Thanks Jimmy!: Constitution Day Celebrations at JMU

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, JMU will kick off Constitution Day to celebrate and advance the legacy of James Madison. The celebration will include various activities on campus on Sept. 17, as well as a free student trip to Montpelier, the home of James Madison, on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Cake and pocket-size copies of the Constitution will be passed out on the Commons on Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., followed by an address by the Constitution Day Speaker, Justice William C. Mims, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Forbes Center Concert Hall. Justice Mims will launch the Madison Vision Series: Contemporary Issues in an Engaged Society hosted by the Office of the President and JMU’s department of Outreach and Engagement.  He will deliver a lecture titled, Be It Ever So Humble: Justice as a Virtue.  Justice Mims became a member of the Supreme Court of Virginia in 2010. He previously served as Attorney General of Virginia and Chief Deputy Attorney General. He also served in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, from 12:30-10 p.m. students will be bused from JMU to Montpelier for a James Madison palooza including hot air balloon rides, carriage rides, historical tours of the venue, historical reenactments, food vendors and fireworks. Not only will there be much to see, but much to hear with performances by the Marching Royal Dukes and the United States Navy Band Commodores.  Transportation and admission are being provided free of charge.  Lastly, the students will receive “Thanks Jimmy!” t-shirts to commemorate the day and  to continue to their show appreciation and remembrance of James Madison throughout year.