Clemson U trustees approve center focused on American founding By Lauren Pierce Oct 17, 2026 CLEMSON — Clemson University will establish a new center dedicated to studying the history, ideas and institutions of the American founding period after the university’s Board of Trustees approved the proposal Friday.
The Clemson Center for the Study of the American Founding started partially rolling out this fall within the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism, part of Clemson’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business.
The board’s Educational Policy Committee discussed the proposal Thursday, with executive vice president for academic affairs provost Cole Smith describing the center as an opportunity to expand instruction in an interdisciplinary field that includes history, civics, philosophy and economics.
“There’s a growing interest on behalf of students in learning about our revolutionary founding period,” Smith said. “Very excited about this.”
He said the center would strengthen the university’s existing Lyceum Scholars Program and help provide resources for high school educators interested in teaching the subject.
“This Center for the Study of American Founding, which is timely of our 250th birthday of the nation, would expand (that) access to all these materials through these courses and outreach that we have through public programming as well,” Smith said. 'A dire need’
According to the proposal, the center will offer seminars and lectures for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty members and high school teachers from across the country. Online programming will also make resources available to the general public.
Planned initiatives include developing courses for the Lyceum Scholars Program, expanding undergraduate and graduate instruction, supporting faculty and student research, organizing academic conferences and helping scholars publish their work.
The center also plans to create a website featuring the nation’s founding documents, provide online course content, train high school teachers and sponsor national essay contests.
The proposal identifies a need for more educators and junior scholars prepared to teach the American founding as universities expand programs focused on civic thought.
During Thursday’s committee discussion, Trustee Louis Lynn asked whether similar programs exist at other universities.
Wendy York, dean of the College of Business, said her understanding was that other centers were trying to catch up with work already produced by Brad Thompson, who is a professor in the Department of Political Science and the executive director of the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism.
“There’s a dire need to have this kind of instruction given at lower levels before they get to college,” York said. “They also view this center as very important for bringing like-minded people together for conferences and think-alongs and that kind of thing. So he’s very passionate about this being an important part of the whole picture we’re putting together with things to make it possible.”
Another trustee expressed enthusiasm for the proposal and suggested informing South Carolina lawmakers about the university’s plans, saying students should have opportunities to learn about capitalism, civics and the founding of the nation.
The committee approved the recommendation Thursday before it went to the full board for final approval Friday.
Gifts to fund center
The center will be funded through gift funds allocated by the Snow Institute for the Study of Capitalism. The institute has approximately $8 million in available funds to support the center and plans to allocate between $1.2 million and $1.6 million annually of existing and future gift funds, according to the financial analysis.
The center’s proposed budget expenses include 10 John Adams graduate fellowships providing $10,000 annually to each fellow and one George Washington postdoctoral fellowship worth $75,000 per year.
Plans also call for annual seminars, faculty research support, conferences and publishing activities. The proposal allocates an estimated $425,000 annually for outreach, including high school seminars, a national digital library, online courses and essay contests.
The College of Business dean will be responsible for ensuring the center’s long-term viability. The proposal said activities will be evaluated and adjustments made as needed if participation falls short of expectations.
The center’s stated goal is to become the nation’s “premier university-based teaching and research center devoted to the American founding.”
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