Published on: February 19th, 2026

Dean Spalding Delivers Book Talk, Launching Hillsdale in D.C.’s America 250 Event Series

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Matthew Spalding, Vice President for Washington Operations at Hillsdale in D.C. and Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government, delivered remarks on his recently released book, The Making of the American Mind: The Story of Our Declaration of Independence, last Wednesday, kicking off the D.C. Campus’s event series celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

Spalding highlighted the incredible stories from the time the Declaration of Independence was written, especially highlighting the sacrifices made from individual men. These men, he called the “iron men.” Spalding also counseled the audience on how to acquaint or re-acquaint oneself and to fall in love with America again during the country’s 250th anniversary.

“Part of my objective was to help us to know the Declaration of Independence in a deeper way,” Spalding noted, “understanding its meaning, its purposes, but also the way it points towards eternal and transcendent truths about man and the natural order of things. Knowing all these things makes our country worth loving.”

Read more about The Making of the American Mind: The Story of Our Declaration of Independence.

Read the Daily Signal’s feature of Dr. Spalding’s event.

Read more about the following events in Hillsdale in D.C.’s America 250 series.

Sign up for our e-newsletter to learn more about events and programming at the D.C. Campus.

About Hillsdale in D.C.

Hillsdale in D.C. is an extension of the teaching mission of Hillsdale College to Washington, D.C. Its purpose is to teach the Constitution and the principles that give it meaning. Through the study of original source documents from American history—and of older books that formed the education of America’s founders—it seeks to inspire students, teachers, citizens, and policymakers to return the America’s principles to their central place in the political life of the nation.

About Hillsdale College

Hillsdale College is an independent liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 5.7 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.