The 2019 Constitution Celebration kicked off Monday and will run through Sept. 30. The events are sponsored and coordinated by the John Deaver Drinko Academy, in cooperation with the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy, the College of Arts and Media, Farrell, White & Legg PLLC and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.
The observance commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution and sheds light on the historical significance of Chief Justice John Marshall, who is credited with helping define the Constitution by establishing the legal principle of judicial review.
One of the key activities at Marshall is the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia’s oral argument session on campus, which is set for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept.11, in the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse on the Huntington campus. More than 400 local public school students are expected to attend the event, along with university faculty, staff and students.
It will also be streamed live at https://livestream.com/marshallu.
Also on Wednesday, an Amicus Curiae Lecture is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. Richard Brookhiser, an American journalist, biographer and historian will deliver a lecture titled “John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court.” Brookhiser is a senior editor at the National Review. Supported by a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the lecture is free and open to the public.
Additional events planned for this year’s observance at Marshall include the popular quoits tournaments. Quoits, a ring-toss game similar to horseshoes, was John Marshall’s favorite sport. The annual Open Quoits Tournament, which is underway and will continue through Sept. 18 on Buskirk Field, is open to all faculty, staff, students and alumni. The President’s Invitational Quoits Match is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20, at Buskirk Field and the Media Quoits Challenge will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 24, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Other events include:
- The Robert C. Byrd Forum on Civic Responsibility featuring Dr. Sarah Denman, Mr. Brandon Dennison, Mr. Audy Perry, Esq., and Ms. Jennifer Wells. The forum begins at 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17 in the Francis-Booth Experimental Theatre and is free and open to the public.
- John Marshall’s 264th Birthday Celebration Cake Ceremony and John Marshall Fife and Drum Corps performance. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 24 on the Memorial Student Center Plaza.
- Announcement of the Dan O’Hanlon Essay Competition Award winners at 5 p.m., Monday, Sept. 30, in the Simon Perry Center, located in Old Main 314.
Media are welcome to cover all of the events.
For more information contact the John Deaver Drinko Academy by phone at 304-696-3183 or by e-mail at drinko@marshall.edu.