Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.

“Censorship, and the stifling of debate, is a feature of totalitarian societies, not of free ones.”

“A university is not a political party, and it is not a church. Its business is not indoctrination.”

“The university is the archive of the Western mind, it's the keeper of the Western culture, the guardian of our heritage, the teacher of our teachers, the dwelling place of the free mind.”

“The freedom to think is the matrix of all other freedoms.”

“The university must be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning.”

“The most serious problems of freedom of expression in our society today exist on our campuses.”

“A university's essential character is that of a center of free inquiry and criticism — a thing not to be sacrificed for anything else.”

“We should not be surprised that these issues of freedom of speech are again and again at the top of the agenda in universities.”

“What is at stake in the current controversy over 'political correctness' on our campuses is nothing less than the soul of the university.”

“The mission of a great university is to provide a haven for the pursuit of truth by the collection of minds not swayed by popular passions and not intimidated by authority.”