University Speaker Censorship in 1951 and Today: New Mccarthyism and Community Relations‪.‬

More than a half-century after the McCarthy era, allegations of witch-hunts, blacklists, and indoctrination have returned to academia. Politicians, student groups, and David Horowitz's Academic Bill of Rights campaign have sought legislative control of university curricula and policy. (1) Political scrutiny of "indoctrination" has caused universities to rescind invitations to controversial speakers such as Ward Churchill and Michael Moore. Twenty-four state legislatures have introduced bills ostensibly to protect students from the liberal orthodoxy that pervades college classrooms. (2) Although the McCarthy era and today both are marked by attempts to restrict academic freedom and identify dangerous intellectuals, this paper cautions against describing contemporary events as the "new McCarthyism." (3) The McCarthy era offers no definitive guideposts for interpreting or addressing current circumstances. (4) The limited lessons of history derive from context and consequences rather than the repetition of events. (5) The 1951 Ohio State censorship controversy adds to contemporary discussions of academic freedom by highlighting the interaction of university policy and public controversy. The anti-communist fervor and political turmoil of the early 1950s triggered local protests and the University's decision to screen all campus speakers after a controversial guest lecturer triggered local protests. But recent publications, such as the American Association of University Professors report "Academic Freedom and Outside Speakers" and Horowitz's The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America, reflect ongoing struggles over political and cultural control of higher education that extend beyond a specific historical era. (6)