Meet John Marshall at Reimagined VMHC
The John Marshall Report Summer 2022 | News from the John Marshall Center 1
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The John Marshall Center is proud to call the newly renovated Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) home. We invite everyone to come see us and experience “Virginia History, Your Story” through countless new exhibits, a new 20-minute film, and the ever-impressive “Story of Virginia” exhibition where John Marshall’s 1801 judicial robe, owned by Preservation Virginia (PV) and conserved through the efforts of JMC, PV, The Honorable Cleo Powell, Supreme Court of Virginia Justice, prepares to discuss what the judicial robe means to people today.
JMC Board Member the Honorable Henry E. Hudson, Senior Judge of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, discusses the significance and symbolism of the judicial robe with Michael Duni, director of JMC’s “Storied Robe” film.
JMC office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. VMHC hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The address is 428 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard, Richmond, VA.
2 and VMHC, may be experienced along with a short film produced by JMC asking current judges and justices about the significance and symbolism of the judicial robe, made possible through generous funding from McGuireWoods. The exhibit also includes Marshall’s Chippendale slant-front desk and a portrait of Marshall by James Reid Lambdin, dated 1832.
“The VMHC is a natural and ideal fit for us,” says Joni Albrecht, JMC Executive Director. “Not only was John Marshall the first president of the Virginia Historical Society when it was founded in 1831, more importantly, he’s central to Virginia’s and our nation’s, story. The VMHC offers us the space and resources to tell and teach this amazing history that continues to impact our world.”
Amar’s book is the first of three planned on America’s constitutional conversations; each will encompass 80 years. His talk focused on the events of 1798-1801—America’s first peaceful transfer of power (barely) from one presidential party to another, categorizing the events as “far more fraught than is generally understood today and in myriad respects cast an eerie light on the not entirely peaceful transfer of presidential power in 2020-21.”
In recounting the tumult of the election of 1800 that famously resulted in a tie between Democratic-Republicans Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, Amar introduced a lesser known Akhil Reed Amar presents The Words that Made Us, a Marshall Scholar Series talk on March 18.
Akhil Reed Amar and The Words that Made US
Noted constitutional law scholar and author Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University and Adjunct Professor of Law at Columbia University, presented his newest book, The Words That Made Us, America’s Constitutional Conversation 1760 – 1840, on March 18, at the VMHC. JMC and co-presenter VMHC welcomed students from University of Richmond Law School, Freeman High School’s Center for Leadership, Government, and Global Economics, and the Lynnhaven School as members of both inperson and livestreamed audiences.
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JMC’s Marshall Scholar Series
The Words That Made Us is available for order through the VMHC bookstore. Justice Stephen McCullough, Supreme Court of Virginia, moderates the program’s Q&A with Professor Amar and audience members
While experts (and enthusiasts) may disagree on Amar’s Horatius answer, most would approve of his responses to questions fielded from audience members. When asked about Marshall’s most important Supreme Court case, Amar offered Marbury v. Madison, on Marshall’s expounding prowess: “he could make the Constitution sing,” and on how he should be remembered today: “as the father of the American judiciary.”
Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT 4 — if known at all — character in the election’s ensuing“Enterdrama:‘Horatius,’ stage right. In a pair of newspaper essays initially published in early January 1801 in the Alexandria Advertiser and widely reprinted in both the capital area and beyond, the anonymous Horatius offered a cute way of untying the ‘Presidential Knot.’ Horatius argued that the Succession Act was indeed unconstitutional. The lame-duck Congress should thus enact, and the lameduck president, Adams, should sign, a new Succession Act designating a proper ‘officer’ to take charge after March 3 in the event of a Jefferson-Burr House deadlock. Horatius did not explicitly state what officer should now fill the blank, but the obvious choice, legally and politically, for the lame-duck Federalists, was the secretary of state. After all, he was the highest-ranking officer, except for the arguable possibility of the treasury secretary and the chief justice. But the position of chief justice was vacant in early January. And although Horatius said none of this—he didn’t need to—the sitting secretary of state in early 1801 just happened to be the Federalists’ most popular and able politician: Jefferson’s old rival and first cousin, once removed, John Marshall. “It was an elegant and brilliant idea, a political and legal stroke of genius—evil genius, from a Jeffersonian perspective. But whose genius idea was it to crown John Marshall? Who was this Horatius? Most likely, according to modern scholars, John Marshall himself!”
