Nearing, Scott (1883–1983)

A PEACE ACTIVIST, conservationist, and writer, Scott Nearing was a leading American social critic whose career spanned most of the 20th century. Born in [Page 325]Morris Run, Pennsylvania, in 1883, Nearing earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1909. He taught at Pennsylvania until 1915, but was dismissed by university trustees for his vocal opposition to child labor. At the time, a number of trustees were wealthy industrialists whose factories employed children. Nearing's dismissal led to a nationwide letter campaign and a lengthy debate over academic freedom, however, Nearing was not reinstated. In 1916, he moved to the University of Toledo, but was again fired in 1917 for his public denunciations of America's entry into World War I.

Essentially blacklisted from higher ...