The Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World at Claremont McKenna College offers academic programming focused on political philosophy, constitutional law, and American political thought. Key offerings include Friday lunch student seminars, Saturday faculty salons, specialized student fellowships, faculty-student research partnerships, and co-sponsored guest speakers.
The Athenaeum
On any given night during the academic year, the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum serves as an exemplar for how scholars, public figures, thought leaders, artists, and innovators engage with an eager campus audience on a range of important topics and diverse viewpoints. Whether it’s student fellows who are hired each year to steward programming and discussion, or attending students who excitedly socialize and share insights over lunch or dinner multiple times a week, the goal is to encourage life skills including leadership, dialogue, respect, and empathy.
Lofgren Lecture
Lofgren Lecture Series on American Constitutionalism is an endowed program hosted by the Salvatori Center at Claremont McKenna College (CMC). It brings prominent legal scholars, historians, and political scientists to campus to explore constitutional history, individual freedom, and American political development.
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention functions as a student pitch competition. Teams pitch original or revised constitutional amendments to a panel of faculty judges and student peers for cash prizes.
Friday Lunch Seminars
The Friday lunch seminars are weekly student sessions designed to foster intellectual exchange, community, and deep dives into political, historical, and philosophical topics over a provided meal.
Saturday Salons
These small gatherings of faculty and students encourage discussions on topics curated by professors and research instituteshe informal gatherings, which continue with dinner at a CMC professor’s home or in Claremont Village, help broaden views and create stronger bonding experiences.
Conferences
The Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) sponsors and co-sponsors a variety of academic conferences, symposia, and student programs centered on liberal democracy, American constitutionalism, and political philosophy.