Click here for information. To view Professor Amar’s talk on John Marshall TV, Click Thankhere.you to Virginia Supreme Court Justice and JMC board member Stephen McCullough for moderating the Q&A portion of the program, and to JMC board members Kevin Walsh Tracy Walker, University of Richmond Law School, and VMHC for making this eventLaunchedpossible.in 2021 and chaired by JMC board members Gretchen Byrd and Paul Harris, the Marshall Scholar Series is a public education program designed to connect learners of all ages with scholars, historians, and constitutional law experts. JMC members, teachers, students, and veterans receive two programs each year at no cost. Memberships, which start at $50/year, support JMC’s open-access 6-12 civics resources and programs. Not a member? Click here to join! The next Marshall Scholar Series program will be announced soon.
John & Polly Marshall’s Final Resting Place
Richmond’s historic Shockoe Hill Cemetery is the final resting place of Chief Justice John Marshall and his beloved wife, Polly. The John Marshall Center decorates their graves on significant dates: September 24 (Marshall’s birthday), February 4 (the day he took the oath as US Chief Justice), July 4 (in honor of his service in the Revolutionary War) through July 6 (his date of death), and March 18 (Polly’s birthday). If you’d like to fund a wreath, help fund new signage in Shockoe Hill Cemetery, or make a tribute gift in memory of John and Polly Marshall, please click here or visit www.johnmarshallcenter.org
Shockoe Hill Cemetery: JMC Honors
Right Virginiaphoto:Solicitor General Andrew Ferguson presents keynote remarks at VHD.
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“Debate and diplomacy: successes, failures, and consequences” is a topic that middle and high school students from across Virginia brought to life for the Virginia History Day state contest held April 23-24, presented by the VMHC and led by VMHC History Day Director Sam Florer.
Virginia History Day: Young Scholars Examine Debate and Diplomacy
Left Maggiephoto:L.Walker
Governer’s School student Jordyn Krajewski, left, and James River High School student Rithika Bhagavatula, middle, with JMC Director of Education & Programs Caroline Legros at Virginia History Day. Belinda Jones, JMC Board Member, presented awards during the closing ceremony.
The John Marshall Center Prizes for Constitutional History and Civics are special awards presented annually. Three hundred students from 55 schools in Virginia competed for a chance to qualify for the National History Day contest held virtually June 12-16. The VMHC’s state contest features two award categories: placement and special awards. Those who place in the top two of their category for placement awards moved on to the national contest, and those who won a special award received a cash prize. Swift Creek Middle School’s Evan Learn and Jaedin Barna and James River High School’s Jordyn Krajewski and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School’s Rithika Bhagavatula won the John Marshall Center Prize for Constitutional History & Civics, this year supported by a gift from Mrs. Cynthia Advani Marshall.
Upcoming Events
Virginiaqualities.Solicitor
7 Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT This unique award highlights the individuals who “demonstrated the greatest level of understanding of the rights and duties of citizens, how government works, or why it has changed.”
Friday, September 23, 3 p.m. : Memorial Service Honoring John Marshall’s Birthday (September 24) at Shockoe Hill Cemetery and VMHC.
Monday, July 18 a.m. to 4 p.m. : In-person Professional Development Seminar at VMHC and the John Marshall House, a partnership of JMC and Preservation Virginia.
Thursday, October 6, 6 p.m. lecture and 7 p.m. reception: Marshall Scholar Series. “A Spirited Evening with Justice William C. Mims and Special Guest.”
