Pulitzer Winner Jack Rakove Kicks Off UH Honors College Lecture Series Sept. 25

Since its creation, the U.S. Constitution has often been the subject of debate among politicians, historians and political scientists. It's also the focus of the inaugural discussion in The Honors College at the University of Houston's new "Rise of Modern Liberty" lecture series.

This series will kick off with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Stanford political science professor Jack Rakove presenting "Inventing a Constitutional Tradition" at 4 p.m., Sept. 25 in The Honors College Commons on the second floor of the M.D. Anderson Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Rakove is the W. R. Coe Professor of History and American Studies and Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, where he teaches courses in early American history and the origins and interpretation of the Constitution. His 1997 book "Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution" earned him the Pulitzer Prize.

Rakove is currently writing "Revolutionaries: Inventing an American Nation, 1773-1791" (Houghton, Mifflin) and "Beyond Belief, Beyond Conscience: The Radical Significance of the Free Exercise of Religion" (Oxford University Press). Previous works include "The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress," "James Madison and the Creation of the American Republic" and "Declaring Rights: A Brief History with Documents."

"The Risk of Modern Liberty" lecture series is part of a new Honors program called Phronesis. The program's name is Greek for prudence or practical wisdom. The Rakove lecture and others within the series are made possible by a grant from DonorsTrust, a philanthropic organization committed to promoting a free society. Refreshments will be provided.

For additional details on this event, visit The Honors College Web site at http://www.thehonorscollege.com or call 713-743-3714.