Ep. 51 University of Alaska President Emeritus Mark Hamilton

In 2001, University of Alaska president Mark Hamilton made
national headlines when he wrote a sternly worded memo declaring
that freedom of speech on campus “CANNOT BE QUALIFIED” [emphasis
original].



Hamilton retired from his position as University of Alaska
president in 2010. However, his memo lives on in FIRE lore as the
gold standard for a university president's response to a campus
free speech controversy.



On this episode of So to Speak, we talk with Hamilton about his
famous memo and what he makes of today’s campus free speech
controversies. We also explore his illustrious career prior to
becoming a university president, where he learned a thing or two
about negotiation, talking across lines of difference, and
defending the U.S. Constitution.



Hamilton has a master’s degree in English literature from Florida
State University and taught English at West Point. He also spent
31 years in the U.S. Army, where he negotiated peace deals in El
Salvador and Somalia, oversaw U.S. Army recruiting during the “be
all you can be” era, and rose to the rank of Major General.



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