Celebrating 250 Years of Independence

An email message sent to members of the Assumption community on February 5, 2026:

Dear Assumption Community,

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, we are invited to do more than simply celebrate a historic milestone. To honor this legacy and explore our hopes for the future, I am pleased to announce a year-long series: Striving for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

Through a variety of lectures, symposia, and dynamic campus events, we will examine the ideas that animated 1776—not as relics of a distant past, but as living claims that demand our attention today—grappling with both the high ideals that inspire and the concrete responsibilities required to maintain a free society. 

The celebration, which will last through this calendar year, will begin with Dr. Daniel Mandell’s February 24 lecture on the Founders’ prescient concern for concentrated wealth—and soon be continued with Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s conversation Team of Rivals: Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln on March 26. That event, which will mark the public debut of our Center for Civic Friendship, is free and open to the public. We expect widespread interest, so be sure to register here. 

I am grateful to the dedicated group of faculty, staff, and students whose work and insights have made this series possible: Dean Lee Trepanier as chair, Dr. Carl Robert Keyes, Dr. Dan Maher, Dr. Geoffrey Vaughan, Dr. Mary Jane Rein, Marisa Gregg, Dr. Conway Campbell, Brenna Aylward, and Christopher Cox ’26. 

When I appointed this presidential committee in the fall, I shared the premise that America is a nation worth celebrating—that includes self-examination in the truest spirit of Augustinian love: the willingness to challenge ourselves and each other. I encourage you to explore the current listing of events and to join us in both celebrating and examining the rich history of our nation. 

Sincerely,

Greg Weiner, Ph.D.
President
Assumption University