The tombstone of Thomas Jefferson

Are essential elements of the founding of the American republic contained in Thomas Jefferson's epitaph? Charles Kesler, Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, will present this case. Professor Kesler, a senior fellow of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy, will lead an exploration of what Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and our nation's third president, wanted inscribed on his tombstone. Jefferson directed that his epitaph reflect three of his accomplishments: That he was author of the Declaration of Independence, author of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom and father of the University of Virginia. What these three items have in common is that each was an essential part of founding republican government in America, which in order to sustain itself would have to rely to a surprising degree on political and religious principles upheld and transmitted by public education, according to Professor Kesler.

A UAA Polaris Society Lecture, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the UAA/APU Consortium Library 307

The UAA Polaris Society supports this lecture with additional support from the Alaska Humanities Forum. It is open to the public and free of charge.