Yesterday I received my first complimentary issue of Imprimus, the speech digest of Hillsdale College. I think it is their primary public relations tool. I can’t be sure, but if this is a gift of my Uncle D., then “thanks’ Uncle D!”
I am truly impressed by the contents. First of all, my family lived in Hillsdale for a short while back in the late 80’s during my first few years at WMU (Western Michigan University). During summers, I worked with my brother, Mike, at a McCall’s Lumber Yard just around the corner from Hillsdale College.
When I did live in Hillsdale, the college was very separate from the city. While the city itself was primarily red-neckian we all knew that just outside the city up on the hill was a nationally recognized, Ivy Leagueish college. I have always held Hillsdale College in high esteem. My sentiments have been formed primarily by the accolades of Paul Harvey and William Bennett, but also a first cousin went there.
Another impression I have of Hillsdale College is that it is very expensive, but that is pure rumor and I have no substantiation of what tuition rates actually are.
Anyway --- Imprimus.
What a great read! For those of you who don’t know – this is amazing. Did you know that Hillsdale College was founded in 1855, eighteen years after Thomas Jefferson’s death? It accepts NO FEDERAL FUNDING, has refused the governments Title IV compliance forms and is fiercely independent of federal dictums. The point is that Hillsdale College does not need Federal (liberal) policy such as Affirmative Action to comply with Constitutional guarantees.
The college charter is politically conservative, Constitutionally originalist and academically liberal (literal to the root meaning).
Its charter was the first in the nation to prohibit discrimination based on race, religion and sex. Hillsdale College admitted blacks, women and American Indians two decades prior to the Civil War!
The meat of this particular essay, “Hillsdale and America” by Larry P. Arnn, is quite interesting. The subject is that of academic independence, liberal biased professorships and the overall suppression of freely exchanged ideas on most university campi in America today.
The topic is especially timely as we conservatives engage in our next societal war – the war to get our educational system back. We are defeating the liberal media and the liberal courts – now its time to take back the schools.
Anyway, I highly recommend this free publication, available here. Hillsdale College would be on the top of my list to send any and all of my children to. Check it out.
