April 27, 2022
The Challenge of Free Speech
Stuart Taylor
Author and Journalist;
Former Columnist for National Journal;
Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
George Bustin, Introducer, and Stuart Taylor
Minutes of the 30th Meeting of the 80th Year
The meeting was held via Zoom on April 27, 2022. President Stephen Schreiber presided. Barry Breen read the minutes of the prior week’s meeting. No guests or visitors were identified, nor were any resignations or deaths announced. The total viewership was 143.
BF Graham, chair of the Old Guard Nominating Committee, announced its proposed slate of officers and committee chairs for the coming year. They are as follows:
Officers
President: John Cotton
Vice President: George Bustin
Secretary: Richard Ober
Treasurer: Miquelon (Micky) Weyeneth
Assistant Treasurer: David Long
Recording Secretary: Julia Denny
Committee Chairs
Audio-Visual: Rob Coghan (2nd Year)
Communications: Dermot Gately (2nd Year)
Historian: Carol Wehrheim (2nd Year)
Hospitality: Tony Glockler (3rd Year)
Membership: Greg Dobbs (4th Year)
Nominating: B. F. (BFG) Graham (2nd Year)
Program: George Bustin (3rd Year)
University Relations: Henry Von Kohorn (2nd Year)
Venues: Joan Girgus: (4th Year)
Immediate Past President (ex officio): Stephen Schreiber
President Schreiber discussed the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which would result in the raising of dues from $50/year to $100/year, the first dues increase in 20 years. The vote about whether to approve the dues increase will take place at next week’s meeting.
George Bustin introduced the speaker, Stuart Taylor, Jr. By way of introduction, Taylor said that he would cover four topics: 1) Why free speech is so critical to the purpose of universities and why alumni have a critical role to play in saving it; 2) Why the condition of free speech at most universities is dire and how intolerance of free speech spreads to other institutions; 3) Why the matter is especially troubling at Princeton; and 4) Hope for turning the tide. Fully two-thirds of his talk was focused on the situation at Princeton University.
Taylor stated that the fundamental purpose of universities is truth-seeking. Essential to truth-seeking is freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, free thought, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity. He said that freedom of speech is in big trouble at most universities and at other institutions as a result of the actions of left-leaning activists, students, and faculty – especially at elite universities. This atmosphere leads to self-censorship by students and faculty – non-tenured faculty in particular – who fear that candidly expressing unorthodox views may get them ostracized.
Considerable intolerance is shown for campus speakers with conservative positions, especially on the subjects of race, abortion, or gun control. Taylor acknowledged that red state legislatures, who have, for example, proposed overly broad limits on the teaching of America’s history of racism, also pose a threat to free speech.
Turning to Princeton, in 2015 under the current university administration, a very good rule protecting free speech, originally promulgated at the University of Chicago, was adopted. And in 2018, Keith Whittington’s book Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech was selected as the freshman pre-read.
According to Taylor, the atmosphere at Princeton changed in mid-2020 following the murder of George Floyd, in response to a public letter to President Christopher Eisgruber, signed by over 300 faculty members, proposing various ways in which the university should confront institutional racism. Taylor described in detail the reaction to and subsequent backlash against Classics Professor Joshua Katz, who wrote a published article critical of certain of the faculty demands. Taylor criticized President Eisgruber and his administration who, Taylor contends, have ignored Princeton’s own free speech rule, unfairly attacking Katz as a racist, using the power of the university’s website and other resources to promulgate its views, and denying Katz the protection he deserves. Taylor went on to describe the efforts by Princetonians for Free Speech – Taylor is the co-founder and president – as well as other organizations to address what he views as threats to free speech at Princeton. He then mentioned that other alumni groups have formed around the country to combat attacks against free speech on their campuses. In Taylor’s view, only a large, popular movement will combat the present fraught situation, though he is not optimistic.
A Q and A session followed.
Respectfully submitted,
Henry Von Kohorn
BF Graham, chair of the Old Guard Nominating Committee, announced its proposed slate of officers and committee chairs for the coming year. They are as follows:
Officers
President: John Cotton
Vice President: George Bustin
Secretary: Richard Ober
Treasurer: Miquelon (Micky) Weyeneth
Assistant Treasurer: David Long
Recording Secretary: Julia Denny
Committee Chairs
Audio-Visual: Rob Coghan (2nd Year)
Communications: Dermot Gately (2nd Year)
Historian: Carol Wehrheim (2nd Year)
Hospitality: Tony Glockler (3rd Year)
Membership: Greg Dobbs (4th Year)
Nominating: B. F. (BFG) Graham (2nd Year)
Program: George Bustin (3rd Year)
University Relations: Henry Von Kohorn (2nd Year)
Venues: Joan Girgus: (4th Year)
Immediate Past President (ex officio): Stephen Schreiber
President Schreiber discussed the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which would result in the raising of dues from $50/year to $100/year, the first dues increase in 20 years. The vote about whether to approve the dues increase will take place at next week’s meeting.
George Bustin introduced the speaker, Stuart Taylor, Jr. By way of introduction, Taylor said that he would cover four topics: 1) Why free speech is so critical to the purpose of universities and why alumni have a critical role to play in saving it; 2) Why the condition of free speech at most universities is dire and how intolerance of free speech spreads to other institutions; 3) Why the matter is especially troubling at Princeton; and 4) Hope for turning the tide. Fully two-thirds of his talk was focused on the situation at Princeton University.
Taylor stated that the fundamental purpose of universities is truth-seeking. Essential to truth-seeking is freedom of speech, freedom of inquiry, free thought, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity. He said that freedom of speech is in big trouble at most universities and at other institutions as a result of the actions of left-leaning activists, students, and faculty – especially at elite universities. This atmosphere leads to self-censorship by students and faculty – non-tenured faculty in particular – who fear that candidly expressing unorthodox views may get them ostracized.
Considerable intolerance is shown for campus speakers with conservative positions, especially on the subjects of race, abortion, or gun control. Taylor acknowledged that red state legislatures, who have, for example, proposed overly broad limits on the teaching of America’s history of racism, also pose a threat to free speech.
Turning to Princeton, in 2015 under the current university administration, a very good rule protecting free speech, originally promulgated at the University of Chicago, was adopted. And in 2018, Keith Whittington’s book Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech was selected as the freshman pre-read.
According to Taylor, the atmosphere at Princeton changed in mid-2020 following the murder of George Floyd, in response to a public letter to President Christopher Eisgruber, signed by over 300 faculty members, proposing various ways in which the university should confront institutional racism. Taylor described in detail the reaction to and subsequent backlash against Classics Professor Joshua Katz, who wrote a published article critical of certain of the faculty demands. Taylor criticized President Eisgruber and his administration who, Taylor contends, have ignored Princeton’s own free speech rule, unfairly attacking Katz as a racist, using the power of the university’s website and other resources to promulgate its views, and denying Katz the protection he deserves. Taylor went on to describe the efforts by Princetonians for Free Speech – Taylor is the co-founder and president – as well as other organizations to address what he views as threats to free speech at Princeton. He then mentioned that other alumni groups have formed around the country to combat attacks against free speech on their campuses. In Taylor’s view, only a large, popular movement will combat the present fraught situation, though he is not optimistic.
A Q and A session followed.
Respectfully submitted,
Henry Von Kohorn