Chancellor T. R. McConnell assumed office in 1950 following Samuel P. Capen. An important academic freedom case which arose during his term concerned Professor W.T. Parry, who had refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. After a hearing before the Executive Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences, he was stripped of tenure and given a one year appointment, renewable for three years (see the Minutes of the General Administration Committee of the University Council, June 1953). Professor Parry later received tenure for the second time (a relevant item, McConnell's notes for a chronological report to the Council, is in Box 4).

Chancellor McConnell resigned in 1954 to take a position at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1957 he became chairman of the Center for Study of Higher Education at Berkeley.