2026 Dr. Scott Crider Professor of English, University of Dallas "The Pen's Virtue: Style as Rhetorical Character in Jefferson's Declaration"
2025 Dr. Diana Schaub Professor of Political Science, Loyola University Maryland "Lincoln’s Second Inaugural: The Rhetoric of Reconciliation
2024 Dr. Harvey Mansfield Professor of Government, Harvard University "On Machiavelli's Effectual Truth"
2023 Dr. Matthew Crawford Best-Selling Author of Shop Class as Soulcraft "On Gratitude as a Human Virtue"
2022 Dr. Stacey Peebles Professor of Humanities, Centre College “The Last Book Ross Taught: Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian”
2021 Dr. Dustin Gish Professor, The Honors College, University of Houston “Reasonable Foundations for Happiness in Austen’s Pride & Prejudice”
2020 Dr. Jeffrey Church Ross Lence Chair and Professor of Political Science, University of Houston "Aristocracy and Democracy in Twain's Huckelberry Finn"
2019 Dr. Arlene Saxonhouse Professor of Political Science, Women’s Studies, and Classics, University of Michigan "Machiavelli's Women"
2018 Dr. Colleen Sheehan Professor of Politics, Villanova University "James Madison, Self-Government, and Civic Friendship"
2017 Dr. James Shapiro Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University “Shakespeare in America…and Texas”
2016 Dr. John Briggs Professor of English and Director of University Writing, University of California
- Riverside “Why are We Moved? Observations on Catharsis in Romeo & Juliet and Henry IV”
2015 Dr. Peter Augustine Lawler Dana Professor of Government, Berry College “Liberal Education in a Libertarian Age”
2014 Dr. Paul Cantor Professor of English, University of Virginia “The Economics of the Apocalypse: American Pop Culture”
2013 Dr. William Allen Emeritus Professor of Political Philosophy, Michigan State University “What Country Have I? Harriet Stowe’s Response to Frederick Douglass”
2012 Dr. Robert Bartlett Professor of Hellenic Political Studies, Boston College “Liberal Education and the Five Essential Questions”
2011 Dr. Michael Zuckert Professor of Political Theory, University of Notre Dame "The Consideration of Slavery at the Constitutional Convention"
2010 Dr. James Shapiro Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University “Shakespeare in America”
2009 Dr. Thomas Pangle Professor of Political Science, University of Texas - Austin “A Study of Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy”
Ross M. Lence Master Teachers Series
2027 Ross M. Lence Master Teachers Series
featuring
Jeremy Bailey, Ph.D. Professor of Humanities, Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education University of Florida
Friday, February 12, 2027 The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion M.D. Anderson Library Reception at 6 p.m. | Dinner at 7 p.m.
Dr. Jeremy Bailey is Professor of Humanities at the Hamilton School. Bailey is a scholar
of American political thought and constitutional development, especially the political
thought of the early republic (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson)
as well as constitutional controversies concerning executive power. In addition to
publishing several books, his scholarship has been published in American Political Science Review, History of Political Thought, Review of Politics,
Political Research Quarterly, American Political Thought, American Politics Research,
Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, Publius, Presidential Studies Quarterly,
and Critical Review. Bailey is also editor of the American Political Thought book series published by University Press of Kansas. His most recent book is The Other Declarations: Thomas Jefferson and the Language of American Democracy which will be available in September 2026. This book considers Jefferson's declarations
on press liberty, Native nations and assimilation, and antislavery.
The Honors College has set a goal of creating a $500,000 endowment to fund this program.
To date, we are more than halfway toward our goal, thanks to an anonymous donor. Click
here to donate to the Lence Seminar Endowment.