Evan and Jaedin’s website project on Brown v. Board and Jordyn and Rithika’s documentary titled “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere’’ exemplified these key General Andrew Ferguson delivered this year’s keynote address. While congratulating the students on their many accomplishments, Ferguson encouraged them to follow their passion for history throughout college and their careers. He emphasized the importance of the parallels between history and lawCongratulationstoday. to all of the incredible students who made this year’s Virginia History Day contest a huge success!
VBA & JMC Aim to Build Bridges
What if those problems elicit strong emotions and raised tempers? “Building Bridges: Community, Conversation, and Civility” is a pilot program that uses skills from the mediation field to equip leaders and members of adult communities for civil discourse. The first program was presented June 6 at the VMHC by partnering organizations the Virginia Bar Association (VBA) and the PresentersJMC. of the June 6 program were William Culbreth, Attorney–Mediator and Deputy Commissioner, Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission; Jeanne F. Franklin, Virginia Certified Mentor Mediator and Attorney at Law (Ret.), Franklin Solutions; and Lawrie Parker, Founder, Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center and President, Resolution Virginia. Participants in this three-hour, immersive program engaged in a shared conversation around an assigned subject with the goals of building trust and problem-solving. Presenters offered wisdom and taught methods gained From left to right, Drew Stelljes, Joni Albrecht, Chamie Valentine, William Culbreth, Jeanne Franklin, Ginnie Morrow, Victoria Morse, Stephen Batsche, Rosemary Shomaker, Lawrie Parker, Annie Evans, Emma Grace Sturgis, Teresa Moore, and Phil Rapp convened at the VBA and JMC’s Building Bridges pilot program. Not pictured but in attendance were Natisha Knight and Rosa Atkins. How do communities come together to solve problems?
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9 Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT from their many broad experiences in mediation andThefacilitation.program was offered free of charge, thanks to generous support from the Virginia Law Foundation. The Virginia Law Foundation promotes, through philanthropy, the rule of law, access to justice and law-related education.
The civility series is part of VBA at Karsh.
From left to right, Jack Spain, Tia Lane, Meg Heubeck, Patrick Bolling, Jeanne Franklin, Caroline Legros, and Kayla Humenick were trained in the VBA and JMC’s Mediation and Process for Bridge Builders CLE this spring.
The VBA and JMC are partnering on a series of programs focused on mediation skills beneficial to parties in conflict, including a CLE program designed to prepare young lawyers to teach the VBA’s Young Lawyer Division’s Middle School Course, “Building Bridges: Toward Civic Engagement, A Middle School Training in Mediation Skills.” The first middle school course was held June 7, at Skyline Middle School, Harrisonburg, VA.
In early June, Tia Lane with the VBA’s Young Lawyer Division taught three Bridge Builders sessions at Skyline Middle School in Harrisonburg, VA.
Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT ~MARSHALLOGRAPHY10AcolumndedicatedtotheexplorationofJohnMarshallandhisworld
R eflecting on his military service Marshall wrote to Justice Story on December 10, 1827, (at age 72), ‘I had grown up at a time when ‘united we stand, divided we fall was the maxim of every orthodox American, and I had imbibed these sentiments so throughoughly [sic] that they constituted a part of my being. I carried them with me into the army where I found myself associated with brave men from different states who were Scholars believe the greatest influence on John Marshall’s political views were his experiences while serving in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. John Marshall Center Board Member Bob Kaplan explores how battles, connections, and the role Marshall played in the American Revolution set the framework for his federalist views and illustrious legal career.
… I was confirmed in the habit of considering America as my country, and Congress as my government. “ ”
Marshall at War
Characteristic of his personal modesty that in later years would cause him to decline to allow a biography to be written about him, this letter to his Brother Story probably represents the only surviving autobiographical reflection of the Chief Justice concerning his service in the American Revolution.Nonetheless,
Marshall’s military experience, perhaps more than any of his other experiences, was formative. His proverbial “baptism under fire” came at Great Bridge, Virginia, in December of 1775. He went on to participate at Cooch’s Bridge in 1777, Delaware’s only Revolutionary War battle; was engaged in hand-to-hand combat at the Battle of Brandywine Creek, where he nearly captured a British field piece; was present at Germantown, and repaired to Valley Forge for the winter of 1777-78, and under Nathaniel Green was acting Company Commander of the 11th Virginia, part of Woodward’s brigade on the right wing of Washington’s army at Battle of Monmouth Court House–all by the age of 22.
