“Jury Launches Probe Of Drug Use at LSU” by Jim Crain
“LSU officials and members of the news staff of a local television station were waiting to testify this morning as the East Baton Rouge Parish Grand Jury opened an inquiry into reports of illegal drug use by LSU students.
This morning the grand jury watched a rerun of films used in a series of reports on alleged drug use by LSU students which was televised recently by WAFB-TV.
First witness to appear before the grand jury this morning was Dr. Chester A. Williams, parish coroner, who said in one of the televised reports that there has been some illegal use of drugs by some students at the University.
An LSU student – who declined to reveal his identity and who reportedly worked with television station in preparing the series of reports – also appeared before the grand jury. Several other witnesses were waiting to testify.
Carlton Cremeens, WAFB-TV news director, and members of the television station’s news staff – Louis de la Foret, Newton B Carter Jr., and Henry (Red) Hebert – were waiting outside the grand jury chambers.
Also waiting were: LSU Dean of Men Arden O. French, Chief Richard Anderson of LSU campus security, his assistant A. L. McCoy, and the Rev. Robert Cooper, Episcopal priest at LSU who appeared on one of the televised reports. Rev. Cooper had said he had heard reports of some students using drugs. The grand jury probe began shortly after 10 a.m. today and is expected to continue this afternoon. Asst. Dist. Atty. Walter Krousel, was closeted with the grand jury.
The coroner’s statement was televised by WAFB after the television station drew sharp criticism from the LSU student assembly and some officials from the University. Cremeens and his associates had volunteered to appear before the grand jury but were told by Dist. Atty. Sargent Pitcher’s office that the formality of a subpoena must be followed.“
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It started with a random shuffle of roommates at LSU. Here was I, a would-be apprentice TV newsman working full-time at WAFB-TV and still going to journalism school, in a housing crisis that saw me rooming with George Capewell, Paul Jensen and Paul Brock in an apartment on Geranium Street.
I don’t remember Paul Brock, other than he was a Canadian. George Capewell was a fraternity brother of mine. I struggled with two separate personas as I saw them in my mind: a with-it, hard-drinking fraternity type with all the appropriate jewelry, but by night, a mild-mannered reporter seeking truth for the television audience. In other words, I wanted both worlds. This was my version of reality.
Occasionally those worlds collided. In the early 60s, Paul Jensen was epitome of 60s radicals, not so much Abbie Hoffman as Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, a non-conformist. He was head of the Student Liberal Federation at Louisiana State University that was so left-leaning they had to be knowledgeable about drugs.
So I asked. Yes, Paul could get me marijuana. I asked for more of the extent of ‘drug traffic’ on the LSU campus – how much was it, who dealt it, where do you go to get it? I could smell a good story.
Paul Jensen:
“I was a student radical, headed up the Student Liberal Federation. You filmed me once for a 3-part series you were doing on drugs in Baton Rouge/LSU. We filmed at your apartment. You were carrying a firearm in a shoulder holster. Spooked me out.
I was filmed from behind, in shadows smoking a cigarette. My voice was disguised. No matter. I was recognized by Dean French (LSU)… by the way I always cocked my head”, he explained.
“I eventually met with an Assistant District Attorney at the Pastime (beer hall). He was dressed in a trench coat and Dick Tracy-like hat. We took an unlit booth way in the back. After hectoring me with reefer madness stories, I told him how I had reformed, both as a druggy and as an outside agitator. I saw the error of my ways. He proposed to send me around the state to speak to high school students to avoid prosecution (for what, he never said). I readily agreed but he never followed through to my great relief. All my druggy pals panicked.”