On September 17, 2015, the American Founding Group, the School of Public and International Affairs, and the UGA Law School hosted a celebration of Constitution Day. The centerpiece of these festivities was a lecture by Dr. Jack Rakove, Pulitzer Prize-winning professor of history, political science, and law at Stanford University and a world-renowned expert of the U.S. Constitution, entitled “What Did the Constitution Originally Mean? Two Interpretations.” The lecture and moderated question and answer session was held at 2pm in the UGA Chapel, and was followed by a dessert reception in Candler Hall. In addition, there historical documents and materials related to the American founding and U.S. Constitution were on display at the Chapel from the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Jack Rakove is the William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies, and Professor of Political Science and Law (by courtesy) at Stanford University, where he has taught since 1980. He was educated at Haverford College, where he earned a B.A. in History in 1968, the University of Edinburgh, and Harvard, where he received his Ph.D. in History in 1975 and studied under Bernard Bailyn. Before going to Stanford, he taught at Colgate University from 1975-1980. At Stanford he teaches courses in early American history and the origins and interpretation of the Constitution.
