George H. Nash to keynote this year’s lecture series, “Freedom’s Journey: America at 250,” which also will feature Kaitlyn Buss, opinion editor of The Detroit News, and Jonathan Williams, president and chief economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council
Northwood University will launch its 2026 Freedom Seminar this fall with the theme “Freedom’s Journey: America at 250.” The lecture series will deliver a timely exploration of how Americans have understood, practiced, protected and debated freedom throughout the nation’s 250-year history.
“Freedom is one of the first words Americans learn, and one of the most consequential ideas we inherit,” said Dr. Dale Moler, who chairs Northwood’s Humanities program and is leading this year’s Freedom Seminar. “As America marks 250 years since the adoption of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, this seminar will invite students and our broader community to consider how freedom has been understood, tested and renewed across generations — from the founding and the American Revolution to the Civil War, industrial transformation, global conflict and the digital age.”
The annual lecture series and honors course will be highlighted by a Sept. 15 presentation from Dr. George H. Nash, a prominent American historian and author known for his scholarship on American conservatism, Herbert Hoover and the intellectual foundations of a free society.
The seminar also will feature public lectures from Kaitlyn Buss, opinion editor of The Detroit News, and Jonathan Williams, president and chief economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council, along with Northwood faculty and other guest speakers examining freedom, federalism, the press, the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.
“This year’s Freedom Seminar invites students and community members to examine one of the most important words in the American vocabulary: freedom,” said Dean and Associate Provost Dr. Stacey Tetloff. “At Northwood, we do not treat freedom as an abstract idea. We study it as a responsibility, a historical inheritance and a guiding principle for leadership, enterprise and citizenship.”
Additionally, Northwood will invite the community to a special faculty panel that Dr. Moler will moderate ahead of Constitution Day, which is celebrated Sept. 17.
This fall’s featured public lectures include:
- Sept. 10 — Dr. Brett M. Decker, Dr. Glenn Moots, and Dr. Michael Makovi, esteemed Northwood faculty, on the differences between the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence
- Sept. 15 — Dr. George H. Nash, prominent American historian, on the American Revolution
- Oct. 6 — Kaitlyn Buss, opinion editor of The Detroit News, on freedom of the press in the republic
- Oct. 27 — Jonathan Williams, president and chief economist of the American Legislative Exchange Council, on the federal system
The annual Freedom Seminar serves as an honors course for students and as a showcase event for The Northwood Idea, Northwood’s institutional philosophy that recognizes the importance of personal freedom, individual responsibility, earned success, ethical leadership, personal property, the rule of law, and free enterprise.
All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend Freedom Seminar lectures, and members of the public are invited to join at no cost. All Freedom Seminar lectures begin at 6 p.m. in Griswold Lecture Hall. The faculty panel exploring the differences between the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Sept. 10 in Griswold Lecture Hall.
Visit the Northwood University Freedom Seminar webpage for the latest schedule details and speaker bios, as well as links to attend lectures virtually. Follow Northwood University on social media for the latest updates ahead of the Sept. 10 faculty panel.
