The IACH is an inter-disciplinary center for the study of American constitutionalism. The notion of a constitutional heritage reflects the Institute’s broad approach to the Constitution in all its aspects: its philosophical underpinnings, its historical context, its legal substance, and its contemporary relevance. The IACH is committed to ensuring that the University of Oklahoma is a place where students can study the ancient roots of law, liberty, and self-governance, the development of liberal and republican thought in the modern world, the historical and ideological background of the American founding, the development of civil rights in American history, and the relevance of the Constitution to contemporary debates over justice and freedom.
Each February, the IACH invites a prominent scholar to deliver a lecture in commemoration of Presidents' Day. The purpose of the lecture is to reflect on such themes as the nature of civic leadership, the conditions for accountable government, and rhetoric and communication in modern politics. Recent Presidents' Day speakers have discussed the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
Every September, the IACH hosts prominent scholars from around the country to deliver the Rufus Fears Lectures on Roger and Patti Clapp Constitution Day. Federal legislation requires institutions that receive federal funding honor September 17th, the day in 1787 the Framers of the Constitution finished their business in Philadelphia. Thanks to a gift from alumni Roger and Patti Clapp, Constitution Day at OU is named after J. Rufus Fears, a beloved Professor of Classics and Letters.
Study after study shows that civic literacy and knowledge about the Constitution is at an all-time low. The IACH is committed to addressing this crisis by hosting a summer institute for middle and high school history teachers. Teachers read and discuss primary documents in the American constitutional tradition and receive a stipend for their participation. The teacher institute is supported by the Horizon Foundation.
The nation’s best teachers come to OU every spring for a day of teaching and discussion about some aspect of the Constitution. This has been a signature event for the campus and the community since 2012, and thousands of students and citizens have attended the lectures. Recent topics include “Native Nations and the Constitution” and “The Supreme Court and the Constitution.” Teach-In is supported by the generosity of donors, especially the Horizon Foundation.
Stanford historian Dan Edelstein visited OU on Sept. 17 to deliver the 2026 J. Rufus Fears Lecture on Patti and Roger Clapp Constitution Day, hosted by the Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage. His lecture, "Revolution, Constitution, and the American Founding," looked at how the break from Britain and the Constitution that followed shaped the nation. Edelstein has written four books on European intellectual and political history and co-leads the Stanford Civics Initiative.
The University of Oklahoma’s Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage will host its annual Constitution Day program on Wednesday, Sept. 17, featuring a lecture by Rogers M. Smith, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and leading scholar of American constitutional history.
The University of Oklahoma is proud to announce that Anna Hyslop, an honors student double majoring in economics and global energy, environment and resources, has been named a 2025 Truman Scholar by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.
Are you interested in law, politics and history? Do you enjoy discussing and debating political and constitutional issues? Are you engaged with the world around you? Learn more about the Society of Fellows, an honorary society to recognize and cultivate the best and brightest undergraduate students at OU.
