National Association of Scholars (NAS)
Background
The National Association of Scholars (NAS) was founded in 1987 “to confront the rise of campus political correctness.” The group describes itself as an “independent membership association of academics and others working to foster intellectual freedom and to sustain the tradition of reasoned scholarship and civil debate in America’s colleges and universities.”1“Mission and History” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, July 8, 2013. It has also described itself as “dedicated to keeping outside political influences from tainting teaching and learning on campuses.”2David Stout. “B. R. Gross, 58, A Professor Of Philosophy,” The New York Times, July 21, 1995. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZYxf6
Before becoming the National Association of Scholars, the group “had been meeting under the name Campus Coalition for Democracy.”3“History of NAS,” NAS. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PhoZd 4David Stout. “B. R. Gross, 58, A Professor Of Philosophy,” The New York Times, July 21, 1995. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZYxf6
The New York Times reported in 1995 that the Campus Coalition for Democracy was co-organized by the late Barry R. Gross (1937-1995), a professor of philosophy at the City University of New York, “who was known as one of the earliest scholarly critics of affirmative action programs,” and had a “reputation as a skeptic of the effects, if not the motives, of affirmative action.” At the time of his death, Gross was the National Association of Scholars’ national program director and treasurer, as well as president of the New York City affiliate of NAS. 5David Stout. “B. R. Gross, 58, A Professor Of Philosophy,” The New York Times, July 21, 1995. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZYxf6
The group’s website lists affiliates in 46 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a “sister organization in Canada, the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship.”6“NAS Affiliates,” NAS. Archived February 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/wip/2JCvb
According to an undated brochure, NAS publishes “studies that examine curricula and other aspects of higher education policy and practice.” The group also states that it files “friend-of-the-court briefs in legal cases, defending freedom of speech and conscience and the civil rights of educators and students alike.”7“Mission and History” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, archived September 19, 2013. Archive URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20130919003918/https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_brochure.pdf NAS also publishes a quarterly journal titled Academic Questions, “an unorthodox journal studying the virtues & vices of the American higher education establishment.”
According to the National Association of Scholars, “college administrations are often more committed to diversity than to the pursuit of truth.” NAS has also suggested in the past that it could be “dangerous” to join the organization: “We recognize that graduate students and untenured faculty members run a risk if they join an organization that is famous for challenging campus orthodoxies. So we won’t tell your colleagues – or your dean, and we’ll mail Academic Questions to your home if you wish.”8“Who We Are,” NAS. Archived May 17, 2008. Archive.fo URL:https://archive.fo/seJBG
“We uphold the principle of individual merit and oppose racial, gender, and other group preferences. And we regard the Western intellectual heritage as the indispensable foundation of American higher education,” reads a 2008 archive of the NAS website.
A 1996 report by People for the American Way (PFAW) described NAS as a “a network of conservative university professors dedicated to combating perceived ‘liberal bias’ on college campuses” and noted its significant funding from conservative foundations including Scaife Family Foundations.9“Buying a Movement – Right-Wing Foundations and American Politics” (PDF), People for the American Way, September 11, 1996.
“N.A.S. is nothing if not political. It is one of the most vocal advocates for the abolition of affirmative action in universities, both in faculty hiring and student admissions, most recently calling on the University of Massachusetts system to abandon its affirmative action goals,” the PFAW report noted.10“Buying a Movement – Right-Wing Foundations and American Politics” (PDF), People for the American Way, September 11, 1996.
The National Association of Scholars has boasted of a long history of criticizing the sustainability movement. For example, a November 2015 NAS report titled “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels,” authored by NAS research director Rachelle Peterson, noted that NAS “has observed and critiqued the campus sustainability movement over the last seven years” and claims to “offer the most thorough encyclopedia of collegiate fossil fuel divestment activism published to date.” On page 9 of the report, NAS thanks “the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation and the Weiler Foundation for making this project possible.”11Rachelle Peterson. “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, November 2015. Archived January 26, 2019. Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20190126005219/https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_insideDivestment_fullReport.pdf
Stance on Climate Change
May 2018
The National Association of Scholars published a blog post by Edward Reid, referring to a recent NAS report titled “The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science.” In his post, Reid argued that the climate is too complex to understand:12Edward Reid. “Irreproducibility and Climate Science,” May 17, 2018. Archived November 15, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/1S0Ov
“The earth’s climate is a constantly changing, extremely complex chaotic system, driven by the sun and influenced by numerous external factors including the positions of the other planets in the solar system and cosmic radiation. Many of the factors which influence climate are not well understood. Therefore, while it is reasonable to assume that human activities can influence climate, it is not reasonable to assume that humans could effectively control a complex, chaotic system they do not understand.”
