This event takes place at Room 306 in the McConnell Center. You do not need a ticket to attend.
In the early 1900s, a group of reformers launched a surprising crusade: to stamp out swearing and “vulgar” language across the United States. This talk explores the history of the Anti-Profanity League, a national movement that reflected deep concerns about morality, civility, and public behavior. Among its most passionate leaders was Roland D. Sawyer, a Congregational minister from Kensington, New Hampshire, who later became a state legislator in Massachusetts, and believed that taming American speech could help uplift society. Through figures like Sawyer, we’ll uncover how this forgotten campaign fits into the broader story of American reform, and what it reveals about ongoing debates over language and values.
