Cashing In on Controversy

In 1999, while conservative donors sought increased opportunities for expanding right-wing presence on campus, Princeton became the site of a perfect storm. That year, the school hired Peter Singer, an internationally renowned ethicist who had become a bête noire of the right for his philosophical discussion of the painless euthanasia of severely disabled infants. Singer's hiring at the school's Center for Human Values generated angry right-wing protests on campus and an ensuing media firestorm. George played no small part in inciting the controversy.

The row was ignited when 250 demonstrators gathered outside Princeton's gates on Singer's first day of class in September 1999. They were addressed by billionaire Princeton trustee and then-candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, Steve Forbes. Forbes vowed to withhold his donations to Princeton until it fired Singer. In an open letter, Forbes reiterated his pledge to withhold his money and praised "those who are calling on Princeton's leadership to relieve this man [Singer] of his duties and affiliation with this great university." Among the "heroes," Forbes hailed "Professor Robert George."

While Forbes used his financial muscle to strong-arm the school, George took to the media. He was interviewed at the height of the controversy on PBS's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly and introduced as "one of Singer's strongest critics." The right-wing Washington Times also turned to him for criticisms of Singer. Though the university did not fire Singer, the controversy contributed to a much larger victory for George and his allies.

Just months after the Singer affair, the James Madison Program sprang to life fully funded. Forbes was a major donor to the program. From 2004 to 2005 Forbes and his younger brother Christopher donated $1,105,625 to Princeton, much of which went to the Madison Program. (Steve Forbes sits on the program's advisory board.) Princeton's acquiescence in the Madison Program's creation hints that at least one of Princeton's motivations was to make peace with one of its largest donors. Indeed, with the Madison Program in place, Forbes reversed his ironclad vow to make all future donations contingent on the firing of Singer.

George responded to my questions about Forbes's benefaction and the genesis of the Madison Program by saying, "The James Madison Program was already established when Steve Forbes called to say that he had heard about the new program and wanted to know more. We discussed the program's mission, activities and plans. I don't recall him saying anything about Peter Singer." Princeton's Office of Development routed questions about the Singer affair to the school's spokesperson, Cass Cliatt. Without directly addressing the controversy that erupted after Singer was hired, Cliatt stated, "There is no evidence of any connection between the faculty appointment [of Singer] and the creation of the Madison Program." Yet detailed accounts by two of George's fellow National Review contributors tell a decidedly different story from the one Princeton has given. Though neither account discusses Forbes's role in the Madison Program's establishment, they both assert a clear link between the Singer controversy and the genesis of the program.

In an article published last April in National Review titled "The Princeton Way," Stanley Kurtz wrote, "Establishing an alternative program is what Princeton did when it faced alumni anger for hiring euthanasia-advocate Peter Singer. In response to the Singer hiring, Princeton created the Madison Program, headed by the brilliant natural-law theorist, social conservative, and frequent NR/NRO [National Review] contributor Robert George. Now social conservatives at Princeton have a place to go."

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