According to NAS, Edward A. Reid, Jr. “has fifty years of experience in the energy industry in technical research and development, market development, marketing and consulting” and “writes frequently on climate science.”13“Form U5S Columbia Energy Group Annual report for holding companies [Section 5],” SEC, published 1997-04-30. Archived July 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/FYzHP 1996/1997 SEC filings for the Columbia Energy Group list an Edward A. Reid, Jr. of Columbus, Ohio as vice president of Columbia Gas of Kentucky, Columbia Gas of Maryland, and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania. Edward Reid has also filed a number of patents on behalf of Columbia Gas System Service Corporation..14“Patents by Inventor Edward A. Reid, Jr.” Justia Patents. Archived July 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/hVPvG
As support for the claim that temperature records have been “adjusted,” NAS cited a graph from blogger Tony Heller, an electrical engineer who has formerly operated under the pseudonym Steven Goddard to operate ”The Deplorable Climate Science Blog.”15“About Me,” Real Science. Archived January 10, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FKaln
The full NAS report, published on April 17, 2018, warns of how “sloppy procedures […] allow for progressive skews and inhibitions on scientific research, especially in ideologically driven fields such as climate science.” The report described the widespread consensus among scientists on climate change as “artificial”:16“The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science” (PDF), NAS, April 17, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
“Over the thirty-one year span of NAS’s work, we have noted both the triumphs of contemporary science—and they are many—but also rising threats. Some of these threats are political or ideological. Some are, for lack of a better word, epistemic. The former include efforts to enforce an artificial ‘consensus’ on various fields of inquiry, such as climate science.”
November 2015
The National Association of Scholars released a report titled “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels,” authored by NAS research director Rachelle Peterson. The report noted that NAS “has observed and critiqued the campus sustainability movement over the last seven years” and claimed to “offer the most thorough encyclopedia of collegiate fossil fuel divestment activism published to date.” On page 9 of the report, NAS thanks “the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation and the Weiler Foundation for making this project possible.”Rachelle Peterson. 17“Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, November 2015. Archived January 26, 2019. Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20190126005219/https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_insideDivestment_fullReport.pdf
September 24, 2015
NAS director of research projects Rachelle Peterson claimed that the National Association of Scholars “takes no position” on climate change. “The National Association of Scholars takes no position on the validity of the various scientific claims made in the dispute over catastrophic anthropogenic global warming, but we applaud the [Associated Press] for ruling out the inappropriate and disrespectful term ‘climate change denier,’” Peterson wrote on the NAS blog.18“AP Denies the ‘Denier’ Label,” NAS, September 24, 2015. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/CFXAR
In this blog post, Peterson wrote that in this context, “denier” was “a derogatory epithet that disrespects climate change skeptics’ legitimate scientific concerns and jumps straight to stigmatization…[S]cientists who refuse to cow to the orthodoxy of dangerous anthropogenic global warming have had a rough go of it in academia.”
March 2015
In an article titled “Sustainability FAQs,” NAS claimed it held no position on climate change, but denounced the “denier” label, referred to “consensus” in quotation marks, and uncritically used the “alarmism” label:19Rachelle Peterson and Peter Wood. “Sustainability FAQs,” NAS, March 25, 2015. Archived November 15, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/7SWhH
“We take no position on whether global warming is real, man-made, or dangerous. The National Association of Scholars is not a body of climate scientists, and we leave these questions to those with the relevant expertise. We do, however, want a fair scientific debate on the topic—something that is stifled when one side is stigmatized as ‘deniers’ and the other is categorically praised as ‘consensus.’ Alarmism and the denunciation of open-mindedness over the possibility of climate change impedes, rather than advances, scientific progress.”
Funding
The following information is based on data collected by the Conservative Transparency project and by DeSmog from publicly available IRS Form 990 filings. Note that not all values have been verified by DeSmog.20“National Association of Scholars,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed November 14, 2018.
