Ann Arbor, MI, June 10, 2026– The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is pleased to announce a special event featuring Jonathan Gienapp, author and Associate Law Professor at Stanford University. He will present a one-hour program about his book, Against Constitutional Originalism: A Historical Critique on June 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the Library, 1000 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI.

Today, debate rages over how to interpret the United States Constitution, especially what role history should play in that practice. When the generation that adopted the Constitution in the late eighteenth century first interpreted the document, what defined their debates? How do those debates compare to the ones structuring American constitutional law currently? Join us for a lecture exploring how to read the Constitution through lenses past and present and reflect on what the creators can teach us about the Constitution in the present moment.

“As we continue to observe America's 250th birthday, we are pleased to host Jonathan Gienapp for this program that encourages us to look through the historical lenses of the framers and explore the original debates that built our nation,” said Brooke Clement, Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.

Gienapp’s scholarship has largely focused on the history of the U.S. Constitution and its relevance to modern legal debates over its interpretation. His first book, The Second Creation: Fixing the American Constitution in the Founding Era charts how understandings of the U.S. Constitution transformed during the decade following its ratification. His most recent book, Against Constitutional Originalism: A Historical Critique, critiques how the theory of constitutional originalism engages with the historical past. It was awarded the Order of the Coif Book Award from the Association of American Law Schools.

Following the program, there will be a book signing and dessert reception.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged: www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/events

For those unable to attend in person we will be livestreaming the program on YouTube.

About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum Opened to the public in September 1981, the Gerald R. Ford Museum allows visitors to experience highlights from the lives of President Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States (1974–1977), and his wife, Betty Ford. The museum exhibits teach democratic citizenship and allow for quiet reflection. In addition to the permanent exhibits, changing temporary exhibits draw artifacts from partner museums nationwide. Part of the presidential library system of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), a federal agency, the Ford Museum is in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Ford Library is located on the north campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. For more information, visit www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.

About the National Archives The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper. It safeguards and manages the official records of the U.S. Government, ensuring the documentation of our nation's history. For more information, visit www.archives.gov.

About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation fosters increased awareness of the life, career, values and legacy of America’s 38th President. It does so through activities designed to promote the high ideals of integrity, honesty, and candor that defined President Ford’s extraordinary career of public service. The Foundation promotes the ideals, values, commitment to public service and historical legacy of President Gerald R. Ford and further promotes greater civic engagement and recognition of integrity wherever it exists in the public arena. It supports permanent and changing exhibits designed to promote historical literacy; conferences; educational outreach and other programs, both scholarly and popular.