“As a student at Hamilton College I understand the unequivocal importance of sound intellectual practice and effective communication. The Alexander Hamilton Institute offers students the opportunity to pursue these scholastic talents at a high level. By promoting passionate research, cogent analysis and persuasive public speaking the AHI can contribute greatly to a complete education.”
-Reid Snyder, Hamilton College, Class of 2008
“Absolutely fearless, Paquette is a source of immense discomfort to his adversaries. . . .In 2007, they [Ambrose, Bradfield, and Paquette] opened the newly rechristened Alexander Hamilton Institute (after the school [Hamilton College] attempted to copyright the original name behind their back) as a privately-run enterprise, based in a mansion about a mile from campus. . . .AHI’s budget is tiny and almost all work is done by volunteers. But its inaugural year far exceeded expectations; its scholarly meetings and events attract a wide range of locals (including many home schoolers, as well as members of the Hamilton community.”
-Harry Stein, Contributing Editor, City Journal, 2009
“The Alexander Hamilton Institute provides a much-needed haven for the communion of ideas here at the College. It fosters intellectual diversity and tolerance, giving students of all backgrounds and persuasions a voice. The Publius Society, Edmund Burke Association, and Christopher Dawson Society each have unique missions and engage a diverse group of individuals, offering opportunities for education and expression on pertinent issues. The AHI has already become an integral part of this institution and the wider community, and we look forward to its further development with great anticipation.”
-Elizabeth (Farrington) Harrison, Hamilton College, Class of 2010; J. D. The Law School, University of Notre Dame
“The Alexander Hamilton Institute is the only entity in which students, professors, and the general public can come together to discuss ideas and develop a broad base of knowledge on history, politics, and modern civilization. AHI has provided many students, myself included, with the opportunity to learn more about key political issues affecting our society outside of the classroom. I have personally seen the hard work that goes into making AHI possible. The variety of organizations that choose to meet at the Institute have seen substantial growth in both membership and student interest. AHI has been a vital part in strengthening intellect, understanding, and promoting diverse discussion between Hamilton students, faculty, and the local community.”
-Edward Ajaeb, Hamilton College, Class of 2011
“. . . I wanted to tell you I cannot thank you enough for having me in this amazing program. I’ve never participated in a summer program like WaPoNS, or any summer program, for that matter; the access you were able to provide me and the rest of the group was absolutely incredible. We got to meet some truly amazing people.
I also want to thank you for creating a program that is suited for people who think about national security from a variety of different angles, whether economics, intelligence, lobbying, or international affairs. While I came into the program with the intention about learning about jobs in the intelligence field and meeting those involved with making national security decisions, it was such a delight to explore other facets of a very complex issue. I was particularly surprised by how much I enjoyed the various think tanks we visited. This program has made me seriously consider a program at a think tank or in some form of academia, mainly because I love to research and write, and because I plan to earn my PhD in Political Science at some point in the future. If I can make a career out of these passions, I feel as though there could be no better way to be a professional. . . . Again, thank you for making the last two weeks incredibly meaningful and worthwhile. You’re an incredibly gifted and modest human, with all of your exhilarating life experiences and careers, and it has been an absolute honor to spend this program with you leading it.”
-Alex Neave, Loyola University Maryland, 27 June 2019
“One summer, a few years ago, some fellow graduate students and I made the drive from South Bend, Indiana to Hatch Lake, New York. There, graduate students and faculty from the University of Notre Dame and Baylor University were meeting up for a collaborative conference on Shakespeare and Machiavelli hosted by a place called the Alexander Hamilton Institute in a tiny town called Clinton. I was expecting a typical academic conference. Instead, AHI delivered an engaging, challenging, and truly collegial academic experience that was nothing short of inspiring. AHI facilitated an experience that should be the model for the purpose of scholarship: to allow lovers of learning and truth the freedom to speak their minds, delve deeply into ideas, and present diverse viewpoints in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
AHI has imbued the spirit of that conference with all the reading clusters and conferences I have organized for them since. The opportunity to lead students and members of the community in discussions of the classic texts of political philosophy though cover-to-cover readings has led me to understand these texts more deeply and has made me a better teacher. Participants in AHI events consistently remark that their appreciation of the history of ideas and the value of the intellectual life has been vastly increased. AHI has set the standard for those promoting a free marketplace of ideas, and models the highest of educational standards, and it is a gem not just for upstate New York, but for the country as a whole.”
