James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
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| Type | Federal Agency |
|---|---|
| Established | 1986 |
| President | Lewis F. Larsen |
| Location |
1613 Duke Street Alexandria, VA |
| Nickname | James Madison Foundation |
| Website | www.jamesmadison.gov |
1613 Duke Street
The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 to encourage outstanding current and future secondary school teachers of American history, American government, and social studies in grades 7 through 12 to undertake graduate study of the roots, framing, principles, and development of the Constitution of the United States. The Foundation thus permanently commemorates the bicentennial of the Constitution and honors James Madison, fourth President of the United States and generally acknowledged "Father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights."
As part of the bicentennial celebration of the U.S. Constitution, the Education Committee of the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, chaired by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, proposed the creation of a fellowship program for the purpose of improving teaching about the Constitution in secondary schools. Senator Kennedy and several other Senate colleagues successfully passed the law which created the Foundation. Public Law 99-591 establishing the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was signed by President Ronald Reagan on October 30, 1986. The primary function of the Foundation is to administer a fellowship program encouraging graduate study of the U.S. Constitution. The Foundation is governed by a thirteen-member Board of trustees appointed to six year terms by the President. President Reagan appointed the first members of the Board of Trustees in 1988. In November of that same year, the Board of Trustees elected Senator Edward M. Kennedy as the first Chairman of the Board for the Foundation and Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Treasurer. In 1990, the Board of Trustees named retired Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Paul A. Yost, Jr. as the first president of the James Madison Memorial Foundation. The Foundation awarded its inaugural class of 48 James Madison Fellows in 1992. The James Madison Foundation continues to conduct yearly nationwide competitions for the award of James Madison Fellowships. Generally, one Fellowship per state is awarded each year as funding is available. Upon receiving their master's degree, James Madison Fellows complete a teaching obligation to fulfill the requirements of their fellowship. The Foundation operates from an endowment, initially funded by the federal government. The Foundation receives donations from private citizens, corporations, and foundations to expand the fellowship program throughout the nation.
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