THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES THURSDAY ACCEPTED $18.2 MILLION IN GIFTS, GRANTS AND CONTRACTS, INCLUDING MONEY FOR A CONTROVERSIAL STUDY SAID TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100030056-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 56
• Publication Date: December 12, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000100030056-6
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
12 December 1985
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY GRANT
EAST LANSING, MI
The Michigan State University Board of Trustees Thursday accepted $18.2
million in gifts, grants and contracts, including money for a controversial
study said to be administered by the Central Intelligence Agency.
The action came despite a protest from mathematics Prof. John Masterson, who
objects to the reputed CIA involvement with the $741,000 math research
project.
The board did not vote directly on the project itself, but on the overall
grants package which included the contested item.
The grant -- for basic research into so-called ''change mathematics'' --
comes from the U.S. Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency.
The recipient, math Prof. Shui Nee Chow, said the work is being administered
by the CIA coley because that agency has a staff mathematician familiar with
the field.
The link has not been confirmed by the CIA itself.
Masterson, in an appearance before the board, likened the CIA to organized
crime syndicates.
Claiming that the Pentagon is seeking greater control over university
research, Masterson said ''we are very possibly selling our soul from an
academic as well as humanitarian point of view.''
In a letter to Masterson, MSU Vice President John Cantlon defended the grant
and noted the results of Chow's work will be openly published.
During the board meeting, Trustee Patrick Wilson of Traverse City said he did
not believe the Chow grant goes past the ''threshold'' at which the board should
consider rejecting it. ''I view that treshold as where there is a clear threat
to the university's public service and teaching mission,'' he said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000100030056-6