It was also at Valley Forge that he re-connected with James Monroe, with whom he briefly had attended school as a youngster. By service with Washington, both young men came to realize and believe as others have that Washington was the indispensable man. At Washington’s death, it was Marshall who uttered the often quoted tribute, “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his fellow citizens.” While Monroe would later align himself with, and then break away from, Jefferson, the Marshall-Monroe relationship, which became politically strained to the breaking point at or about 1800, would endure and become personal after 1808 when they regularly spent summers in side-by-side cabins at White Sulphur Springs.
11 Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT risking life and everything valuable in a common cause believed by all to be most precious; and where I was confirmed in the habit of considering America as my country, and Congress as my government.”
Marshall’s judicial career was presaged by his appointment as Deputy Judge Advocate of the United States Army on November 20, 1777, where he served under John Laurence, a relatively experienced lawyer and a member of General Washington’s staff. While previously Marshall had no formal legal training, by the time he enlisted in the Culpeper Battalion in 1775, he had familiarized himself with Blackstone’s Commentaries, from all indications had studied the Articles of War and had imbibed of the Common Law from his father, Thomas Marshall, who had served in the Virginia legislature and was one of Washington’s trusted officers and longtime friend. His service as Deputy Judge Advocate gave the young Marshall access to a number of luminaries, who would figure prominently in the life of the young Republic and in Marshall’s life as he rose in profile and public service.
The same can be said for his relationship with his “army buddies,” who saw the Chief Justice coming to the aid of his brothers in arms, irrespective of rank. He regularly assisted the rank and file with pension requests when he had personal knowledge of a soldier’s service. If there were any doubt of the enduring nature of these relationships, it is reported that Marshall encountered his Valley Forge cabin-mate, Captain Philip Slaughter,
It is important to note that the Chief Justice was not from the Tidewater landed gentry— the Chief Justice only would enter that stratum after he and Polly Ambler wed. John was born in Fauquier County, the eldest son of Thomas Marshall, a French and Indian War veteran, a member of the House of Burgesses, County Sheriff and friend of George Washington, a fellow land surveyor. The Marshalls were midlevel landed gentry, and Fauquier was the frontier and only became relatively safe from Indian raiding parties following the French and Indian War’s end. But it was at Thomas Marshall’s knee that the young boy was first exposed to life lessons, including insights regarding Native Americans, land speculation, gentry class obligations with respect to public service and soldering. His father also ensured that young John would have exposure as well to literature, moral essays and rudimentary education in Latin, Greek, arithmetic, and grammar.When the call to arms came in 1775, it is not surprising that both Thomas Marshall and his 19-year-old son would promptly respond.
If you would like to learn more about John Marshall and the impact he had on our nation, please visit our website at www.johnmarshallcenter.org. Have an idea for Marshallography? Send it to us at info@johnmarshallcenter.org.
Drawn from Keith Marshall Jones, III’s “Congress As My Government” Chief Justice John Marshall in the American Revolution (1775 – 1781) and my own observations. Bob Kaplan is principal of Kaplan Advisors, a law, mediation and business advisory practice. He is a Board Member of the JMC, where he leads the Partnerships & Programs Committee.
Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT 12 quite by happenstance in Richmond where Slaughter had come to borrow money to save his farm from foreclosure. The Chief immediately stroked a check to Slaughter for $3,000, asking him only to pay the amount to Marshall’s grandchildren.
