Remarks accepting The Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education Preserving the Values of the West by Ayaan Hirsi Ali The Decline and Fall of History by Niall Ferguson American Council of Trustees and Alumni 1730 M Street NW, Suite 600 • Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 1-888-ALUMNI-8 or 202-467-6787 • Fax: 202-467-6784 Email:
[email protected] • Website: GoACTA.org AMERICAN COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES AND ALUMNI The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is an independent nonprofit educational organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability. Launched in 1995, ACTA has a network of alumni and trustees from nearly 1,300 colleges and universities, including more than 22,000 current board members. The quarterly newsletter, Inside Academe, reaches over 13,000 readers. ACTA receives no government funding and is supported through the generosity of individuals and foundations. Preserving the Values of the West by Ayaan Hirsi Ali The Decline and Fall of History by Niall Ferguson Remarks accepting The Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education with Tributes by Senator John McCain Christina Hoff Sommers Robert Zoellick Louise Mirrer October 28, 2016 Washington, DC Preserving the Values of the West by Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank you for your kindness in honoring me with this award. For more than two decades, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni has defended the free exchange of ideas on American campuses. The university is a place where knowledge is imparted to students. It is a place where students are introduced to new ideas, and to the notion that there are conflicting worldviews.