Hillsdale, Mich. – Today at the White House, President Donald Trump announced that Dr. Larry P. Arnn, Hillsdale College president, will be appointed to serve as chairman of the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission. Dr. Matthew Spalding, vice president for the College’s Washington, D.C. operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government, has been appointed executive director of the Commission.

“The 1776 Committee was formed to advise the President about the core principles of the American founding and how to protect those principles by promoting patriotic education,” said Dr. Spalding. “The path to a renewed and confident national unity is through a rediscovery of our shared identity rooted in those principles.  It is an honor to be entrusted to direct the Commission.”

The Commission was created by executive order in November 2020 to advise the President about teaching future generations about the history and principles of the founding of the United States in 1776 and correcting the rising tide of anti-American scholarship that rejects that history and those principles.  The Commission will also make recommendations about preparing for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American Independence. 

Dr. Spalding has taken a temporary leave of absence from his duties at Hillsdale for the appointment.  During his absence, Dr. Matthew Mehan, director of academic programs, will oversee undergraduate classes and the spring session of the graduate school at Hillsdale’s D.C. campus.