It will be a special day for all as the AHI is unveiled to the world.

1. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. in front of our headquarters; pocket Constitutions will be distributed to media and other attendants.

2. At 7:30 p.m., Senior Fellow Ted Eismeier and co-founder of the AHI James Bradfield will assemble at the Hamilton College Chapel with several other scholars to discuss “The Constitution of the 21st Century.”  During the event, Professor Bradfield will announce the birth of the AHI, and pocket Constitutions will be distributed to the audience.

3. Senior Fellow Robert Kraynak of Colgate University will be hosting a Constitution Day debate, “Racial Equality under the Constitution:  Is the Constitution Color Blind,” at 4:30 p.m., Persson Hall Auditorium, Colgate University.  Participants include Randall Kennedy of the Harvard Law School and William B. Allen, professor of political science, Michigan State University.

4.  Senior Fellows Mary and David Nichols of Baylor University will be hosting a Constitution Day special, “Presidential Rhetoric and the Constitution.”

Update on Sep 18, 2007 at 08:18AM

“No tradition,” says our charter, “grows richer or stronger by lying fallow.”  Yesterday, the founders, in unveiling the AHI to an enthusiastic audience, planted a seed of educational reform at 21 West Park Row in Clinton, New York.  Doug Ambrose focused on the personality and character of Alexander Hamilton, a man of humble beginnings who had achieved greatness in a noble political experiment that promoted the revolutionary ideal of a social hierarchy based upon meritoriousness.  James Bradfield spoke about the scholarly aspirations of the Institute, the desire of the founders to promote a genuinely free marketplace of ideas.  Robert Paquette addressed the challenges ahead, discussed the distinguished people who have already committed their support, and looked forward to building bridges with kindred spirits locally and nationally.

In what will become part of an annual celebration, the founders distributed to each attendant what Senior Fellow Ted Eismeier called “a priceless gift”: a pocket Constitution.  We thank Carl Menges; the founders have known him for many years, and we have never known him to dress without it.