See the attached spreadsheet for additional information on NAS funding by year (.xlsx).
| Donor | Total |
| Sarah Scaife Foundation | $7,231,000 |
| The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation | $2,969,655 |
| John M. Olin Foundation | $2,385,000 |
| Castle Rock Foundation | $580,000 |
| Earhart Foundation | $542,500 |
| F.M. Kirby Foundation | $510,000 |
| Jaquelin Hume Foundation | $350,000 |
| The Randolph Foundation | $250,000 |
| John Templeton Foundation | $221,876 |
| Philip M. McKenna Foundation | $214,500 |
| Adolph Coors Foundation | $180,000 |
| The Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation | $65,000 |
| Charles G Koch Charitable Foundation | $60,000 |
| Alliance Defending Freedom | $50,000 |
| Diana Davis Spencer Foundation | $35,000 |
| Armstrong Foundation | $29,500 |
| DonorsTrust | $21,500 |
| William H. Donner Foundation | $21,364 |
| Robert and Nina Rosenthal Foundation | $10,000 |
| Thomas B. Fordham Foundation | $2,500 |
| Arthur N. Rupe Foundation | $1,000 |
| Richard Seth Staley Educational Foundation | $300 |
| Grand Total | $15,730,695 |
Funding in the 1990s
According to a 1996 report by PFAW: “The National Association of Scholars (N.A.S.), a network of conservative university professors dedicated to combating perceived ‘liberal bias’ on college campuses, received $125,000 from Olin in 1994; Bradley granted $378,400 between 1990-9290 and authorized a two-year, $150,000 grant in 1994; the Scaife foundations have contributed more than $400,000 in recent years; and the Adolph Coors, J.M. and Smith Richardson foundations are also regular contributors.”21“Buying a Movement – Right-Wing Foundations and American Politics” (PDF), People for the American Way, September 11, 1996.
IRS Form 990 Filings
According to a search of IRS Form 990 filings, NAS maintains affiliates in more than 40 states, many operating under separate employer identification numbers (EINs). According to the Economic Research Institute (ERI), they operate as subordinate in the NAS Form 990 filing.
NAS Brigham Young University
A single National Association of Scholars affiliate, operating out of Brigham Young University, appears to have made separate IRS Form 990 filings.
Key People
According to a review of records at the Internet Archive and public IRS Form 990 filings, many individuals either currently or formerly affiliated with the National Association of Scholars have also maintained connections to a wide range of conservative think tanks, inclusing The Heartland Institute, Hoover Institution, the American Enterprise Institute, the Manhattan Institute, the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, The Claremont Institute, the American Council on. Science and Health, the Hudson Institute, and the Independent Women’s Forum.
Board of Directors
| Name | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Description |
| B. Nelson Ong | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Daniel Asia | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Gail L. Heriot | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| George W. Dent, Jr. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Jay A. Bergman | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Keith Whitaker | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Acting Chairman |
| Steve Balch | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Founder |
| Wight Martindale | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| David Gordon | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Peter Berkowitz | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Richard Vedder | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Amy L. Wax | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Thomas Klingenstein | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Ward Connerly | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Bradley C.S. Watson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Anne D. Neal | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Barry Smith | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Candace De Russy | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Norman Rogers | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Sandra Stotsky | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Thomas K. Lindsay | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Robert C. Koons | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Evelyn Avery | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Midge Decter | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||
| Barry Latzer | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Herbert Ira London | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Former Member | |||
| David D. Mulroy | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
| Philip J. Clements | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
| R. H. Winnick | Y | Y | |||||||
| Christina Jeffrey | Y | Y | |||||||
| Kenneth O. Doyle | Y | Y | |||||||
| Philip Siegelman | Y | Y | |||||||
| Mark Bauerlein | Y | ||||||||
| Bernard K. Gordon | Y | ||||||||
| Dorothy Lang | Y | ||||||||
| E. Christian Kopff | Y | ||||||||
| Edward A. Rauchut | Y | ||||||||
| Glenn M. Ricketts | Y | Public Affairs Director | |||||||
| Jeffrey J. Poelvoorde | Y | ||||||||
| Jeffrey Walllin | Y | ||||||||
| John N. Mathys | Y | ||||||||
| Michael I. Krauss | Y | ||||||||
| Michael Schwartz | Y | ||||||||
| Norman Fruman | Y | ||||||||
| William A. Donohue | Y |
Directors and Staff (via IRS Form 990 filings)
| Name | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Description |
| Steve Balch | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Founder |
| Peter Wyatt Wood | Y | Y | Y | Y | President | ||
| Stanley Rothman | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Candace De Russy | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Adam Scrupski | Y | Former Member | |||||
| Anne D. Neal | Y | ||||||
| Barry Latzer | Y | ||||||
| Barry Smith | Y | ||||||
| Bernard K. Gordon | Y | ||||||
| Bradley C.S. Watson | Y | ||||||
| Christina Jeffrey | Y | ||||||
| Daniel Asia | Y | ||||||
| David D. Mulroy | Y | ||||||
| Dorothy Lang | Y | ||||||
| Edward A. Rauchut | Y | ||||||
| Evelyn Avery | Y | ||||||
| Gail L. Heriot | Y | ||||||
| George W. Dent, Jr. | Y | ||||||
| Herbert I. London | Y | ||||||
| Jay A. Bergman | Y | ||||||
| Jeffrey Walllin | Y | ||||||
| John N. Mathys | Y | ||||||
| Keith Whitaker | Y | Acting Chairman | |||||
| Kenneth O. Doyle | Y | ||||||
| Michael I. Krauss | Y | ||||||
| Michael Schwartz | Y | ||||||
| Norman Fruman | Y | ||||||
| Philip Siegelman | Y | ||||||
| Sandra Stotsky | Y | ||||||
| Chester E. Finn, Jr. | Y | ||||||
| Christina Hoff Sommers | Y | ||||||
| Donald Kagan | Y | ||||||
| Edward O. Wilson | Y | ||||||
| Edwin J. Delattre | Y | ||||||
| Eugene D. Genovese | Y | ||||||
| Eugene Hickok | Y | ||||||
| Gertrude Himmelfarb | Y | ||||||
| Harry V. Jaffa | Y | ||||||
| Harvey C. Mansfield | Y | ||||||
| Irving Louis Horowitz | Y | ||||||
| Jacques Barzun | Y | ||||||
| James Q. Wilson | Y | ||||||
| John Agresto | Y | ||||||
| John H. Bunzel | Y | ||||||
| John R. Silber | Y | ||||||
| Leslie Lenkowsky | Y | ||||||
| Mary R. Lefkowitz | Y | ||||||
| Milton J. Rosenberg | Y | ||||||
| Paul Hollander | Y | ||||||
| Richard D. Lamm | Y | ||||||
| Robert Jastrow | Y | ||||||
| Robert P. George | Y | ||||||
| Shelby Steele | Y | ||||||
| Stephan Thernstrom | Y | ||||||
| Walter Berns | Y | ||||||
| Glenn M. Ricketts | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public Affairs Director | ||
| Barbara A. Gregory | Y | Y | Y | Operations Director | |||
| John Irving | Y | Y | Technical Coordinator | ||||
| B. Nelson Ong | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Wanda Cooley | Y | Operations Director | |||||
| Carol Iannon | Y | Y | Editor-at-Large, Academic Questions | ||||
| Gary C. Brasor | Y | Y | |||||
| Joseph Horn | Y | Y | |||||
| Bradford P. Wilson | Y |
Staff
| Name | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Description |
| Carol Iannon | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Editor-at-Large, Academic Questions |
| Glenn M. Ricketts | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Public Affairs Director |
| Peter Wyatt Wood | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President |
| Rachelle Peterson (Previously Dejong) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Policy Director | |||
| David Randall | Y | Y | Y | Director of Research | |||||
| Chance Layton | Y | Membership & Communications Coordinator | |||||||
| Christopher Kendall | Y | Chief Development Officer | |||||||
| Dion J. Pierre | Y | Research Associate | |||||||
| Jude Russo | Y | Administrative Assistant | |||||||
| Seth Forman | Y | Managing Editor, Academic Questions | |||||||
| Ashley Thorne | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Executive Director | |
| Felicia Sanzari Chernesky | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Managing Editor, Academic Questions | |
| Ivan Vajdle | Y | Y | Y | Controller | |||||
| Spencer Kashmanian | Y | Development Associate | |||||||
| Michael T. Toscano | Y | Y | Y | Director of Research Projects | |||||
| Wanda Cooley | Y | Y | Y | Y | Operations Director | ||||
| John Irving | Y | Y | Technical Coordinator | ||||||
| Robert L. Jackson | Y | Y | |||||||
| Ashley M. Chandler | Y | Development Coordinator |
Board of Advisors
| Name | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| Donald Kagan | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Edwin J. Delattre | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Gertrude Himmelfarb | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Harvey C. Mansfield | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| John Agresto | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Leslie Lenkowsky | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Paul Hollander | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Richard D. Lamm | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Shelby Steele | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Stephan Thernstrom | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Christina Hoff Sommers | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| Robert P. George | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Virginia Thomas | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||
| Milton J. Rosenberg | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Chester E. Finn, Jr. | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||
| Edward O. Wilson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||
| Harry V. Jaffa | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| Walter Berns | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||
| James Q. Wilson | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||
| Eugene D. Genovese | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
| Jacques Barzun | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
| John R. Silber | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||
