Colleges and universities and members of their communities--administrators, faculty, and students--are caught in the crosshairs of sharply divided sociopolitical debates. Issues at home and abroad have polarized campuses, reflective of national division. With activism alive and well on campuses across the nation, and very much the focus of public attention, this polarization is only going to become more difficult as national elections continue to become more volatile. This facilitates a crisis of purpose and expectations for higher education. Herein lies the thesis of this article and the author's larger body of work: Individuals and groups manipulate ideologically laden discourse to shape social institutions to promulgate their interpretation of democratic idealism. This is dangerous for higher education, one of the nation's most valuable assets (Palmadessa, 2017). Given the discord on Capitol Hill, divisive politics across the country, and upheaval on campuses in response to violence, racism, and bigotry, it is imperative that we understand how the purpose of higher education has been discursively defined historically. Doing so will help combat current challenges that hinder higher education's ability to serve the public. This is a highly polarized partisan moment in history, but it is not without precedent. It is important to understand how ideologues have manipulated discourse to preserve national influence over the postsecondary social institutions of higher learning.