It isn’t every day you get to see Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson discussing the United States Constitution – certainly not without paying hundreds of dollars to attend Broadway’s hottest show, anyway.

But thanks to the Remnant Trust, a unique hands-on collection of historical documents housed at Texas Tech University, these Founding Fathers are coming to Lubbock to do just that.

The Remnant Trust will celebrate its 20th anniversary this month with a special event in conjunction with Constitution Week (Sept. 17-23). Bill Barker and Ian Rose, historical re-enactors of Jefferson and Hamilton, respectively, will make a series of appearances, including a presentation to nearly 1,000 local students from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Sept. 21 in the Coronado High School auditorium. The presentation is co-sponsored by The Institute for the Study of Western Civilization at Texas Tech and will be open to the media for coverage.

Barker and Rose will wrap up their visit with a lively dialogue at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Texas Tech University Student Union Building’s Red Raider Ballroom. They will discuss “books of public right” and the importance of having access to them, the Remnant Trust effort, the Constitution, and the connection to those ideas and access to them like the founding fathers would have had. The event is open to the public but as seating is limited, an early arrival is recommended. Parking is available in lot R-11 near the northeast corner of 18th Street and Boston Avenue, behind the Student Union Building.

Barker has portrayed Jefferson in a variety of venues since 1984. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Barker’s first appearance was at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed. Over the years he has developed a repertoire of Jefferson presentations tailored to corporate and government audiences as well as schools, societies and festivals. Barker has performed as Jefferson at the White House, the Palace of Versailles and throughout the United States, Great Britain and France. He has been featured as Jefferson in magazines including Time, People, Atlantic, Philadelphia, Southern Living, Reader’s Digest and the Colonial Williamsburg Journal. He appeared as Jefferson in programs aired on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, The History Channel and C-SPAN.

Rose has been interpreting historical figures since 1994 and portraying Hamilton for 10 years. He has appeared as Hamilton at The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and the American Museum of Finance in New York City. He has given presentations for the State Department, the Newseum and before the actual Constitution at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Rose also has appeared as Hamilton in the documentaries “Faith and the Founding Fathers,” “Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton” and “Fractured Union for Mount Vernon.”

Museum of Texas Tech University
The Museum of Texas Tech University, 3301 4th St., will open a new display that week featuring documents relating to independence, including the English Constitution (1643), the Intolerable Act (1774), the U.S. Constitution (1787), a first edition of The Federalist Papers (1788), the journal of the first session of the U.S. Senate (1789), the secret proceedings and debates that led to the formation of the U.S. Constitution (1821) and Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1836).

The exhibit will be on display through September 2018.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Mondays and Texas Tech University holidays.

CONTACT:
Malorie Kreighbaum, unit manager, The Remnant Trust Inc., Texas Tech University, (806) 742-0375 or malorie.kreighbaum@ttu.edu

(News release from Texas Tech University)