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President Sloan appointed a committee to evaluate the Polanyi Center. The committee recommended stripping the center of its name, absorbing its functions into the Institute for Faith and Learning, and setting up a Baylor faculty advisory committee to guide the institute on its involvement with the Intelligent Design movement. The ad-hoc committee also clearly recognized Intelligent Design as a legitimate scientific discipline.

But Dembski mistakenly read the committee's report as a definitive victory, proclaiming "the triumph of Intelligent Design" in one e-mail message. He was terminated as director two days after his e-mail became public knowledge.

"The wedge of truth has a very sharp edge" and will prevail, said Intelligent Design master strategist Phillip Johnson, speaking at Pressler's church soon after Dembski's firing. But for now, he says, the Intelligent Design movement has suffered a huge setback.

Early on, scientists researching Intelligent Design recognized some powerful advocates for evolution would oppose such research. Some, worried about adverse publicity, received Intelligent Design research grants from the Discovery Institute without public disclosure. Says David Berlinski, a leading Intelligent Design scientist and author of the recently acclaimed Newton's Gift, "Those who have benefitted from the change from a fundamentally religious society to a fundamentally secular one are reluctant to relinquish their power."

See Baylor's official home pages for William A. Dembski and the Polanyi Center, as well as the school's press releases on Dembski's dismissal and the Polanyi Center Committee Report, and the report itself (in PDF format).

Press coverage of the controversy includes:

The Lynching of Bill Dembski—The American Spectator (Nov. 2000)

Polanyi Center's future is unclear—The Baylor Lariat (Oct. 24, 2000)

Baylor demotes director of Polanyi Center—Waco Tribune-Herald (Oct. 19, 2000)

'Intelligent design' leader demoted—Houston Chronicle (Oct. 19, 2000)

Polanyi official's e-mail concerns some faculty—The Baylor Lariat (Oct. 19, 2000)

Polanyi committee suggests compromise—The Baylor Lariat (Oct. 18, 2000)

Changes ahead for Polanyi Center, including new name—Waco Tribune-Herald (Oct. 17, 2000)

Dembski's controversial e-mail message, as well as one he posted about his dismissal from the Polanyi Center, are available in the Metanews archives.

See our earlier coverage of the controversy:

Unintelligent Designs | Baylor's dismissal of Polyani Center director Dembski was not a smart move. (Oct. 23, 2000)

Defending Faith and Learning | Baylor University's Polanyi Center comes under fire from the university's faculty. (Apr. 24, 2000)

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December 4 2000, Vol. 44, No. 14