| Irving Louis Horowitz | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||
| John H. Bunzel | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||
| Mary R. Lefkowitz | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||
| Stanley Rothman | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||
| Irving Kristol | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||
| Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||
| Robert Jastrow | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||
| James David Barber | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||
| Jeane J. Kirkpatrick | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||
| Nelson W. Polsby | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||
| Seymour Martin Lipset | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||||||||
| Ernest van den Haag | Y | Y | ||||||||||||||
| Leo Raditsa | Y | |||||||||||||||
| Willard V. Quine | Y |
Actions
April 17, 2018
The National Association of Scholars published “The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science: Causes, Consequences, and the Road to Reform.”22“The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science” (PDF), NAS, April 17, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The report said that climate science was an example of how “sloppy procedures […] allow for progressive skews and inhibitions on scientific research, especially in ideologically driven fields” and contended that the scientific consensus on climate change was “artificial”:
“Claudia Tebaldi and Reto Knutti concluded in 2007 that the entire field of probabilistic climate projection, which often relies on combining multiple climate models, had no verifiable relation to the actual climate, and thus no predictive value.”
NAS portrayed modern climate science as “groupthink,” and claimed that climate researchers “readily accept results that confirm a liberal world-view,” citing for evidence the work of American climatologist and climate skeptic Judith Curry:
“The overwhelming political homogeneity of academics has also created a culture of groupthink that distorts academic research, since researchers may readily accept results that confirm a liberal world-view while rejecting ‘conservative’ conclusions out of hand. Political groupthink particularly affects those fields with obvious policy implications, such as social psychology and climate science.
[…]
“Irreproducible research in several disciplines distorts public policy and public expenditure in areas such as public health, climate science, and marriage and family law.
The report’s conclusion recommended “the earliest possible reproducibility assessment of regulations concerning climate change (Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)); air pollution (EPA); pharmaceuticals approval (Food and Drug Administration); biological effects of nuclear radiation (Department of Energy); the identification and assessment of learning disabilities (Department of Education); and dietary guidelines (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)).”
In addition to Judith Curry, the report cited well known climate change denier Patrick Michaels, who at the time was the director of the Center for the Study of Science at the Cato Institute.23“Patrick J. Michaels: Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies,” Cato Institute. Accessed October 25, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fslBz
November 2015
The National Association of Scholars published “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels,” authored by Rachelle Peterson. The report’s executive summary described the fossil fuel divestment movement as “an attack on freedom of inquiry and responsible social advocacy in American higher education.”24Rachelle Peterson. “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels” (PDF), NAS, November 2015.
March 2015
The National Association of Scholars released “Sustainability: Higher Education’s New Fundamentalism,” authored by Rachelle Peterson and NAS president Peter Wood. In a chapter titled “The Global Warming Debate,” the report presented the debunked “Climategate” scandal as evidence for reason to reject the scientific consensus that climate change has been caused by burning fossil fuels.25Rachelle Peterson and Peter W. Wood. “Sustainability: Higher Education’s New Fundamentalism” (PDF), NAS, March 2015.
While the report claimed that NAS “takes no position on the existence of global warming or subsidiary issues, including its causes,” it also stated that “claims advanced merely on the assumption that the theory of global warming is valid rest on highly insecure foundations.”
The report claimed to provide an even-handed treatment of climate issues. However, in the “Global Warming: Yes” section, it pivoted away from established science to discuss the sustainability movement and redistribution of wealth (“economic resources, too, are rationed and distributed equally, so that no one can hoard wealth or prevent the lowest rungs of society from climbing the economic ladder”), and attempted to tie climate change to controversial issues like gay marriage and abortion:
“To get to this better world, policies that uplift underprivileged groups such as women, racial minorities, the disabled, and those who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual require special consideration. Contraception, abortion, policies to close wage gaps, the legal recognition of gay marriage, affirmative action, and other social measures are thus linked with social sustainability.”
