In 1944, the Jefferson Memorial Fund was established by the will of Elizabeth Bonestell in her name and the name of her husband, Cutler L. Bonestell, for the study and promotion of a loyal and enlightened adherence by young people to the basic principles of American democracy as embodied in the Constitution. The fund supports an annual series of lectures on topics concerned with Jefferson or his times, with the development of the American governmental system, or with civil liberties and the Jeffersonian tradition. Lecturers have delivered Jefferson Memorial Lectures on early American history, on Jefferson himself, and on American institutions and policies in politics, economics, education, and law.

TitleLecturerYear
American Thanatocracy vs Abolition Democracy: On Cops, Capitalism, and the War on Black Life Robin D. G. Kelley2024
Constructing a Republican Executive Michael W. McConnell 2023
A Liberalism That Builds Ezra Klein in Conversation with Amy Lerman2023
American Democracy and the Crisis of Majority Rule Daniel Ziblatt2023
“The Status Quo Loves To Say No”: Disability Rights and the Battle Against Structures of Exclusion Judith Heumann2022
Weaponizing Narratives: Why America Wants Gun Control But Doesn’t Have It Gary Younge2020
State Courts and School Desegregation: New Perspectives on Judicial Federalism and the Myth of Parity Associate Justice Goodwin Liu2019
Prison Abolition, and a Mule Paul Butler2019
Defending Liberty in the Age of Trump: Lessons from the Front David Cole2018
Investing in People–(Update: This Event has been Cancelled) Michael Tubbs2018
American Identity in the Age of Trump George Packer2017
Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination Annette Gordon-Reed2016
Federalism, Localism, and the Shape of Constitutional Conflict Daniel B. Rodriguez2015
The Switch: Reinventing American Freedom John Fabian Witt2015
The First U.S. ‘War on Terror’: The 1798 Sedition Act and Constitutional Politics in the Age of Jefferson Charles McCurdy2014
Were the Framers Right About Constitutional Design? The US Constitution in Comparative Perspective Tom Ginsburg2014
The Riddle of Sustainability: A Surprisingly Short History of the Future William Cronon2013
Why White People Are Called ‘Caucasian’ (Illustrated) Nell Painter2013
Obama, the Tea Party, and the Future of American Politics Theda Skocpol2012
Living with Direct Democracy: The California Supreme Court and the Initiative Power — 100 Years of Accommodation Kathryn M. Werdegar 2012
The American Experiment: A 21st Century Assessment Rogers M. Smith2011
Sharia in the West? What Place for Religious Legal Systems in America and Other Democracies John Witte, Jr.2011
War Veterans and American Democracy James Wright2010
A Forum on the Experience of Veterans in American Society James Wright2010
Japanese American Incarceration Reconsidered: 1970-2010 Roger Daniels2010
An Invitation to Struggle: The Constitution, The Military, and Political Accountability David M. Kennedy2009
Technology, Democracy, and the Law Steven Usselman2009
The Mystery of Guantanamo Bay Linda Greenhouse2008
The War on Terror and the Rule of Law Honorable A. Wallace Tashima2007
The Challenges of Inequality and Global Capitalism to U.S. Democracy Richard B. Freeman2007
The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class: Higher Risks, Lower Rewards, and a Shrinking Safety Net Elizabeth Warren2007
From Thomas Jefferson to Forrest Gump: How the Mall in Washington Became the Nation’s Most Venerated Civic Space Michael Kammen2007
Exodus, Black Colonization, and Promised Lands David Brion Davis2005
Visual Democracy: Dorothea Lange and the Political Culture of the New Deal Linda Gordon2004
Transnational Legal Process after September 11 Harold Hongju Koh2003
Law, Cultural Conflict, and the Socialization of Children Kenneth L. Karst2001
The Third Stage: The New Frontiers of Religion and Public Life E.J. Dionne2001
Democracy and Liberal Education James O. Freedman2001
Constitutionalism and Civil Society Stanley Katz2000
The Making of an International Civil Society Akira Iriye2000
Invoking the Constitution Ineptly Abner J. Mikva1999
