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Thinker

THE SALVATORI CENTER

Founded in 1969, the Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World is CMC’s oldest research institute and the first of its kind in the world. The Center’s mission is to develop close relationships between students and scholars and to engage in the study of political philosophy and freedom as it relates to American Constitutionalism and the American Founding. It seeks to understand, and, if possible, to hearten the moral, political, and intellectual underpinnings of democracy in America.

Speakers

We routinely co-sponsor guest speakers at the CMC Athenaeum, the most popular and reliable venue on campus, to reach a wide student audience and enhance the intellectual life of the College. 

In addition to having a single speaker give a talk, we regularly organize panels that invite speakers to engage in a discussion.

Indeed, we believe that giving students direct access to leading public and scholarly minds enhances the advantages of a small liberal arts college.

John Pitney with students

Research

We sponsor a wide array of research projects for faculty and students alike. Our faculty advise students on their research while students assist them in return, granting them one-on-one access to our scholars and our institution's resources.

Our Salvatori research fellows are known for spearheading new projects and collaborative events centered around guest speakers, and for conceptualizing workshops, lunch talks, and more.

Professors Buccola, McWilliams and Thomas

Student Seminars

Friday lunch seminars offer students a chance to
engage important questions, fostering both intellectual exchange outside the classroom and a sense of community within the College and the Center.
 

 

We have also established Saturday salons, which the director and other Salvatori faculty organize in coordination with the Salvatori fellows. Almost always framed as a question or controversy, the seminars reinforce the College’s commitment to open inquiry and civil exchange across differences.

Tamoy and Tamara Lawson

Faculty in the Media

Athenaeum Dining Floor
  • Is Autocracy Contagious? The Limits of Anti-Democratic Diffusion
    Is Autocracy Contagious? The Limits of Anti-Democratic Diffusion
    RSVP Closed
    Thu, Nov 02
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
    Nov 02, 2023, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, 385 E 8th St, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
    Putin's support for the far-right in Europe or the links between Hungary's Fidesz and other political parties suggest that an "illiberal international" is at work, including in the United States.
  • Have Conservative Intellectuals Turned Against the Constitution?
    Have Conservative Intellectuals Turned Against the Constitution?
    RSVP Closed
    Sat, Oct 28
    Kravis Center - K321
    Oct 28, 2023, 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
    Kravis Center - K321, 888 N Columbia Ave, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
    This event is co-sponsored by the Salvatori Center and the Open Academy. Laura Field will be joined by a number of CMC faculty and students for this discussion.
  • What the Hell Happened to the Claremont Institute?
    What the Hell Happened to the Claremont Institute?
    RSVP Closed
    Fri, Oct 27
    Kravis Center North Patio - 3rd Floor
    Oct 27, 2023, 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
    Kravis Center North Patio - 3rd Floor, 888 N Columbia Ave, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
    Laura K. Field visits the Salvatori Center for our Lunch Seminar, discussing the transformation of the Claremont Institute and its influence over the conservative movement in recent years.
  • Barred: Why the Innocent Can't Get Out of Prison
    Barred: Why the Innocent Can't Get Out of Prison
    RSVP Closed
    Wed, Oct 11
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
    Oct 11, 2023, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, 385 E 8th St, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
    Daniel Medwed's new book explores the range of procedural barriers that so often prevent innocent prisoners from obtaining exoneration.
  • The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives
    The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives
    RSVP Closed
    Thu, Oct 05
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
    Oct 05, 2023, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, 385 E 8th St, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
    Democracy means having no boss other than ourselves.
  • The Role of Citizens in the American Constitution
    The Role of Citizens in the American Constitution
    RSVP Closed
    Tue, Sep 19
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum
    Sep 19, 2023, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
    Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, 385 E 8th St, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
    What is the role of the citizen in securing and perpetuating the Constitution? How have citizens shaped the American constitutional order? What are the duties and obligations of constitutional citizenship?