Priests of Our Democracy

Priests of OurDemocracy tells of the teachers and professors whobattled the anti-communist witch hunt of the 1950s. It traces the political fortunesof academic freedom beginning in the late 19th century, both oncampus and in the courts. Combining political and legal history with wrenchingpersonal stories, the book details how the anti-communist excesses of the 1950sinspired the Supreme Court to recognize the vital role of teachers andprofessors in American democracy. The crushing of dissent in the 1950simpoverished political discourse in ways that are still being felt, and FirstAmendment academic freedom, a product of that period, is in peril today. Incompelling terms, this book shows why the issue should matter to everyone.