ABSTRACT
Founded by a group of elite faculty in 1915, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) was the first national, multidisciplinary association that intended to professionalize the professoriate and defend their interests in higher education. While publicity as a topic of interest has appeared in some historical works on academic freedom, this chapter focuses on the role of publicity in the formation and early years of the AAUP. Rather than attempting to investigate all claims of academic freedom abuse, the AAUP's Committee A on Academic Freedom handpicked cases that had unique aspects, introduced new problems, or addressed important issues related to academic freedom that the committee desired to communicate publicly to all who might be interested, including boards of trustees, university presidents, and other university professors. Concerns with publicity also peppered messages and addresses from AAUP presidents. In 1917, AAUP president Frank Thilly, philosophy professor at Cornell, continued the publicity argument for academic freedom.
