The Nation - News from Sept. 15, 1986

Hundreds of students at Penn State University protested an appearance by Donald T. Regan, calling the White House chief of staff a sexist and racist. “I’m not a sexist and I don’t want to hold women down,” Regan told the college newspaper. Regan was quoted in July as suggesting women would not be prepared to “give up all their jewelry” if the government imposed economic sanctions against South Africa, a leading exporter of gems. Last November, Regan apologized for saying most women would not understand weighty issues like arms control. In his speech kicking off the school’s $200-million fund drive, Regan defended the protesters, saying: “They represent proof of our freedom. You can be certain of one thing: There are no student protests in the Soviet Union.”