Imprimis is the monthly speech digest ofHillsdale College, published by the Center for Constructive Alternatives.[1]Salon.com described it as "the most influential conservative publication you've never heard of."[2] Its name isLatin, meaning both'in the first place' and the second person singular of the verbto print.
Imprimis was founded in 1972 byClark Durant andGeorge Roche III[3] as a free alumni service.[4]Lew Rockwell was an early editor.[citation needed] Hillsdale's then-President George Roche III initially sent 1,000 issues to "friends of the College."[5] The publication improved Hillsdale's name recognition and did "wonders for out-of-state enrollment" as its circulation "ballooned."[4] By the 1980s,Imprimis and Hillsdale were "closely associated with intellectual ferment on the right".[6]
Imprimis's circulation has grown to 5.5 million as of 2021. It is a free publication but encourages donations. Distribution is no longer limited to alumni.[citation needed]
Imprimis's content consists almost entirely of edited transcripts of speeches delivered by conservative movement leaders at Hillsdale-sponsored events.[2]
In 1991, the dean atBoston University, H. Joachim Maitre, was accused of plagiarizing anImprimis article byMichael Medved in a commencement address, which led to Maitre's resignation.[7][8]
Imprimis has been praised by conservatives. For instance,Walter E. Williams wrote thatImprimis is "Hillsdale's way of sharing the ideas of the many distinguished speakers invited to their campus. And, I might add, Hillsdale College is one of the few colleges where students get a trueliberal arts education, absent the nonsense seen on many campuses."[35]
In contrast, Mark W. Powell, writing in theToledo Blade, criticizedImprimis for eschewingfact-checking and failing to issueeditorial corrections, which he described as part of a pattern of "cavalierism with facts to drive political points."[36] Jordan Smith ofSalon offered similar criticisms, citing a piece by Republican representativePaul Ryan that he said repeated a "widely discredited assertion" regardinghealth care rationing under Obama's health insurance reforms.[2] Kevin D. Williamson atNational Review argued that speech transcripts ordinarily aren't fact-checked or verified for the truth of their claims.[37]
^abElaine Underwood (November 11, 1991). "Beyond the Wall Pennant: New, Improved Ways To Keep School Ties Strong – and Alumni Writing Checks".Brandweek.
^Daniel J. Williams (April 10, 2008)."Imprimis".Hillsdale Collegian. Archived fromthe original on February 23, 2009. RetrievedMay 13, 2010.
