Freedom

Academia just scored a win against the Trump regime. The American Association of University Professors and other groups representing faculty, staff, academic employees, and students throughout the University of California system sued to block Trump’s coercive attempts to force the UC into submission. Yesterday, a federal court issued the preliminary injunction the plaintiffs sought.

One hundred years ago, a university president took a stand against legislation that would have banned teaching evolutionary theory.

Speaking in the campus chapel, University of North Carolina President Dr. Harry Woodburn Chase advocated against the bill, which would “prohibit the teachings of any doctrine linking man’s blood relationship with any form of lower life.” He warned that passage of the bill would endanger every teacher of the natural sciences. And he defended academic freedom:

“The university,” he continued “does not believe in forcing anything on anybody. It is not interested in cramming evolution or any other scientific theory down anybody’s throat. It is not the university’s business whether you accept evolution or not. What the university does believe, and believes with all its heart, is that a teacher has the right to state the honest conviction to which he has come through [h]is work, that he has the right under the constitution. The university believes that if teaching is to be intellectually honest it must be free.”

Dr. Chase reminded his audience of “the T[ho]mas Jefferson theory, ‘that truth in itself is a proper and sufficient antagonist to error, that it has no need of force,’ that truth will do well if left to shift for itself.”  He warned that the legislation would “strike at the very foundation of democracy, at those clauses in the constitution which provide that Congress shall pass no law abridging freedom of speech or of the press.”

Two days after Dr. Chase’s soaring speech, the North Carolina legislature killed the bill. 

Harry Woodburn Chase was born 11 April 1883 in Groveland, Massachusetts, to Charles and Agnes (Woodman) Chase. He married Lucetta Crum in 1910; they had at least two children. After he left the University of North Carolina, Dr. Chase served as president of the University of Illinois and then New York University. He died 20 April 1955, in Sarasota, Florida.

Yesterday’s preliminary injunction gives hope that academic freedom will win the day and pave the way to protect our constitutional rights. But we must not rest. “Progress is possible, not guaranteed.”

Sources:

In a state court action, UCLA faculty won the release of the proposed settlement agreement. Jaweed Kaleem, “Under court order, UC publicly releases Trump administration’s $1.2-billion settlement proposal,” Los Angeles (California) Times, 24 Oct 2025; online at Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-24/uc-publicly-release-trump-ucla-1-2-billion-settlement-offer).

American University of University Professors, et al. v. Trump, Case No. 3:25-cv-07864 (N.D. Cal.); complaint available at Democracy Forward (https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Filed-Complaint.pdf). The preliminary injunction is available at https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PI-order.pdf. All weblinks viewed 15 November 2025.

Mikhail Zinshteyn, “‘Unlawful Coercion’: Trump can’t withhold funds or demand payment from UC, federal judge rules,” CalMatters (https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/11/uc/?trk=feed_main-feed-card_feed-article-content), 14 November 2025.

“Chase Strikes T Darwin Bill in Legislature,” The Wilson (North Carolina) Times, 17 February 2025, p. 5, cols. 1–2; OldNews (www.oldnews.com).

“Poole Bill Killed,” The Robesonian (Lumberton, North Carolina), 23 February 1925, p. 3, col. 5; OldNews (www.oldnews.com).

“Former Head of Three Universities Dies in Sarasota,” The Tampa (Florida) Tribune, 21 April 1955, p. 2, col. 4; Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com/image/328190485).

Essex County, Massachusetts, Marriages, 325: 216, Charles W. Chase–Agnes Woodman, 1881; database with images, “Massachusetts, U.S., Marriage Records, 1840–1945,” FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-61JS-JDF).

1900 U.S. census, Essex County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Groveland, enumeration district (ED) 288, page 113 (stamped), dwelling 251, family 269, Harry W. (17) in household of Charles M. Chase; imaged, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/records/23338746).

“Indiana, Marriages 1811–2019,” database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:DX5Y-Z3T2), Harry W. Chase–Lucetta Crum, 1910.

FindAGrave (www.findagrave.com/memorial/52821545), memorial 52821545, Infant Son of Harry W. and Lucetta Chase (29 May 1912), citing Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; maintained by Coco15 (ID 48679220).

1930 U.S. census, Orange County, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, enumeration district (ED) 68-6, sheet 19B, dwelling 458, family 419, Elizabeth (15) in household of Harry W. Chase; imaged, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/records/75945904). In addition to Elizabeth, the census lists a Carl Griggs, age 17, as a lodger. Dr. Chase’s obituary includes a surviving son, Carl.

Shaina Taub, “Keep Marching,” Suffs; lyrics at All Musicals (www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/suffs/keepmarching.htm).