NEW YORK, N.Y., March 27, 2000

"If you allow a group to stop a play, where will it stop?…Can groups remove books from the library? Or curriculum from an instructor's course?" - Dr. William Holda

Dr. William Holda, President of Kilgore College, (Kilgore, Texas) is the winner of the 2000 PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award. Dr. Holda uncompromisingly protected the college's production of Angels in America, despite strong opposition from the community. The annual PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award was founded by Paul Newman and A.E. Hotchner in 1992 to honor individuals who, in the face of adversity, champion the First Amendment right to freedom of expression as it affects the written word. The winner receives a cash prize of $25,000 and an original piece of artwork by Mark DiSuvero. The year's judges were Michelle Coffey (Director of the National Campaign Free Expression), Marjorie Heins (First Amendment expert and author), and writers Mary Gordon, Wendy Kaminer, and Luc Sante.

Before a production of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America could reach the stage of Kilgore Community College in October 1999, community members, local churches, and elected officials of Kilgore, Texas, raised vehement opposition. Threats intensified as the date of the first performance drew near and Dr. Holda found himself the target of the protests. He was vilified in circulated petitions; protesters picketed his church; a forty-foot-wide billboard accused him of blasphemy; his son endured harassment at school; editorials denouncing Dr. Holda appeared in newspapers, while angry letters and e-mails flooded his office. County officials threatened to withdraw a fine arts grant for the Texas Shakespeare Festival, an independent festival supported by Kilgore College.

Despite the building pressure and negative publicity, Dr. Holda stood firm in his decision to uphold academic freedom and First Amendment rights. He took measures to ensure the safety of the cast and audience throughout the performances, and dealt personally with the press and with his critics. The play was performed to full houses and positive reviews. When the Gregg County Commissioners followed through with their threat to rescind funding, he made certain that the Texas Shakespeare Festival would continue. In spite of fierce adversity and the dangers to his job, Dr. Holda never wavered in his support of academic liberty, the First Amendment, and artistic freedom.

In the words of Dr. Holda, "And why is there this tremendous fear of something so simple as a word? Why this fear and hysteria over the words of playwright Tony Kushner? Why are writers all over the world imprisoned because of their words? Because words have power - they give flesh and life to ideas which may challenge our most deeply held beliefs. They may hold up a mirror, reflecting life as it really is, in spite of our denial. And only after withstanding the crucible of a viciously powerful challenge are our ideas truly worthy of ownership."

The other finalists for this year's award were Jeffrey Newton (public school teacher), Dan Pens and Paul Wright (editors of Prison Legal News), Frances Riley (public school teacher), and Ira Stohl and Kristina Hjelsand (newstand owners).