Fife Fellow Program

James Madison College's Fife Fellow Program invites first- and second-year JMC students to explore ideas central to contemporary liberal democracy. Participants read and discuss important texts in the history of political economy and constitutionalism like the people who inspired the program's name: Adam Smith and James Wilson. The goal of the program is to deepen our understanding of the central ideas and institutions of liberalism and to enable citizens to pursue freedom.

Program Overview

The fellowship program will include:

• participation in four reading group meetings with Profs. Jordan Cash and Bri Wolf: two in the Fall Semester and two in the Spring Semester
• attending four lectures: two in the Fall Semester (Constitution Day Lecture on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. and a second lecture on Oct. 16 at 3:30 p.m.) and two in the Spring Semester (dates and times TBA)
• participation in a mini-conference on Nov. 6
• opportunity to apply for additional conference presentation or internship funding all oriented around learning more about the classical liberal tradition, particularly constitutional and political economy theories
• The fellowship comes with the opportunity for a $1,500 award based on full participation in all events

2026-27 Application

Applications are now open to join the 2026-27 Fife Fellow cohort:

• All first- and second-year James Madison College students interested in political economy and constitutional governance are invited to apply.
• Participants will be required to attend JMC's Constitution Day lecture on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m., an Oct. 16 lecture at 3:30 p.m. and a mini-conference for most of the day on Nov. 6.
• To Apply:
  1. Applicants are asked to read James Wilson's "Oration on Adoption of the Constitution" (view as a PDF).
  2. Schedule an interview with Prof. Bri Wolf and Prof. Jordan Cash on Sept. 10 or 11. Schedule your interview via apps.jmc.msu.edu/signup (MSU login required). Activity code is A8WFL2.

About the Program

The Fife Fellow program draws its name from two advocates for liberty—one from the perspective of political economy and the other from constitutional governance. Adam Smith and James Wilson were both born in the county of Fife in Scotland in the eighteenth century: Smith in Kirkcaldy and Wilson in the village of Ceres. Both were influential on the American Founding. Wilson signed both the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution and became one of the first Supreme Court justices. Smith, the founding father of modern economics, published Wealth of Nations in 1776—the same year as the Declaration of Independence—in which he comments on the Revolutionary War. His works were also cited by many of the founders including Jefferson, Hamilton, and Wilson himself. 

This fellowship seeks to explore and apply ideas central to contemporary liberal democracy by reading and discussing important texts in the history of political economy and constitutionalism like the people who inspired its name. The goal of the program is to deepen our understanding of the central ideas and institutions of liberalism and to enable citizens to pursue freedom.

Program Faculty

Prof. Brianne Wolf
Director
Dr. Brianne Wolf specializes in the history of political thought with a focus on the Scottish and French Enlightenments, liberalism, moral judgment, and the interaction between economics and politics.

Prof. Jordan Cash
Associate Director
Dr. Jordan Cash's teaching and research sits at the intersection of American political thought and constitutionalism. He examines how the constitutional structure of American political institutions affects the authority and behavior of individuals within those institutions.

The Fife Fellow Program is supported by funding from the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University and the Jack Miller Center.