Alexander Meiklejohn
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Alexander Meiklejohn (; 3 February 1872 – 17 December 1964) was a philosopher, university administrator, educational reformer, and
free-speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
advocate, best known as president of
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...
.


Background

Alexander Meiklejohn was born on February 3, 1872, in Newbold Street,
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
,
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...
, England. He was of Scottish descent, and the youngest of eight sons. When he was eight, the family moved to the United States, settling in
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
. Family members pooled their money to send him to school. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees at
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, graduating
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
, and completed his doctorate in philosophy at
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
in 1897. At Brown, he was a member of
Theta Delta Chi Theta Delta Chi () is a social fraternity that was founded in 1847 at Union College, New York, United States. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are TDX, Thete, Theta Delt, and Thump ...
.


Career

In 1897, Meiklejohn began teaching at Brown. In 1901, he became second dean of the university, a position he held for twelve years. The first-year advising program at Brown bears his name. From 1912 to 1923, Meiklejohn served as president of
Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...
. His presidency ended with his forced resignation for trying to apply his reforms, and thirteen students refused their diplomas that year in protest. Although he was offered the presidency of other colleges, Meiklejohn proposed to open a new, experimental liberal arts college. He was unable to develop adequate funding for creating an entirely new school, but he was invited by
Glenn Frank Glenn Frank (October 1, 1887 – September 15, 1940) was a president of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and ''The Century Magazine''s editor-in-chief. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1912 and became Edward Filene's personal a ...
, new president of the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, to create the
University of Wisconsin Experimental College The University of Wisconsin Experimental College was a two-year college designed and led by Alexander Meiklejohn inside the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a great books, liberal arts curriculum. It was established in 1927 and closed in 1 ...
there, which ran from 1927 to 1932. He retired from the University of Wisconsin in 1938, having already moved to
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
. He was a cofounder of the School of Social Studies in San Francisco, an
adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...
program focusing on "
great books A classic is a book accepted as being exemplary or particularly noteworthy. What makes a book "classic" is a concern that has occurred to various authors ranging from Italo Calvino to Mark Twain and the related questions of "Why Read the Cl ...
" and American democracy. In 1965, the school became the
Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute (MCLI) is a Berkeley, California-based non-profit think-tank, activism incubator, library and archive. Named for Alexander Meiklejohn, a philosopher, university administrator, and free-speech advocate, MCL ...
(MCLI), a "non-governmental organization" run by
Ann Fagan Ginger Ann Fagan Ginger (born July 11, 1925) is an American lawyer, teacher, writer, and political activist. She is the founder and Executive Director Emerita of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute in Berkeley, California. Personal and Professiona ...
. In 1945, Meiklejohn was a US delegate to the founding meeting of
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in London.


Death

Meiklejohn died at age 92 on December 17, 1964, in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
.


On free speech

Meiklejohn was known as an advocate of
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
freedoms and was a member of the National Committee of the
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
(ACLU). He was a notable proponent of the link between
freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
and democracy. He argued that the concept of democracy is that of self-government by the people. For such a system to work an informed electorate is necessary. To be appropriately knowledgeable, there must be no constraints on the free flow of information and ideas. According to Meiklejohn, democracy will not be true to its essential ideal if those in power are able to manipulate the electorate by withholding information and stifling criticism. Meiklejohn acknowledges that the desire to manipulate opinion can stem from the motive of seeking to benefit society. However, he argues, choosing manipulation negates, in its means, the democratic ideal.
Eric Barendt Eric M. Barendt is the Goodman Professor of Media Law at University College London. After graduating with a BCL and an MA degree at Oxford, Barendt was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn. He began lecturing in law as a fellow at St Catherine's Colleg ...
has called the defense of free speech on the grounds of democracy "probably the most attractive and certainly the most fashionable free speech theory in modern Western democracies". In ''
Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC ''Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC'', 528 U.S. 377 (2000), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that their earlier decision in ''Buckley v. Valeo'' (1976), upholding federal limits on campaign contributions also a ...
'', 528 US 377 (2000), at 401, Justice
Stephen Breyer Stephen Gerald Breyer ( ; born August 15, 1938) is a retired American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton, and repl ...
, joined by Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...
, wrote a concurring opinion in support of regulation. In response to protestations that such laws violate citizen's rights to free speech, Breyer held that there were free speech arguments on both sides of the issue. He said that properly framed regulations limiting monetary contributions could substantially expand the opportunity for freedom of expression rather than limit it. He pointed out that the integrity of the electoral process needs to be maintained since that is the means by which a free society translates political advocacy into concrete political action, and that regulating the financing of political campaigns is integral to that advocacy. In doing so, Breyer cited Meiklejohn's interpretation of the First Amendment which gives emphasis to public need rather than individual prerogative.


