Harford County Public Library Foundation hosts humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson
Nearly 200 guests gathered at the Abingdon Library for “A Conversation with Thomas Jefferson” in celebration of Constitution Day the evening of September 17.
“A Conversation with Thomas Jefferson” was hosted by the Harford County Public Library Foundation and featured nationally known humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson, who portrayed Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. He discussed the Bill of Rights, Constitution, the creation of the United States government and its evolution to reflect future needs.
The evening was moderated by Dr. William Allen, a member of the Harford County Public Library board of trustees who is also dean emeritus at James Madison College and emeritus professor of political science of Michigan State University.
Dr. Allen and Mr. Jefferson treated the audience to friendly banter about Mr. Jefferson’s contemporaries, including Alexander Hamilton. The audience also had the opportunity to ask questions.
The evening concluded with Mr. Jenkinson transitioning back to his modern-day self to reflect on the current political environment. He also answered questions from the audience about his research about Thomas Jefferson and provided insights into Mr. Jefferson’s life and impact on the United States.
The program was recorded by WAMD-970 for “The Thomas Jefferson Hour,” a weekly radio show and podcast that models civil discourse, good citizenship and critical thinking in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson. The program will air on NPR stations across the country at a later date.
“A Conversation with Thomas Jefferson” was sponsored by Lou and Linda Wienecke and WAMD-970.
“We were very excited to bring 1776 to life at the library,” said Alex Allman, Esq., chair, Harford County Public Library board of trustees. “Mr. Jenkinson’s nationally known portrayal of Thomas Jefferson is just what our national discourse needs. Many thanks to the Harford County Public Library Foundation for supporting this event.”
Harford County Public Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization established to raise funds to augment the financial resources of Harford County Public Library and to promote awareness of its services.
Harford County Public Library operates 11 branches located throughout Harford County. The library serves more than 185,000 registered borrowers of all ages and has an annual circulation of more than 3.8 million. Harford County Public Library is committed to connecting people with information and promoting the love of reading in the community. For more information, visit hcplonline.org.
