# The Stanford Review

The Stanford Review (also known as The Review) is a student-run newspaper that serves Stanford University in Stanford, California. It was founded in 1987 by Peter Thiel and Norman Book.

## History

In 1987, after around 500 students participated in a march led by Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, the students were inspired to put forth the Rainbow Agenda, a list of the concerns that the minority students wanted the institution to address. The Stanford Review was founded to provide an "alternative viewpoint" to what was expressed in the Agenda, by the "vocal few" as they were referred to in the publication's first issue, dated June 9, 1987, in an article titled "Stanford Review is here to stay." The founders felt that views being expressed were inconsistent with views held by majority of the student body. It aspired to be a place where "rational debate" could exist at the university.
In 1995, the paper prevailed in a free-speech lawsuit against the university's speech code. The court ruled that the code which banned insults that were racially and/or gender-motivated was unconstitutional. In a 2016 letter to the editor of The Stanford Daily, the managing editor wrote that "the entire purpose of The Review is to publish unpopular views." The letter also clarified that although the newspaper serves as an outlet for writers, whether they are a staff writer or otherwise, The Review itself may or may not have a position on the subject matter.
Incorporated in 1990 as nonprofit 501(c)(3), as of 2017, a large portion of the publication's revenue was generated by fundraising efforts and alumni donors. While Thiel also has made financial contributions, he has hosted staff reunions at his home, and meets with the editors quarterly as a way to stay current with campus activities in general.
In 2024, the Review accused Stanford math education professor Jo Boaler of "shoddy research" and de-tracking students with a "dumbed-down math curriculum" of "woke math" and "harassing scholars who take issue with her".

## Notable former editors and staff

* Peter Thiel (graduated 1989, founding editor-in-chief from 1987–1989), co-founder of PayPal, Founders Fund, Palantir Technologies
* Jay Bhattacharya (graduated 1990, former business manager and news editor), professor of medicine, economics, and health research policy at Stanford University and nominee for NIH director under President-elect Donald Trump
* Keith Rabois (graduated 1991, former opinion editor), chief operating officer of Square, investor at Khosla Ventures
* David O. Sacks (graduated 1994, former editor-in-chief), co-founder of Yammer, angel investor
* Ryan Bounds (graduated 1995, former opinion editor), Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon and failed nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
* Ken Howery (graduated 1998, former editor-in-chief), co-founder of PayPal, Founders Fund
* Candice Jackson (graduated 1998, former news editor), Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights under Secretary Betsy DeVos
* Eric Jackson (graduated 1998, former editor-in-chief), chief executive officer of CapLinked
* Gideon Yu (graduated 1998, former business manager), co-owner and former president of the San Francisco 49ers, former chief financial officer of YouTube and Facebook
* Josh Hawley (graduated 2002, former writer), United States senator representing the state of Missouri
* Joe Lonsdale (graduated 2003, former editor-in-chief from 2002–2003), co-founder of Palantir Technologies
* Stephen Cohen (graduated 2005, former editor-in-chief), co-founder of Palantir Technologies
* Bruce Gibney (former writer), former venture capitalist at Founders Fund, author

## Books written by former editors

Notable books written by its former editors include:
* The PayPal Wars by Eric M. Jackson
* Their Lives: The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine by Candice Jackson
* The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Intolerance at Stanford by Peter Thiel and David O. Sacks
* Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters