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Make Mine Freedom

Pesqueeb

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,330
16,794
Riding the baggage carousel.
Joesph McCarthy Approves!
The Harding American Studies Institute (ASI) is designed to supplement students' academic training and promote "a complete understanding of the institutions, values, and ideas of liberty and democracy."[1] In doing so, the ASI exhibits a generally conservative political stance, focused on going "back to the fundamental values that made this country great." The formal roots of this program date back to 1953, when Harding formed the School of American Studies.
Prior to the formal foundation of the ASI, Harding was also involved in the production of a series of animated cartoons extolling the virtues of free-market capitalism. This, too, forms a precursor to the political conservatism that has characterized the ASI. This series, including 1948's "Make Mine Freedom"[3] (which, ironically, portrays activities not permitted by Harding's code of conduct at the time) and "Going Places",[4] as well as 1951's "Meet King Joe",[5] were all produced by John Southerland Productions as part of a concerted propaganda program to fight against the perceived threats of communism at the beginning of the Cold War using popular media. The animations portray mainstream American values, some of which might now be considered politically "liberal," yet at the time, they were meant to contrast with the values of Soviet and Maoist socialism. The initiative represented a central concern of Harding president George S. Benson, who believed that fighting socialism was a moral imperative, causing him to abandon the pacifism and political disengagement championed by founding influences James A. Harding and David Lipscomb, reversing the university's course and setting it on its current conservative political trajectory.
Currently, the ASI sponsors a number of programs aimed at promoting these values. These include entrepreneurial and leadership programs, a distinguished student honors program, the Belden Center for Private Enterprise Education, and participation in the Walton Scholars Program, which brings in qualified students from Hispanic countries to Arkansas colleges and universities.

One of the most visible aspects of the American Studies Institute is the distinguished lecturer program. In keeping with Harding University's current conservative political and religious leanings, the American Studies Institute invites distinguished lecturers to speak on campus on a regular basis. Typically, there are four lectures in an academic year. Speakers in the Lecture Series have included the following:


Heritage Center on Harding University campus
President George W. Bush
President George H. W. Bush
President Gerald Ford
Wal-Mart Founder Sam Walton
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Prime Minister John Major
General & Secretary of State Colin Powell
Poland's first post-communist leader, Lech Wałęsa
Vice President Dan Quayle
Tennessee politician Lamar Alexander
Vice President Dick Cheney
Linda Chavez
Henry Kissinger
Tom Peters
Jeane Kirkpatrick
FSU football coach Bobby Bowden
Gene Stallings
Zig Ziglar
William Bennett
Kenneth H. Cooper
Fran Tarkenton
William F. Buckley Jr., conservative commentator

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harding_University
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