By TIM WHEELER
College Topics Staff Writer
“For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”
Those oft-quoted words by Thomas Jefferson have served as the motto of the University’s student-run newspaper for 70 years now. Many of The Cavalier Daily’s readers no doubt assume the declaration has always been there atop the editorial page, like many traditions at the University.
It hasn’t. That famous saying took its place as the statement of the paper’s editorial philosophy on April 9, 1935, on Robert M. Musselman’s first day as editor-in-chief of College Topics, the predecessor to The Cavalier Daily.
That the motto has remained unchanged since then is a tribute to the many contributions that Musselman made to the paper while a student on the Grounds and as an alumnus, long after he left to pursue a career in accounting and law.
“It is our purpose to help the students who work for The Cavalier Daily,” he explained in a 1998 feature about him in College Topics, now the name of the newsletter for the Cavalier Daily Alumni Association.
Musselman was one of the earliest supporters of the CDAA and served on its board of directors from 1986 until his death on Nov. 9 at the age of 90.
“The passing of Bob Musselman was truly a sad day for the Cavalier Daily,” said CDAA President Diane Krehmeyer. “He was one of the most devoted alumni that the newspaper has ever had, serving as a trusted adviser and friend to students and alumni alike.”
“Well into his 80s, he continued to attend every board meeting and remained an enthusiastic supporter of the paper and the Cavalier Daily Alumni Association. We sadly will not see the likes of him again.”
Musselman’s experience with student journalism at the University in the 1930s echoes that of many who find their way today to the Newcomb Hall basement newsroom of The Cavalier Daily.
He tried out for the paper in his first year, with his first published story a front-page report on the appointment of a new education school dean.
After two years writing, he was elected managing editor and then editor-in-chief.
Under his leadership, the paper sparred with student leaders and university administrators alike.
The Topics crusaded for reform of Honor Committee elections, publishing an extra edition on the eve of balloting to expose how the committee had reneged on its pledge to end cronyism. The student editors even printed their own protest ballots, igniting a controversy that forced the election to be held over again, this time with reforms in place.
The paper also irked administrators with an editorial decrying how students were having women in their dormitory rooms and drinking and gambling, in defiance of University rules. It suggested that support for the school’s cherished Honor System would suffer if students got away with evading rules, no matter how unfair or restrictive they may be. Directed by the dean of students to print an apology, Musselman recalled with a smile in the 1998 feature how the editors still got the last word.
After graduating with a BS in German, Musselman earned a master’s degree in political science and then a law degree from the University in 1945. He continued his relationship with the institution, teaching accounting and tax law for 23 years, until he relinquished teaching in 1959 to concentrate on his family and his law firm, Robert M. Musselman & Associates, with offices in Charlottesville and Richmond.
“Not only did he teach accounting to generations of McIntire [School of Commerce] and University students, he hired many of them over the years at his firm and was a mentor to many young attorneys and accountants,” noted the commerce school’s online newsletter.
His wife of 48 years, Carolyn C. Musselman, with whom he worked for many years at the firm, died April 12. They are survived by a daughter, Susan M. Norfleet, and her husband Alan, of Richmond, Va., who also work in the firm, and two grandchildren.
A memorial service for Robert and Carolyn Musselman was held June 4 in Charlottesville.
“My dad was a gentleman and a highly respected scholar who loved to teach and mentor others in the field of law and accounting,” Norfleet said in her remarks at her parents’ memorial service. “He was a polished writer and had an extensive grasp of the English language.
“However,” she continued, “we often joked that the word ‘retirement’ was missing from his vocabulary. He lived a full and honorable life for 90 plus years and was dedicated to serve the accounting and legal professions, the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, and The Cavalier Daily.”