American Association of University Professors

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) was formed in 1915 following a protest [Page 22]over the firing of a faculty member at Stanford University. Noted economist Edward Ross lost his job at Stanford in 1900 because the founder's wife did not agree with his position on economic reform. Arthur O. Lovejoy and six other faculty members resigned in protest over the dismissal of Ross. In 1913, Lovejoy, who by this time had standing in the profession and was working at Johns Hopkins, convinced 17 other full professors to join him in sending a letter of invitation to other professors of equal rank in nine leading universities to discuss an association of professors from all fields of study. John Dewey became the first president at ...