It is interesting that John served briefly at the onset of war with his father in the Culpeper Minutemen, but subsequently Lieutenant Marshall neither sought to, nor served under, his father’s command. Nonetheless, the Chief would later observe to Justice Story that “My father superintended the English part of my education, and to his care I am indebted for anything valuable which I have acquired in my youth. He was my only intelligent companion; and was both a watchful parent and an affectionate friend.” And Story remembered that the Chief never referred to his father “without dwelling upon his character with a fond and willing enthusiasm.”
It is also significant to note, as Jones observes, that as, “ ... nineteen year old John Marshall hoisted his firelock, tucked his tomahawk and hunting knife into his broad leather belt and ... marched off to fight” he did so “for Virginia’s right to self rule.” It was only through his prolonged service with Washington’s Army, which suffered under the penury imposed by a Congress, beholden to each of the Colonies for the means and the men needed to wage war, that Marshall came to realize the importance of an independent, strong federal government, a government that would be created through the Constitution by the Founding Fathers as the architects of the Republic, and which the Great Chief Justice, by asserting the co-equal nature of the federal judiciary, would serve as a builder.
Having recently gained new qualifications in document-based instruction and faced with the challenges of remote learning, Hunter stood out by developing
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JMC Board and Education Committee
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Member Beth Norbrey Hopkins made the presentations.
Sylvan Hunter, an 8th-grade civics teacher at Midlothian Middle School and graduate of Longwood University, was honored as the middle school recipient.
John Marshall Center Honors Two Teachers from Chesterfield County “Does the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny?”
Posing thought-provoking questions such as this one, as well as guiding experiential learning outside the classroom, merited two teachers in the Metro-Richmond area recognition as the 32nd John Marshall Center Teacher Award winners at the Richmond Bar Association’s Annual Awards Luncheon
Much like Hunter, fellow award winner Alexander Addison, an AP US teacher at James River High School and graduate of Mary Washington University, often goes above and beyond to engage his students in civic education. In addition to bringing Virginia House of Delegates into the classroom to help students learn about local government, Addison encourages his students to challenge him to improve his own understanding of the Constitution and the legal system. After a student stumped Addison with a question about the holding in Shaw v. Reno, Addison conducted research to engage his classroom in a subsequent discussion. A true fan of our nation’s founding document, Addison keeps his pocket Constitution close at hand and has even been known to dress as the Constitution itself for Halloween. Both teachers were awarded a $2,500 prize as part of an annual effort by the John Marshall Center to recognize outstanding middleand high-school teachers who demonstrate knowledge of and enthusiasm for the US Constitution as evidenced through activities inside and outside of the classroom. This year’s awards were made possible through support from the law firms of Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank, Miles & Stockbridge, McGuireWoods, and Hunton Andrews Kurth. Sylvan Hunter, who couldn’t attend the award luncheon, was recognized on her home turf, Midlothian Middle School. Left to right on the facing page, JMC Director of Education & Programs Caroline Legros, JMC Board Member Beth Norbrey Hopkins, high school award winner Alexander Addison, and JMC Board Member Bob Kaplan
“Does the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny?”
Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT 14 a “voice and choice” system last year, offering students a choice of creative writing, podcasts, drawings, or homemade pamphlets to illustrate their understanding of the Constitution, which she says “reignited their excitement about the topic.”
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John Marshall Center founder Andrew “Andy” Pickens Miller, 88, died at his home in Georgetown, July 2, 2021. Born on December 21,1932, in Washington to Col. Francis Pickens Miller and Helen Hill Miller. Andy attended St. Albans School, graduated from Deerfield Academy in 1950 and Princeton in 1954, where his illustrious class included Paul Sarbanes, William Hudnut and Donald Rumsfeld. Graduating magna cum laude, Andy was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army, then completed a two-year deployment to Korea.
