The Constitution of the United States, which has guided the nation through good times and bad for nearly 250 years, will be the subject of a presentation by an authority on America’s founding document at the club’s November 13 meeting.
Patrick Campbell, director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at Montpelier, will be the guest of the club at the 1 p.m. meeting in Classroom II of the Lake of the Woods’ Community Center.
Campbell was a U.S. Marine infantry officer and judge advocate for 21 years before retiring to teach Advanced Placement Comparative and U.S. Government courses, coaching and administration in independent schools. In 2017, he joined the staff at Montpelier, the Orange County home of James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution.
As director of the Center for the Constitution, Campbell is responsible for coordinating seminars for educators, law enforcement officers and international groups about Madison’s legacy.
Campbell has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Notre Dame, an LL.M. from the Judge Advocate General School, and Juris Doctor and Master of Education degrees from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Campbell and his wife of over 30 years, Arlene, have two adult sons. Besides history, he spends his time fruit and vegetable gardening, recreational swimming, serving as a soccer referee and international travel.
The Montpelier Foundation established the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution in 2002 with the purpose of providing seminars for educators on topics related to the U.S. Constitution. Among its other programs, the Center produces a podcast called “Consider the Constitution” hosted by Dr. Katie Crawford, which features interviews with constitutional scholars, policy and subject matter experts, heritage professionals, and legal practitioners.
The Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at Montpelier
“Consider the Constitution” on Spotify on Apple Podcasts