In the “Global Warming: No” section, the report claimed that temperatures have not been rising, primarily citing prominent skeptics including David Whitehouse, Paul C. “Chip” Knappenberger, Patrick J. Michaels, Anthony Watts, James Taylor, Bjorn Lomborg, William Happer, Richard Lindzen, James Delingpole, Ross McKitrick, Steve Goreham, and Stephen McIntyre.
Some representative statements from that chapter:
“There are many distinct cases against the existence of global warming, man’s role in causing it, and the need to urgently stop it”
[…]
“Nor is it clear that recent temperatures have been skyrocketing or that 2014 was exceptionally hot. Many data sets indicate temperatures stabilizing and flattening since 1998. “ — SkepticalScience climate change myth #9
[…]
“Anthony Watts, a veteran broadcast meteorologist, found during a 2009 examination of temperature stations across the country that 89 percent were poorly situated.” — SkeptcalScience details on Watts’ “SurfaceStations.org” project.
[…]
“The widely-circulated figure that 97 percent of all scientists believe global warming is dangerous and man-made also has been discredited.” — SkepticalScience climate change myth #4 and myth #130
[…]
“While it is true that today’s global surface temperature and lower atmospheric temperature are both slightly warmer than they were fifty years ago, the increase is mild and unlikely to continue much further.” — SkepticalScience climate change myth #108
[…]
“In fact, moderate warming may actually benefit the earth. Warmer temperatures and increased concentrations of carbon stimulate lush plant growth, while mild weather (as opposed to historically frigid eras) benefits human wellbeing. Bjorn Lomborg, the Danish environmental economist and founder of the Copenhagen Consensus, recognizes the existence of global warming but discounts its harms.” — SkepticalScience climate change myth #44</a>; also see Bjorn Lomborg’s DeSmog profile
[…]
“It’s also unclear how much warming is due to human influence. Richard S. Lindzen, an MIT professor of
meteorology, commented in the Wall Street Journal […]” — SkepticalScience climate change myth #56 and myth #59</a>; also see Richard Lindzen’s DeSmog profile[…]
“The historical records show many periods of warming and cooling, many of them so ancient that it is unlikely man even had the technological capacity at the time to be responsible for them. And there is evidence that global temperature swings are caused by sun spots, changes in the sun’s electromagnetic activity because of variations in the intensity of solar wind, and the power of El Niño, which suppresses the cold upwelling off of South America. ” — SkepticalScience climate change myth #1, myth#2, myth #57, and myth #118
[…]
“One cause for skepticism of anthropogenic global warming is because of high-profile scandals in the field of climatology. One of the best-known, “Climategate,” implicated some of the world’s top climate scientists […]” — SkepticalScience climate change myth #17
Related Organizations
- The Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship – Listed as a “sister” organization to NAS located in Canada26“NAS Affiliates,” NAS. Archived November 15, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/biJnQ
- Campus Coalition for Democracy – Predecessor organization to the NAS27“History of NAS,” NAS. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PhoZd
- DissidentProf.com – According to the The Marcus Foundation’s 2012 IRS Form 990 filing, Marcus granted NAS $10,000 that year for a project called “www.DissidentProf.com.” The project’s mailing address matched that of the Georgia affiliate of the National Association of Scholars, run by Ann Hartle.28National Association of Scholars Newsletter Vol. 1, Number 1 (Spring 1990). Dissidentprof.com has listed NAS among its “allies,” along with other conservative groups such as America’s Survival, Accuracy in Media, and Accuracy in Academia.29Homepage, Dissident Prof. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/oYJW6. The “About” page on dissidentprof.com lists “Mary Grabar, Ph.D., Editor and Organizer of the Resistance” as a contact person. 30“About,” Dissident Prof–Resisting the Re-education of America website, undated. Archived February 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/wnHer. Grabar apparently attended a National Association of Scholars conference in 2013 called “A Mighty Maze: Charting the Future of American Higher Education.”31“Mary Grabar Reviews NAS Conference,” NAS, March 20, 2013. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mREsC 32Mary Grabar. “National Association of Scholars and the Maze of Higher Ed,” Latest Dispatches, Dissident Prof, undated. Archived September 1, 2013. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5Puwj
Contact & Address
As of February 2023, the National Association of Scholars listed the following contact information on its website:
National Association of Scholars
420 Madison Ave., 7th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(917) 551-6770
Social Media
Other Resources
- “National Association of Scholars,” Sourcewatch
- “National Association of Scholars” on Wikipedia
- John R. Mashey. “Bottling Nonsense – Peter Wood and the National Association of Scholars” (PDF), July 1, 2011
- Richard Littlemore. “NAS President Peter Wood: wrong, dishonest or hopelessly compromised?“ DeSmog, August 2, 2011
- Peter Wood. “Bottling Up Global Warming Skepticism,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 30, 2011
Resources
- 1“Mission and History” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, July 8, 2013.
