CHICAGO, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- The University of Illinois Board of Trustees, in a move led by a son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, has denied 1960s radical Bill Ayers emeritus status.
The vote Thursday was unanimous, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Ayers, a leader in the Weather Underground, began teaching at the university after years of living under assumed names. He retired Aug. 31.
Christopher Kennedy, a Chicago businessman and chairman of the university trustees, said he did not want to honor a man who dedicated a book to his father's killer. "Prairie Fire," published by Weather Underground in 1974, was dedicated to more than 200 people, including Sirhan Sirhan, who was described as a political prisoner.
"I am guided by my conscience and one which has been formed by a series of experiences, many of which have been shared with the people of our country and mark each of us in a profound way," Kennedy said.
The title of emeritus professor is largely honorary and rarely controversial. Those who hold it can continue to use some university facilities, including the library.