The American University: Dinosaur or Dynamo? Frank H. T. Rhodes1999
Property and Expropriation: Themes and Variations in American Law Carol M. Rose1998
The Origins of American Democracy Gordon S. Wood1998
The Origins of American Freedom Eric Foner1998
Reflections on a Life in Public Service Alan K. Simpson1997
Reflections of a Former Speaker Thomas Foley1996
Untitled Herbert Stein1996
Untitled Charles Schultze1996
Untitled William Leuchtenberg1995
The Separation of Powers during the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson Gerhard Casper1994
The Spiderless Web: Exploring the History of Criminal Justice Lawrence M. Friedman1994
California in the World Earl Pomeroy1992
The Imagined Problem of U.S. Isolationism Walter LaFeber1992
The Tocqueville Problem Walter LaFeber1992
Jefferson and the Course of U.S. Foreign Policy Walter LaFeber1992
Governing the Marketplace: The American Revolution and the American Corporation Pauline Maier1991
Reconstructing American Political History Barry D. Karl1991
Paradoxes of Women’s Citizenship: Jury Service The Case of the Broken Baseball Bat Linda K. Kerber1989
Paradoxes of Women’s Citizenship: Property The Case of the Confiscated Farm Linda K. Kerber1989
The Fortunes of Some British Mavericks Geoffrey P. Smith1989
The Fortunes of Some American Mavericks Geoffrey P. Smith1989
Parties and Mavericks: On the Necessity of Political Parties in Anglo-American Democracies Geoffrey P. Smith1989
Thomas Jefferson and the French Revolution Robert R. Palmer1988
Paradoxes of Women’s Citizenship: Military Obligation The Case of the Fired Stenographer Linda K. Kerber1988
Women and Democratic Citizenship: The Personal and the Political: Can Citizenship Be Democratic? Carole Pateman1985
Women and Democratic Citizenship: Votes for Women and Citizenship Carole Pateman1985
Women and Democratic Citizenship The Appeal to Reason: Early Feminism, the Individual and the Citizen Carole Pateman1985
Human Rights and Wrongs in the United States Jeane J. Kirkpatrick1983
Freedom, Equality and Democracy: Political Equality and Economic Liberty Robert A. Dahl1981
The Great Debate in Parliament over America, 1774-75 Robert W. Tucker1981
Freedom, Equality and Democracy: The Idea of Political Equality Robert A. Dahl1981
The Collapse of Imperial Authority Robert W. Tucker1981
The Imperial-Colonial Status Quo Robert W. Tucker1981
Origins of the American Revolution: The Imperial View Robert W. Tucker1981
Out of Tutelage? Europe’s Changing Attitude to America David I. Marquand1981
Why Reason Can’t Be Naturalized Hilary Putnam1981
Black Nationalism: Roots and Prospects Eugene D. Genovese1980
Class and Nationality Eugene D. Genovese1980
The Slaves as Political Actors Eugene D. Genovese1980
The Politics of the Slave Experience in the Old South Eugene D. Genovese1980
Judges and Social Policy Nathan Glazer1978
Ideas of Private Property in the History of America Marcus F. Cunliffe1976
The World’s Last Hope: Christianity With Enlightenment Sidney E. Mead1974
‘True Government Must Be Christian Government’: Christianity Against Enlightenment Sidney E. Mead1974
Enlightenment and Revolution New Religion, New Commonwealth Sidney E. Mead1974
The Old Christianity in the New World Sidney E. Mead1974
Religion’s Experience in the Democracy Sidney E. Mead1974
Constitutionalism and Politicization Archibald Cox1973
Congress and the Court: School Desegregation Archibald Cox1973
Political Response: The Appointment of Justices Archibald Cox1973
The New Dimensions of Constitutional Adjudication Archibald Cox1973
The Supreme Court and the Political Process Archibald Cox1973
Curing the Mischief of Faction: Party Reform in America Austin Ranney1973
The Social History of an Idea: Equality as Theme and Variation J. R. Pole1971
Government and Equality in the Nineteenth Century J. R. Pole1971
Community and the Individual J. R. Pole1971
The Eighteenth Century: The Translation of Natural Rights J. R. Pole1971
Concepts of Equality in American History J. R. Pole1971
Political Change at the Grassroots: Yankee City’ Revisited (1925-1965) H. Douglas Price1970