact that my alma mater needs funds, as every school does. $1.2 million and more was offered to UCLA by the Turkish Government which attached some strings to, in effect, require that whoever sat in that chair would be in favor of the Turkish interpretation of history and of the positions of the Turkish Government. While I was proud of UCLA so many other times, I was never prouder than when the UCLA history faculty and the UCLA academic community said academic integrity is not for sale in Westwood. I hope that other universities will say the same thing. The Turkish Government should, as this Congress has called upon it to do, admit the genocide that occurred in the beginning decades of this century and other atrocities. The United States is the greatest country in the world. Our greatness relies in part on our honesty. Imagine the United States funding academic chairs to say, Native Americans just voluntarily deeded all their lands. Imagine the United States trying to put out propaganda saying slavery never existed. America's greatness is based on truth. The Turkish state should realize the same thing.”