Lehigh University Special Collectionsįounded in 1907, Caxton Printers has earned national attention for its fierce defense of freedom of expression and unique publishing philosophy. After an editorial review, Caxton Printers agreed to publish Steward’s novel, “Angels on the Bough,” which told the story of a small group of characters and their intertwined lives in a college town. He worked to find a publisher and contacted a small firm in rural Idaho. The following year, Washington State College – now Washington State University – hired Steward to teach classes on a one-year contract.Īn aspiring writer, Steward drafted his first novel while still a graduate student. in English in 1934 from Ohio State University. A book met with backlashĪ native of the Midwest, Steward earned his Ph.D.

More than 80 years ago, an English professor named Samuel Steward was dismissed from his teaching position after publishing what his college’s president deemed a “racy” novel.Īs an archivist and scholar studying publishing in the American West, I’ve located published and unpublished archival sources detailing the controversy surrounding Steward after he published his first novel, which ultimately cost him his job. Rather than being a product of recent “ cancel culture,” tension has long existed over the ability of professors to freely teach and write about controversial topics without fear of retribution. However, the lecturer was still not rehired.Ĭoncerns about academic freedom are nothing new. Hamline labeled the incident “Islamophobic” and released a statement, co-signed by the university’s president, saying that respect for “Muslim students … should have superseded academic freedom.”Īfter widespread backlash, the university walked back that statement. In January 2023, Hamline University opted not to renew the contract of an art professor who showed a 14th-century depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in class. StewardĪlessandro Meregaglia, Boise State University Outside of teaching and writing, Samuel Steward took up tattooing.

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