Ralph Thompson, and strict new rules, among them a "book policy" that limited what students could read. Beyond spiritual and classroom books, students had to have a permission slip signed by a professor for any book in their college rooms. One college student went to see Fick and asked him to sign a slip for John Dos Passos' trilogy "USA." With great sadness, Fick told him that while he was greatly pleased that this student wanted to read such a great work of American literature in three volumes, he didn't want his signature on a permission slip for such an author given the repressive atmosphere then in place at the Josephinum. Fick told the student to wait until summer, buy the book and read it during the vacation period. In addition to his regular classes, when Fick could generate enough interest and time, he would offer a rare elective college course on the college level, World Literature. He limited the size of the class and required massive readings. Students recalled that they still referred to their notes for this class more than 40 years later for new things to read when they developed the literary version of the attitude Fick warned them against with the German phrase, "Ich hab schon alles gesehen." (literally, "I have already all things seen"). As late as 2007, one former Fick student reported that next to his bedside table was Gösta Berling's Saga by Selma Lagerlöf, who in 1909 became the first woman and the first Swede to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Accreditation efforts for the Josephinum schools At the Josephinum Schools, Fick could see that the institution's future was tied to its stature academically both within Catholic as well as public educational accreditation institutions. To that end, Fick undertook a long-term effort at attaining accreditation. As a direct result of his work, the Josephinum College was granted candidacy in 1972 in the North Central Association and full accreditation in 1976. This process took sixteen years of sustained and detailed effort including five self-studies and mountains of paperwork. When full accreditation was awarded it also included the Graduate School of Theology. Author and writer Msgr Fick authored numerous papers, articles and several books. In 1947 Fick edited the school publication formerly named The Josephinum Weekly, that had been in print since 1916, and renamed it The Josephinum Review. Fick was editor of this