Jack Miller Center

The Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center (JMC) describes itself as a non-partisan nonprofit private operating foundation dedicated to enriching education in America’s founding principles and history. It has also been described as part of the right-wing movement to fund professors and research to advance the "conservative" movement. As noted in the article, "Conservatives Try New Tack on Campuses," JMC was founded by millionaire Jack Miller "after first collaborating with the 55-year-old Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), which promotes conservative thought on campus."

At one point, ISI sued JMC employees based on allegations that ISI donor and other "proprietary" information was taken when JMC became "independent" of ISI, a conservative think tank but it appears that lawsuit was resolved.

"Private Effort to Create Courses Draws Praise — and Charges of 'Buying' Curricula" is another article describing some of the concerns that have been raised about groups like JMC investing in academic courses they want to see taught.

How JMC Promotes Itself
The following information is based on JMC's PR description of itself:

The center provides resources for faculty development and the support of partner programs that advance the education in American history and founding principles that students need in order to be wise and engaged citizen leaders. These resources include ongoing programs and support services to a growing network of college professors on more than 150 campuses, who want to expand opportunities for their students to learn about American history, government, and political thought.

Principal Leadership of JMC
Jack Guipre Director of Operations 111 Presidential Blvd., Suite 146 Philadelphia, PA 19004 Tel. 484-436-2063 Email: jguipre@gojmc.org

Media Michael A. Deshaies Vice President, Communications Tel. 484-436-2067 Email: mdeshaies@gojmc.org

Staff of JMC
These staff bios are part of JMC's PR about itself: Jack Miller Chairman Jack Miller is a prominent Chicago area entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder and former President/CEO of Quill Corporation, which became the nation’s largest independent direct marketer of office products, employing over 1,300 people with annual sales in excess of $630 million before being acquired by Staples, the giant office supply company in 1998. After the sale of Quill, Mr. Miller became chairman of the board at Successories Inc. a business-to-business mail order firm which he sold in 2009. He also focuses on real estate development and investment at Millbrook Properties and The Benida Group. He is a very active philanthropist serving as chairman of the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History and President of the Jack Miller Family Foundation, which supports a wide variety of community improvement efforts.He recently established the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy with the idea of it becoming a public foundation supporting the funding of collaborative research at a number of institutions.

Mr. Miller was inducted into Philanthropy World magazine’s Hall of Fame in January, 2008. Mr. Miller graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Journalism. He is the author of Simply Success, How to Start, Build and Grow a Multimillion-Dollar Business ‘the Old Fashioned Way, published by John Wiley & Sons in February, 2008. Please visit www.simplysuccessbook.com Rear Admiral Michael Ratliff, (US Navy, ret.) President Prior to moving into the nonprofit higher education sector in 2000, Mike Ratliff served a distinguished 30-year naval career, retiring as Director of Naval Intelligence. He served at every level of responsibility including seven years at sea. As the Navy’s top intelligence officer, he was responsible for 17,000 personnel and a budget of $1.9 billion. Admiral Ratliff received his bachelor’s from Towson University, studied as a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics, was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Johns Hopkins, and a Capstone Fellow at the National Defense University. He can be reached at mratliff@gojmc.org. Michael A. Deshaies Vice President Mike Deshaies is responsible for communications and development. A 1980 graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego with a bachelor’s in communications and political science, he has more than 25 years experience in communications in government, manufacturing, consumer products, technology and in the nonprofit sector. Mr. Deshaies can be reached at mdeshaies@gojmc.org. Dr. Michael L. Andrews Vice President Dr. Andrews oversees the Miller Center’s academic programs and higher-education initiatives. A native of Montana, he received his doctorate in American intellectual history from Tulane University, and his master’s degree, also from Tulane, in European history, with an emphasis on modern Germany. He formerly served on the faculty of St. John’s College, teaching at both the Santa Fe and Annapolis campuses. Dr. Andrews can be reached at mandrews@gojmc.org. Dr. Pamela Edwards Director of Academic Initiatives Pamela Edwards studied Philosophy at the University of British Columbia and Intellectual History at Simon Fraser University in Canada before writing her doctoral thesis on Coleridge’s Political Thought at University College London. She has published numerous scholarly essays and reviews in journals and edited volumes including the JBS, Enlightenment and Dissent and the Journal of the History of Political Thought, Blackwell’s Companion to Eighteenth Century Britain, and with Frederick Beiser The Cambridge History of Nineteenth–century Philosophy. She is the author of The Statesman’s Science: History, Nature and Law in the Political Thought of Samuel Taylor Coleridge which was published by Columbia University Press in 2004. She has recently authored the essay on Coleridge’s political and religious thought for the Oxford Handbook of Coleridge which will be published in the Spring of 2009. From 2002–2007 she was a member of the History Department of Syracuse University. Her new scholarly work focuses on historicism, evolutionary ideas of progress, and the political implications of the theory of life controversy during the long British Enlightenment. She can be contacted at pedwards@gojmc.org. Dr. Rafael Major Director of Faculty Development and Online Education Rafael Major is the Director of Faculty Development and Online Education. Prior to joining the Miller Center, he taught at Michigan State University’s James Madison College, Rhodes College (Memphis, Tenn.) and Trinity College (Hartford, CT). In addition to academics, he is a former restaurant owner and advertising manager. Dr. Major has published article-length studies on Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Leo Strauss, Q. Skinner, and is currently finishing a book length study on Shakespeare’s Comedies. He can be reached at rmajor@gojmc.org. Jack Guipre Director of Operations Jack Guipre serves as director of operations. Mr. Guipre received a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University and a J.D. from New York University. Mr. Guipre has clerked for judges at the Montana District Court, Montana Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Palau. He can be contacted at jguipre@gojmc.org. Nikki Longworth Development Consultant Nikki Longworth provides consulting services regarding development efforts for the Jack Miller Center. She has worked with not-for-profits since 1974, beginning with The American Freedom Train Foundation, Inc., a traveling museum of American history that toured the country during the nation’s bicentennial. Her non-profit experience also includes management positions with the Alexandria Virginia Tourist Council, the Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee, the Hilton Head Island Chamber of Commerce and the Indianapolis City Market Corporation, where she served as executive director. She was public information director at the U.S. Small Business Administration and an associate director of public affairs at the White House. She can be reached at nikkil@hughes.net. Emily Koons Programs Officer As Programs Officer, Ms. Koons organizes all logistical aspects of Jack Miller Center events, including the annual Summer Institutes, Academic Summits, Fellows’ Reunions, and other conferences. A native of Austin, Texas, Ms. Koons graduated from Davidson College in 2009 with a degree in history and a minor in economics. She studied abroad in Britain (Cambridge) and Prague (Charles University). Her award-winning thesis addressed Colonial Print and Politics in Philadelphia. She can be contacted at ekoons@gojmc.org. Nathan Fortner Assistant Development Officer Nathan Fortner serves as the Assistant Development Officer. A native of Lobelville, Tennessee, Mr. Fortner earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History at the University of Tennessee in 2006 and his Masters Degree in Political Science at Villanova University in 2009. Mr. Fortner’s previous experiences include working with the East Tennessee Historical Society and as a clerk with the law firm of McDonald, Levy and Taylor of Knoxville, Tennessee. He also served as an intern for Senator Bill Frist and has worked with NASA’s reduced gravity flight program. He may be contacted at nfortner@gojmc.org.