William Harris
William Harris graduated from Haverford College in 2024 with a major in history and minors in Spanish and the history of art. His senior thesis, “Dare to Look: Manuel Godoy’s Secret Cabinet and Enlightenment in Eighteenth-Century Spain,” analyzed the late Inquisition’s censorship of art and literature and won the History Department Senior Thesis Prize and the Libraries Research Award. At Haverford, William served as treasurer of the student council and ran on Haverford’s varsity cross country and track teams.
William first joined FIRE as an intern in summer 2022. He continued his on-campus free speech advocacy at Haverford as a fall 2022 FIRE Campus Scholar, founding a free speech magazine titled The New Kronstadt — inspired by Richard Crossman’s The God That Failed. After working as an intern in the Arts and Culture Advocacy Program at the National Coalition Against Censorship in summer 2023, William returned to FIRE in June 2024 as a Program Associate on the Engagement and Mobilization team.
Outside of work, William enjoys running and cycling on the Schuylkill River Trail, frequenting the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, and exploring Philadelphia’s museums, restaurants, and cultural institutions.
Recent Writings
- Protesting, postering, or planning a campus event? Your college’s policies might have just changed.,
- Olympic controversies underscore importance of free speech culture ,
- New alumni group brings free speech advocacy to UT Austin,
- What happened on BET when Usher tried to speak? ,
- What is your major malfunction, Amazon? ,
- Sounding the FIRE alarm at Haverford College,
- Comeback of the catechism: When today’s speech norms launch old inquisitions,
- From Berkeley to Haverford: Have we forgotten the progressive history of free speech on college campuses?,
Host a FIRE Speaker
Hosting a FIRE speaker is a great way to catalyze social change by educating members of your community about the importance of free speech, due process, and religious liberty.
Explore Our Work
FIRE is a mission-driven organization of hardworking, dedicated team members committed to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.
Explore FIRE's Advocacy