OREM, Utah — The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation announced a $3 million endowed gift yesterday to create a perpetual directorship at Utah Valley University (UVU) Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS).
“We are grateful for the opportunity to further Utah Valley University’s work in civics education and constitutional studies, which will provide students and our communities resources and information to preserve our freedoms and democracy,” said Gail Miller, chair of the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation.
The endowed directorship secures the Center’s leadership now and into the future, allowing it to continue to pursue its mission to increase nonpartisan constitutional literacy in Utah and around the world. Most importantly, it will continue to inspire generations of students, academics, constitutionalists, and lawmakers.
“American democracy is seriously frayed today. And yet, the American foundations of constitutionalism continue to be theoretically robust and sound in principle. I am proud that UVU is home to the Center for Constitutional Studies, which aims to increase constitutional literacy and public appreciation for high ideals as well as the pragmatic middle ground where democracy can thrive,” Astrid S. Tuminez, president of the university, said. “We extend our deepest appreciation to the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation for their donation. Through their generosity, the Center will continue to actualize its mission and positively impact students, educators, and our society as a whole.”
The directorship will also oversee the ongoing Quill Project, an online platform that builds interactive visual and textual models of state and national constitutional conventions and congressional debates.
The Quill Project resources are used by scholars, teachers, lawyers, judges, and students around the world. It is made possible by a formal research partnership between CCS and Dr. Nicholas Cole, the project’s founder, and director, at Oxford University’s Pembroke College.
Organized in 2011, the CCS is a nonpartisan academic institute that promotes the instruction, study, and research of constitutionalism. The center’s mission is to increase constitutional literacy in local, state, and national communities. Thus, they seek to equip a new generation of citizens and leaders with understanding critical to perpetuating constitutional government, ordered liberty, and the rule of law.
“The Center for Constitutional Studies is profoundly grateful to the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation for this transformative gift,” said Scott Paul, who serves as CCS director. “What a tremendous honor to be recognized in this way by the Miller family, and how marvelous for the senior leadership position in our center to bear the names of Larry, Gail, and the Miller family, who are all the models of leadership in our state.”
About The Center for Constitutional Studies
The Center for Constitutional Studies (CCS) at Utah Valley University was established in September 2011. The Center is a nonpartisan academic institute that promotes the instruction, study, and research of constitutionalism. We employ conferences, university curriculum, faculty scholarship, a robust research agenda, strategic partnerships, and K-12 initiatives to engage students, scholars, educators, leaders, and the public on important constitutional issues found at the intersection of political thought, public policy, religion, law, history, education, and economics. The Center prepares citizens with the broad understanding of thought and practices critical to the perpetuation of constitutional government, ordered liberty, and the rule of law.
