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OREM — Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough gave the keynote address Monday during a Constitution Day program at Utah Valley University.
McCullough said the school is setting a standard for other universities to follow. He said he believes today's generation is "historically illiterate."
"I think we're swindling students with the feeling that they are educated, and they're not," he said. "It's regrettable, it's unfair and it isn't necessary."
Only four other universities require a term of study on the Constitution; three of those are military academies.
Deseret News:
Author David McCullough: The pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of greater knowledge
Renowned author and scholar David McCullough said the genius passed down by the Founding Fathers should not be disregarded. But neither should the current government become frozen by the Constitution, the nation's measure of good governance.The program followed a ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Center for Constitutional Studies in the center's home in the UVU library.
The center is an academic institute and research center on constitutional issues and history, according to Rick Griffin, the founding director. Griffin said he wanted to incorporate not just constitutional law into the center's studies, but also the history, design and politics of constitutional societies.
McCullough has written nine books, including "1776" and "John Adams." The 79-year-old author, narrator and historian has received numerous awards throughout his career, including two Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award a U.S. citizen can receive.