After postgraduate study at Oxford’s New College, he entered the University of Virginia School of Law with the class of 1960. Elected to the Order of the Coif, he served as editor in chief of the Virginia Law Review. In Abingdon, Virginia, he joined PennStuart and threw himself into extensive community and public service. In 1969 Andy was elected to the first of his two terms as Virginia’s Attorney General. His successful reorganization and modernization of the office became a model for attorney general offices countrywide. He was elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General and was selected for the Kelley-Wyman Award, which honors the the nation’s most outstanding AG who serves the objectives of NAAG. He gave dedicated service to the legal profession as Chairman of the Young Lawyers Section of the Virginia Bar Association, member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association, and Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Andy, a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully against Henry Howell in the 1977 gubernatorial primary race and in 1978 as the Democratic nominee, lost a historically close US Senate race against the unbeatable combination of Elizabeth Taylor and John Warner, who later sought Andy’s counsel about judicial vacancies. Andy’s lengthy record of community service includes his creation of then called John Marshall Foundation and the successful effort to raise funds to help restore Marshall’s Richmond home, his term as Secretary General of the Society of the Cincinnati, membership in the Virginia Standing Committee of the Society of the Cincinnati and service on the Board of Directors of the National Maritime Heritage Foundation. He practiced law in Washington with the firms Dickstein Shapiro, Powell Goldstein, and Hunton & Williams. He leaves behind dear friends, many of whom were comrades in arms in legal battles during his 60+ years of practice. He is survived by Julia Thomas (of Chicago); Elise Miller (Whidbey WA), his daughters with the late Doris Brown. He was preceded in death by their son Pickens Miller and by brother Robert Day Miller. He leaves his wife of 30 years Penelope Farthing of Washington; twin children, Winfield (Washington) and Lucia (Charlotte, NC). Gifts may be sent in memory of Andrew Pickens Miller to St. Anselm’s Abbey School, 4501 South Dakota Avenue NE, Washington DC 20017, or to the John Marshall Center at 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd., Richmond, VA, 23219.
In Memoriam: Andrew Pickens Miller
December 21, 1932-July 2, 2021
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The rule of law under the U.S. Constitution is an intergenerational achievement that requires continuous cultivation.
· Education and honest exchange about the past will help us create a better today and tomorrow.
The John Marshall Center preserves and honors the founding legacy of John Marshall by engaging and educating learners of all ages about our constitutional history, the rule of law, and civics – inspiring them toward a more perfect union.
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A Constitution intended to endure, a constitutional education for all.
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JMC was founded in 1987 and is now located at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond, where John Marshall served as its first president in 1831. JMC is a non-profit and non-partisan organization that explores the crossroads of our Constitution, our classrooms, and our courts, beginning with the life and legacy of John Marshall. As Chief Justice leading the Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835, Marshall made the judiciary a full and equal branch of the federal government, joining Washington, his mentor, and Jefferson, his ideological rival, in the rank of America’s founders. He fought for American independence under General Washington in the Revolutionary War, argued for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, and is the only founder to have served in all three branches of the federal government. Marshall is the principal architect of U.S. constitutional law, a legacy that endures today. Our Vision: We Believe: Our Mission: Our History“Working toward a more perfect union”
· An independent and impartial judiciary is John Marshall’s most important institutional legacy. We must help it endure.
Our American system of self-government relies on engaged citizenship, and engaged citizenship relies on an understanding of and participation in the responsibilities and rights embedded in the Constitution.
