Imprimis
Imprimis is the monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College, published by the Center for Constructive Alternatives.[1] Salon.com described it as "the most influential conservative publication you've never heard of."[2] Its name is Latin, meaning both 'in the first place' and the second person singular of the verb to print.
History
Imprimis was founded in 1972 by Clark Durant and George Roche III[3] as a free alumni service.[4] Lew Rockwell was an early editor.[5] Hillsdale's then-President George Roche III initially sent 1,000 issues to "friends of the College."[6] The publication improved Hillsdale's name recognition and did "wonders for out-of-state enrollment" as its circulation "ballooned."[4] And Imprimis was one of the more visible elements of "intellectual ferment on the right" found at college campuses in the 1980s.[7]
Imprimis's circulation has grown to 4 million as of 2019 and remains a free publication. Distribution is no longer limited to alumni; anyone can request to receive it (though donations for its publication are accepted and encouraged).
Imprimis's content consists almost entirely of edited transcripts of speeches delivered by conservative movement leaders at Hillsdale-sponsored events.[2]
In 1991, the dean at Boston University, H. Joachim Maitre, was accused of plagiarizing an Imprimis article by Michael Medved in a commencement address, which led to Maitre's resignation.[8][9]
Contributors to Imprimis have included Jeb Bush,[10][11] Ward Connerly,[12][13][14] Dinesh D'Souza,[15][16] Milton Friedman,[17] Jack Kemp,[18][19] Irving Kristol,[20] Rush Limbaugh,[21] David McCullough,[22][23] Richard John Neuhaus,[24] Sarah Palin,[25] Ronald Reagan,[26] Margaret Thatcher,[27][28] Clarence Thomas,[29][30][31] and Tom Wolfe.[32]
Reception
Imprimis has been praised by conservatives. For instance, Walter E. Williams wrote that Imprimis is "Hillsdale's way of sharing the ideas of the many distinguished speakers invited to their campus. And, I might add, Hillsdale College is one of the few colleges where students get a true liberal arts education, absent the nonsense seen on many campuses."[33]
In contrast, Mark W. Powell, writing in the Toledo Blade, criticized Imprimis for eschewing fact-checking and failing to issue editorial corrections, which he described as part of a pattern of "cavalierism with facts to drive political points."[34] Jordan Smith of Salon offered similar criticisms, citing a piece by Republican representative Paul Ryan that he said repeated a "widely discredited assertion" regarding health care rationing under Obama's health insurance reforms.[2] Kevin D. Williamson at National Review has countered that speech transcripts ordinarily aren't fact-checked or verified for the truth of their claims.[35]
References
- ISSN 0277-8432; OCLC 3890282
- Smith, Jordan (2010-05-13). "The most influential conservative publication you've never heard of". Salon.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-17. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- http://www.c-span.org/video/?286857-1/qa-larry-arnn
- Elaine Underwood (1991-11-11). "Beyond the Wall Pennant: New, Improved Ways To Keep School Ties Strong – and Alumni Writing Checks". Brandweek.
- Doherty, Brian (1999-05-12) Libertarianism and the Old Right, LewRockwell.com
- Daniel J. Williams (2008-04-10). "Imprimis". Hillsdale Collegian. Archived from the original on 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- Bob Morgan (1981-01-04). "Conservatives: A Well-Financed Network". The Washington Post.
- Fox Butterfield (1991-07-03). "For Dean at Boston U., a Question of Plagiarism". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- Mary B. W. Tabor (1991-07-13). "Boston Dean Quits In Plagiarism Case". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- Jeb Bush (April 1997). "Virtue and the Free Society". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Jeb Bush (June 1995). "Deinventing Government". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Ward Connerly (August 2001). "Warriors of Freedom". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Ward Connerly (February 2000). "The Content of Our Children's Character". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Ward Connerly (February 1998). "Back to Equality". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Dinesh D'Souza (November 2008). "Created Equal: How Christianity Shaped the West". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Dinesh D'Souza (September 2001). "Multiculturalism: Fact or Threat?". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Milton Friedman (July 2006). "Free to Choose: A Conversation with Milton Friedman". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Jack Kemp (July 1998). "Rules to Live by on and off the Playing Field". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Jack Kemp (August 1994). "A Cultural Renaissance". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Irving Kristol (April 1973). "Utopianism, Ancient and Modern". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Rush Limbaugh (January 2009). "Do Conservatives Need to Get Beyond Reagan?". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- David McCullough (May 2006). "A Man Worth Knowing". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- David McCullough (April 2005). "Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Richard John Neuhaus (July 1982). "Moral Leadership in Post-Secular America". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Sarah Palin (September 2008). "Alaska's Promise of the Nation". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Ronald Reagan (January 1978). "Whatever Happened to Free Enterprise?". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Margaret Thatcher (April 2001). "All Beginnings are Hopeful: Challenges Facing the 21st Century". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Margaret Thatcher (March 1995). "The Moral Foundations of Society". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Clarence Thomas (October 2007). "A Conversation with Justice Clarence Thomas". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Clarence Thomas (November 2000). "Never Give In". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Clarence Thomas (June 1994). "Education: The Second Door to Freedom". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Tom Wolfe (January 1984). "Idea Fashions of the Eighties: After Marx, What?". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
- Walter E. Williams (2007-01-31). "Property rights". Townhall.com. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- Mark W. Powell (2010-04-18). "Hillsdale disappoints in competence, conduct". The Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
- Kevin D. Williamson (2010-05-26). "Exciting New Developments in Conservative Anthropology". National Review. Retrieved 2010-06-09.