“AHI was a central part of my intellectual life while attending Hamilton College, and I have many fond memories of times spent down the Hill at AHI Headquarters and at various AHI events. In many ways AHI provided the ultimate liberal arts environment for an undergraduate student, as the programming exposed me to many new and challenging ideas and provided a forum that welcomed animated discussion and debate. The topics covered at AHI club meetings were often cross-disciplinary and encouraged critical thinking beyond the confines of any particular subject or field, and I’m grateful for the many conversations I had, as they sharpened my intellect and introduced to me ideas that I was able to apply to my on-campus academic work and in my own life.
AHI was also deeply generous to me and my fellow undergraduate fellows, not just in the dozens of delicious meals we were treated to at the Headquarters over the years, but also in the opportunities for growth it offered to us. In 2012, AHI made it possible for me to attend a executive seminar in public speaking at the Buckley School in South Carolina, an experience that has benefited me tremendously in my professional career to this day. While my politics and values may not always align with those who are most active at AHI, I will always be thankful for the experiences and opportunities I gained through my participation and hope that many more students – of all stripes – will have the same privilege for years to come.”
-Kayla (Safran) Coe, Hamilton College, Class of 2013
“The doors to the AHI are always open. To students, townspeople, or alums trudging over to the Clinton Arena from The Village Tavern on a chilly winter evening. An impromptu conversation with Professor Paquette back in Feb ‘18 reignited my interest in the Institute and helped me gain a true appreciation for its mission. At a moment when students are being shouted down (if not worse) for espousing their personal beliefs, AHI strives to ensure a healthy discussion. I am so grateful that AHI exists for current students who may feel like they need to censure themselves in the classroom – or worse, cater to the beliefs of the professor. For any student seeking to challenge his or her way of thinking, instead of being told what to think, AHI is an invaluable resource.”
-Samuel Bowlby, Hamilton College, Class of 2004
“I want to thank you and The Alexander Hamilton Institute for sponsoring an amazing educational experience this past weekend. This was my first time to attend this colloquium and I am a better educator because of the experience. . . .Please pass along my gratitude to everyone involved that contributed to this educational experience. The generosity from the sponsors made it possible for this Texas teacher to attend. I am always seeking opportunities to grow and share that knowledge with my students and this colloquium gave me the opportunity to do that.”
-A. G., Boerne, Texas, 13 November 2019
“For a dozen years now, the Alexander Hamilton Institute has been a beacon of light in the general darkness that has descended on the academic study of the foundations of our common culture. Cutting through the mystagogic ideological swoon gripping the humanities and social sciences, AHI has given countless students a joyful home for engaging cant-free the complex and profound riches of Western civilization. As someone who has participated in many AHI programs, I am grateful to the Institute’s leadership for their inspiring devotion to the cause of humane learning. To thoughtful citizens looking for an intellectual road map for perpetuating the best in our civilizational inheritance, I commend the work of the AHI. It is a model of excellence and integrity, which learners young and old will desire to emulate.”
-Bradford P. Wilson, Executive Director, James Madison Program, Princeton University
“I write to express my deeply felt appreciation, in the main, for the student programs that AHI has sponsored over the years and your reaching out to include students from Colgate University. Any number of them have greatly profited from their inclusion, among them Anna Pluff who came back this past summer abuzz with what she had learned from a program you ran in DC. She, though, was far from the first nor, I hope, the last Colgate student who will be able to take advantage of the the intensive programs you organize. In each and every instance, they’ve had a chance to meet with like-minded students, feel less isolated and even in some cases accepted in a way often not found on college campuses, and to learn from accomplished scholars. I, too, though have profited from the opportunities you’ve provided me to take part in various programs you’ve run that have allowed me to share my late-eighteenth century scholarly work with a wider community than I would have otherwise. In sum, AHI provides a rare conservative and early-American scholarly outpost in upstate-New York for both students and faculty which without your doing so, would leave this area intellectually in need of the same. Bravo for filling a much needed lacuna and for a job well done.”
