Our Mission
Our mission is to support the advancement of knowledge American political history through grants, research, conferences, symposia, and guest lecturers. The Institute also supports the training and research projects of graduate students interested in American political history. In 2004, the Institute launched an initiative to establish the Hugh Davis Graham Research Fund to provide grants to graduate students and young scholars beginning work in political and policy history, state development, or political institutions in historical perspective. Three years later, the Institute launched another intiative to establish the Thomas H. Critchlow Award to help young scholars and graduate students working in nineteenth-century political and policy history.
In 2012, the Institute undertook a campaign to support the establishment of an undergraduate program in Political Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. This interdisciplinary program introduces students to the classics of political thought, while providing them tools to become leaders after graduation in business, law, and public affairs. The program sponsors guest lecturers and speakers from the academic, business, legal, and public affairs communities. By training a new generation of leaders, the program seeks to fulfill Thomas Jefferson’s dictum, “Reflection and Action."
In 2012, the Institute undertook a campaign to support the establishment of an undergraduate program in Political Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. This interdisciplinary program introduces students to the classics of political thought, while providing them tools to become leaders after graduation in business, law, and public affairs. The program sponsors guest lecturers and speakers from the academic, business, legal, and public affairs communities. By training a new generation of leaders, the program seeks to fulfill Thomas Jefferson’s dictum, “Reflection and Action."