Awards

The
American Association of University Professors The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership includes over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations. The AAUP's stated mission is ...
(AAUP) established the Alexander Meiklejohn Freedom Award to honor his work. He received the Rosenberger Medal in 1959. Meiklejohn was selected by
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
to receive the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
, which was presented by
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
shortly after Kennedy's death.


Legacy

*
Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute (MCLI) is a Berkeley, California-based non-profit think-tank, activism incubator, library and archive. Named for Alexander Meiklejohn, a philosopher, university administrator, and free-speech advocate, MCL ...
(MCLI) in Berkeley * Meiklejohn Advising Program: The Meiklejohn Advising Program is Brown University's advising program for incoming first-year students. Meiklejohn Advisors (known as Meiklejohns for short) are student advisors who are paired with each first-year, along with a faculty advisor, to provide academic advice and help the transition to college. * Meiklejohn House: The University of Wisconsin–Madison's Meiklejohn House (home to the Integrated Liberal Studies program) continues to espouse the ideals of Meiklejohn's experimental college by engaging students in interdisciplinary liberal education. * Meiklejohn Hall: Meiklejohn Hall at the
California State University, East Bay California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay, or CSUEB) is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the 23-campus California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 pos ...
houses many of the school's liberal arts programs.
The Evergreen State College
in Olympia, WA was deeply influenced by Meiklejohn's pedagogical philosophy during its founding and maintains many of his central principles today.


Books

Meiklejohn wrote books from 1920 to 1960: * ''The Liberal College'', 192
(full text online)
* ''Freedom and the College'', 1923 * ''The Experimental College'', 193
(full text online)
* ''What Does America Mean?'', 1935 * ''Education Between Two Worlds'', 1942 * ''Free Speech and Its Relation to Self-Government'', 194
(full text online)
* ''Political Freedom: the Constitutional Powers of the People'', 1960


See also

* Meiklejohnian absolutism *
Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute (MCLI) is a Berkeley, California-based non-profit think-tank, activism incubator, library and archive. Named for Alexander Meiklejohn, a philosopher, university administrator, and free-speech advocate, MCL ...
(MCLI) * John William Ward


Notes


References

* Cynthia Stokes Brown, ''Alexander Meiklejohn: Teacher of Freedom'', MCLI, 1981. * Ronald K.L. Collins & Sam Chalatin, ''We Must Not Be Afraid to Be Free: Stories of Free Expression in America'' (Oxford U. Press, 2011), pp. 39–58. * Randal Marlin, ''Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion'' (2nd ed.) (Broadview Press, 2013). . * Adam R. Nelson, ''Education and Democracy: The Meaning of Alexander Meiklejohn, 1872-1964'' (University of Wisconsin Press, 2001). * Eugene H. Perry, ''A Socrates for all Seasons: Alexander Meiklejohn and Deliberative Democracy'' (Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse Press, 2011).


External links

*
Alexander Meiklejohn, Philosopher, Dean, Advocate of Free Speech

Alexander Meiklejohn and the Experimental College



Meiklejohn Advising – Brown University

''Remembering Alexander Meiklejohn ''
A tribute by Joseph Tussman, a former student
Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meiklejohn, Alexander People from Rochdale British educational theorists British political philosophers Brown University alumni Cornell University alumni Amherst College University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty 1872 births 1964 deaths English people of Scottish descent Free speech activists First Amendment scholars 20th-century British philosophers Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Presidents of Amherst College