17 Summer 2022 | John Marshall REPORT Board of Directors J. Tracy Walker IV, President McGuireWoods Jamie O. Bosket, Vice President Virginia Museum of History & Culture Belinda D. Jones, Vice President Christian & Barton Christopher T. Henry, Treasurer First Bank & Trust Company Gretchen C. Byrd, Secretary Ryan W. Boggs Dominion Energy Trevor S. Cox Hunton Andrews Kurth Matthew A. Fitzgerald McGuireWoods Sheldon Gilbert Walmart Paul C. Harris Huntington Ingalls Industries Beth Norbrey Hopkins Wake Forest Law School (Retired) The Honorable Henry E. Hudson United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia Robert R. Kaplan Kaplan Advisors Elizabeth S. Kostelny Preservation Virginia John Marshall Shared Services Leadership Coalition The Honorable Stephen R. McCullough Supreme Court of Virginia Jennifer B. Reedy Addison B. “Tad” Thompson SIL Insurance and Canal Capital Kevin C. Walsh University of Richmond Associate Board Steve Lippman Christian & Barton Jeff Mead First Citizens Bank Master Teacher & Educational Consultant Greg Ownby, Powhatan High School Adjunct Charles F. Hobson, Advisor William & Mary Professor (Retired) Editor, The Papers of John Marshall Professional Staff Joni Albrecht, Executive Director Caroline Legros, Director of Education & Programs Kathryn Selden, Office Manager Eloise Campbell, Summer Intern Anna Erickson, Summer Intern Will Street, Summer Intern Mailing Address PO Box Richmond,7090VA 23221 Physical Address Virginia Museum of History & Culture 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. Richmond, VA 23220 804.775.0861 www.justiceintheclassroom.netwww.johnmarshallcenter.org John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, founded in 1987 as the John Marshall Foundation. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
• podcasts and radio segments, including With Good Reason; • a first-of-its-kind pocket Virginia Constitution produced by JMC through a generous grant from the Virginia Law Foundation (VLF);
In 2021, Virginians observed the 50th anniversary of their state constitution. The adoption of the Constitution of 1971 represented an important step forward in education, civil rights, voting rights, and the environment.Tomarkthis anniversary, and to promote an appreciation of state constitutions, a group of scholars and institutional partners, including the John Marshall Center, organized a series of events and activities across Virginia. Thousands took part in commemorative and educational programming that included: • panel discussions, lectures, and academic symposia;
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• articles in newspapers and scholarly journals; • a display of historical constitutions at the Library of Virginia (LVA);
Trevor Cox, Professor A.E. Dick Howard, and Caroline Legros at the 50th Anniversary of the 1971 Constitution Celebration at the gover nor’s mansion, posted by then Governor Ralph Northam. Anniversary of VA’s State Constitution
• a traveling exhibit, which will tour Virginia public libraries for years to come; • The LVA’s annual Anne & Ryland Brown Teacher Institute, whose 2021 theme was the Constitution of 1971 Information about the Constitution, relevant events (including recordings), news coverage, and institutional sponsors is available at www.lva.virginia.gov/ constitutions/.
Activities were supported by generous grants from the VLF and Virginia Humanities and donations from the law firms Hunton Andrews Kurth, McGuire Woods, ReedSmith, Gentry Locke, Williams Mullen, Christian & Barton, McCandlish Holton, and SpottsOneFain.tangible product of these anniversary activities: a recent issue of The Virginia Magazine of History & Biography (a publication of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture [VMHC]) specially devoted to the Constitution of 1971, is available here: uniqueunderstandingcom/VMHB-1971Constitutionhttps://tinyurl.ThankyouforyourinterestinandpromotingVirginia’sconstitutionalheritage!
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HAPPY SUMMER, EDUCATORS! We know that many of our teachers use the summer months to plan for the fall. As you look to next school year, we hope you’ll use JIC-PopCiv, our civics series that connects current events and popular culture to the Constitution. This resource provides a non-partisan look at complex judicial decisions and processes students are curious about today. Another favorite resource, JIC-Determined, will soon be available on the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative, part of the #GoOpenVA initiative.Wealso offer remote or in-person judge and attorney visits to your classroom to answer questions your students may have about the American judiciary. Click here to arrange your attorney or judge visit.
On Monday, July 18, we’re offering a free professional development opportunity in partnership with Preservation Virginia, looking at the John Marshall House as a primary source. Register now and help us spread the word! As always, we look forward to working with you to teach constitutional history and civics! Visit www.justiceintheclassroom.net for free, open-access 6-12 civics and history lesson plans made possible by generous funding from the Virginia Law Foundation. Join us at the Center! Your membership supports free, open-access history and civics education programs and resources! From left to right, Beth Norbrey Hopkins, Debra Prillaman, Joni Albrecht, and Bob Kaplan. Debra was honored in the fall for years of service and countless contributions as a JMC board member and chairperson of the Education Committee.