- 2David Stout. “B. R. Gross, 58, A Professor Of Philosophy,” The New York Times, July 21, 1995. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZYxf6
- 3“History of NAS,” NAS. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PhoZd
- 4David Stout. “B. R. Gross, 58, A Professor Of Philosophy,” The New York Times, July 21, 1995. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZYxf6
- 5David Stout. “B. R. Gross, 58, A Professor Of Philosophy,” The New York Times, July 21, 1995. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/ZYxf6
- 6“NAS Affiliates,” NAS. Archived February 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/wip/2JCvb
- 7“Mission and History” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, archived September 19, 2013. Archive URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20130919003918/https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_brochure.pdf
- 8“Who We Are,” NAS. Archived May 17, 2008. Archive.fo URL:https://archive.fo/seJBG
- 9“Buying a Movement – Right-Wing Foundations and American Politics” (PDF), People for the American Way, September 11, 1996.
- 10“Buying a Movement – Right-Wing Foundations and American Politics” (PDF), People for the American Way, September 11, 1996.
- 11Rachelle Peterson. “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, November 2015. Archived January 26, 2019. Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20190126005219/https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_insideDivestment_fullReport.pdf
- 12Edward Reid. “Irreproducibility and Climate Science,” May 17, 2018. Archived November 15, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/1S0Ov
- 13“Form U5S Columbia Energy Group Annual report for holding companies [Section 5],” SEC, published 1997-04-30. Archived July 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/FYzHP
- 14“Patents by Inventor Edward A. Reid, Jr.” Justia Patents. Archived July 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/hVPvG
- 15“About Me,” Real Science. Archived January 10, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/FKaln
- 16“The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science” (PDF), NAS, April 17, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 17“Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels” (PDF), National Association of Scholars, November 2015. Archived January 26, 2019. Archive URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20190126005219/https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_insideDivestment_fullReport.pdf
- 18“AP Denies the ‘Denier’ Label,” NAS, September 24, 2015. Archived November 16, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/CFXAR
- 19Rachelle Peterson and Peter Wood. “Sustainability FAQs,” NAS, March 25, 2015. Archived November 15, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/7SWhH
- 20“National Association of Scholars,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed November 14, 2018.
- 21“Buying a Movement – Right-Wing Foundations and American Politics” (PDF), People for the American Way, September 11, 1996.
- 22“The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science” (PDF), NAS, April 17, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 23“Patrick J. Michaels: Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies,” Cato Institute. Accessed October 25, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fslBz
- 24Rachelle Peterson. “Inside Divestment: The Illiberal Movement to Turn a Generation Against Fossil Fuels” (PDF), NAS, November 2015.
- 25Rachelle Peterson and Peter W. Wood. “Sustainability: Higher Education’s New Fundamentalism” (PDF), NAS, March 2015.
- 26“NAS Affiliates,” NAS. Archived November 15, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/biJnQ
- 27“History of NAS,” NAS. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/PhoZd
- 28National Association of Scholars Newsletter Vol. 1, Number 1 (Spring 1990).
- 29Homepage, Dissident Prof. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/oYJW6
- 30“About,” Dissident Prof–Resisting the Re-education of America website, undated. Archived February 28, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.is/wnHer.
- 31“Mary Grabar Reviews NAS Conference,” NAS, March 20, 2013. Archived November 14, 2018. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.fo/mREsC
- 32Mary Grabar. “National Association of Scholars and the Maze of Higher Ed,” Latest Dispatches, Dissident Prof, undated. Archived September 1, 2013. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5Puwj
