Freedom Seminar

“Books and the Founding Fathers” will be presented by George H. Nash, professional historian, lecturer, and author.

The lecture will explore how books, libraries, and the pursuit of learning shaped the minds and ambitions of America’s Founding Fathers:  the remarkable elite who led the American Revolution and devised the Constitution of the United States.  

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Griswold Lecture Hall on Northwood University’s campus with a reception to follow.

More About George H. Nash

George H. Nash is a professional historian and lecturer who received his Ph.D. In History from Harvard University.  He is the author of seven books, including three volumes of a multi-volume biography of Herbert Hoover,  The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945, and Books and the Founding Fathers. He is a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, and a former president of the Philadelphia Society.  He is a recipient of the Richard M. Weaver Prize for Scholarly Letters. He lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

“Who really controls the narrative? Media, elections and the battle for public opinion” will be presented by Kaitlyn Buss, Deputy Editorial Page Editor and Columnist.

Every election is fought twice: once on the campaign trail and once in the media. But the rules governing that second contest have changed dramatically. Newspapers no longer control the conversation, television isn’t the dominant force it once was, and candidates now compete for attention across podcasts, social media, streaming platforms, and AI-powered information systems.

We’ll examine how the media influences political campaigns from candidate recruitment through Election Day, why trust in journalism has eroded, and how technology is transforming both politics and the public’s understanding of it. Through stories from the campaign trail and inside the newsroom, attendees will gain an insider’s look at how modern political narratives are built — and where American political communication is headed next.

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Griswold Lecture Hall on Northwood University’s campus with a reception to follow.

More About Kaitlyn Buss

Kaitlyn Buss has served as deputy editorial page editor and columnist at The Detroit News, and in a variety of roles on the award-winning editorial board since 2014. She is a frequent commentator on WJR, Flashpoint Detroit, and The Pulse. She has worked in public relations and communications for nearly two decades in Michigan and Washington, D.C., working with nonprofits, political groups and state and federal policymakers. She lives in metro Detroit.

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Griswold Lecture Hall on Northwood University’s campus with a reception to follow.

More About Jonathan Williams

Jonathan Williams is President and Chief Economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where he works with state policymakers, congressional leaders and members of the private sector to develop fiscal policy solutions for the states. Williams founded the ALEC Center for State Fiscal Reform in 2011 and co-authored Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer Economic State Competitiveness Index with Reagan economist Dr. Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore. Prior to joining ALEC, Williams served as staff economist at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, authoring numerous tax policy studies.

Williams’ work has appeared in many publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Financial Times, Toronto Star, and Investor’s Business Daily. He is a contributor for The Hill and a columnist at Tax Analysts, the leading provider of tax news and analysis for the global community. Williams also serves on the Advisory Board of the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) and as an adjunct fellow at the Kansas Policy Institute. He has written for the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. In addition, Williams was a contributing author of In Defense of Capitalism (Northwood University Press).

Williams has spoken to audiences across all 50 states and provided testimony for the U.S. Congress, as well as numerous state legislative bodies. His work has been featured at the federal level by The White House, the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, and the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. He is a frequent guest on talk radio shows and has appeared on numerous television outlets, including the PBS NewsHour, Fox Business News and Bloomberg News. Williams was also the recipient of the prestigious Ludwig von Mises Award in Economics.