Two faculty members from IUP’s Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies brought history and political science together for an interactive Constitution Day program on September 14. History professor Joe Mannard stepped into the role of James Madison, while political science professor Gwen Torges moderated “A Chat with the Founding Father: What Can We Learn about Disagreement?”
In character as Madison, Mannard described the profound disputes that confronted the delegates gathered in Philadelphia in 1787, including how states would be represented in the new national legislature, the powers of the national government, the structure of the executive branch, and slavery.
Mannard did not minimize those disagreements—or the imperfections of the document that emerged from them. Instead, he emphasized what was at stake: Without an agreement, the fragile union itself might not have survived.
“The delegates did not see everyone who disagreed with them as an enemy,” Mannard explained. “They understood one another as colleagues—people with whom they agreed on some questions and disagreed on others. No one got everything he wanted, and that may have been one sign that the Convention had succeeded.”
Following the conversation, students posed thoughtful questions about what the delegates believed, how their positions changed, and how Madison might assess the government they created.
“I was delighted not only that so many students came, but that they were so engaged and eager to know more,” Torges said. “Their questions showed a genuine curiosity about what happened inside the Convention—not simply what the delegates decided, but how they reasoned, disagreed, and continued working together.”
“Joe does a masterful job of bringing Madison to life,” she added. “He made the history feel immediate, complicated, and remarkably relevant.”
For the first time this year, IUP’s Constitution Day events were coordinated through the university’s new Center for Civic Dialogue. The focus on the framers’ difficult conversations highlighted one of the center’s central purposes: helping people engage seriously with difficult questions, listen across differences, and find ways to move forward together.
The program, held in Elkin Hall’s Great Room, was part of IUP’s Six O’Clock Series.