Henry Mulcahy, a literature instructor at progressive Jocelyn College, is informed that his appointment will not be continued. Convinced he is disliked by the president of Jocelyn because of his abilities as a teacher and his independence of mass opinion, Mulcahy believes he is being made the victim of a witch-hunt. Plotting vengeance, Mulcahy battles to fight for justice and, in the process, reveals his true ethical nature.

Mary McCarthy (1912-1989) was a short-story writer, bestselling novelist, essayist, and critic. A member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, she was the author of The Group, Memoirs of a Catholic Girlhood, The Stones of Florence, and Birds of America, among other books. The Groves of Academe was originally published in 1951.