Claremont Review of Books 25th Anniversary

Charles Kesler is a Senior Fellow of the Claremont Institute, Editor of the Claremont Review of Books, and the Dengler-Dykema Distinguished Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College.

Dr. Kesler also teaches in the Claremont Institute’s Publius Fellows Program and Lincoln Fellows Program. He received his B.A. in Social Studies and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University. From 1989 to 2008, Dr. Kesler was director of CMC’s Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World.

He is the recipient of the prestigious 2018 Bradley Prize, a high honor bestowed upon distinguished individuals who have influenced American scholarship and debate.

From September 2000 to March 2001, he served as vice chairman of the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Congress’s James Madison Commemoration Commission.

He was selected in June 2000 as a member of the Scholars Commission on the Jefferson-Hemings Issue sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society.

Dr. Kesler is the author of I Am the Change: Barack Obama and the Crisis of Liberalism (Broadside Books); the editor of Saving the Revolution: The Federalist Papers and the American Founding (Free Press); co-editor, with John B. Kienker, of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Ten Years of the Claremont Review of Books (Rowman & Littlefield); and co-editor, with William F. Buckley, Jr., of Keeping the Tablets: Modern American Conservative Thought (HarperCollins). He has written extensively on American constitutionalism and political thought, and his edition of The Federalist Papers (Signet Classics) is the best-selling edition in the country.

Larry P. Arnn is the 12th president of Hillsdale College, where he is also a professor of politics and history, and the Vice-Chairman of The Claremont Institute. He received his B.A. from Arkansas State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from the Claremont Graduate School. He also studied at Worcester College, Oxford University, where he served as director of research for Sir Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill. From 1985 to 2000, he served as president of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy. In 1996, he was the founding chairman of the California Civil Rights Initiative, which prohibited racial preferences in state hiring, contracting, and admissions.

Dr. Arnn is on the board of directors of The Heritage Foundation, the Henry Salvatori Center of Claremont McKenna College, the Philadelphia Society, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and the Claremont Institute. He served on the U.S. Army War College Board of Visitors for two years, for which he earned the Department of the Army’s “Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.” In 2015, he received the Bradley Prize from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

Dr. Arnn is the author of three books: Liberty and Learning: The Evolution of American Education; The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It; and Churchill’s Trial: Winston Churchill and the Salvation of Free Government.

Derick Cooper, the Chief Executive Officer of QOL Medical, is a visionary leader in the biopharmaceutical industry, driving innovation in developing and manufacturing treatments for rare diseases. With a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington and Lee University and decades of experience spanning corporate finance, operations, and strategic leadership, Mr. Cooper has a proven track record of transforming complex challenges into opportunities for growth and impact. His deep understanding of both business strategy and human relations brings a unique dimension to his course, offering students valuable insights into the world of business and the critical role of psychology in leadership and decision-making.

Ryan P. Williams has served as President of The Claremont Institute since 2017, following more than a decade of leadership roles within the organization as Chief Operating Officer, Director of Programs, and Director of Special Projects. A 2004 Publius Fellow, he has been central to shaping Claremont’s strategic direction and expanding its influence as the foremost intellectual institution in American conservatism—revitalizing the Founders’ principles, mentoring rising statesmen, and generating scholarship that shapes national discourse.

Under his leadership, Claremont launched the Center for the American Way of Life in Washington, D.C., its first permanent presence in the nation’s capital, and established The American Mind, a digital publication devoted to recovering and defending American political thought. In 2019, the Institute was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Donald J. Trump, only the second think tank ever to receive this presidential honor.

Mr. Williams holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Hillsdale College and an M.A. in Politics from Claremont Graduate University. He has taught American politics and political philosophy as an adjunct professor at California State University, San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona. His commentary and analysis have appeared widely, and he frequently speaks on constitutionalism, statesmanship, and the challenges facing modern American political life.