Speaker
Mar 11, 2026: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Northen Auditorium
As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we think of Thomas Jefferson's role in the founding of the United States. Not only did Jefferson play a seminal role in articulating the ideals of America, he played an important role in shaping institutions of power that would uphold those ideals. Using rare books, some show-and-tell, and a story of discovery, Professor Brian Alexander will discuss his latest book, Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice (Arcadia 2025), to talk about the United States at 250, Thomas Jefferson, and the meaning of power in American democracy.
Dr. Brian Alexander, Associate Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University, conducted extensive research using Jefferson's own writings during a fellowship at the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello in 2021. His work reveals previously unpublished insights into Jefferson's thinking on parliamentary procedure. He is also the author of A Social Theory of Congress: Legislative Norms in the Twenty-First Century (Rowman & Littlefield 2021) and editor of The Folkways of Congress (Brookings Institution Press 2026). He previously served as American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI).
Sponsored by Rockbridge Historical Society and The University Library