Bradford P. Wilson, former Executive Director of the James Madison Program, was nominated by President Donald Trump to be Archivist of the United States on March 2.
Archivist of the United States is the chief administrator of the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States. The position oversees the maintenance of foundational documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, manages presidential records, and establishes policies that determine which documents are preserved or made accessible to the public. The confirmation process for the role can take several months, including obtaining approval from the senate.
“This is not Dr. Wilson’s first rodeo in Washington. In the 1980s, he spent three years as a research associate on the staff of two Chief Justices of the United States,” Matthew Franck wrote to The Daily Princetonian. Wilson and Franck worked together at the Witherspoon Institute, an off-campus conservative think tank in Princeton, for eight years. Franck was also the associate director of the James Madison Program from 2018–21.
Wilson declined a request to comment from the ‘Prince.’
Franck also emphasized Wilson’s qualifications outside of academia, including working alongside Chief Justices Warren Burger and William Rehnquist. He also worked on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution and received grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Department of Education. Wilson was also appointed by President Joe Biden to be a trustee of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, which administers graduate-level fellowships to high school teachers.
While at Princeton, Wilson worked on creating the James Madison Program with Professor of Politics Robert P. George. The program’s mission is to “promote teaching and scholarship in constitutional law and political thought.” Wilson’s role involved many of the day-to-day operations of the program, including finance and budget, hiring and supervision of staff, communication with the parent politics department, and more.
Adam Thomas, the current director of the James Madison Program, described Wilson’s role as “the number two in the organization beneath Professor George.” Wilson served as Executive Director for approximately 20 years before retiring in August 2024.
“He was, in a word, the man who got things done,” Franck wrote. Franck noted that he “had no idea that Wilson was being considered for the position,” but was “pleasantly surprised.”
The James Madison Program’s events have at times emphasized themes commonly associated with conservative thought, as reflected by event titles such as “The Case for Social Conservatism” and “Women in the Conservative Movement,” as well as lectures on topics like natural law and family policy.
Wilson’s work focuses on constitutional law and American political thought. One of the projects he worked on at Princeton was editing anthologies of George Washington’s and Alexander Hamilton’s political writings for the Cambridge University Press.
Thomas characterized Wilson’s nomination as “a culmination of his many years of work in civic education and a kind of life of scholarship devoted to studying American constitutional law.”
Along with Professor George, Wilson “more or less helped to build all the major programs and initiatives that we currently do,” Thomas said, including visiting and postdoctoral fellowships, undergraduate programming, and public events.
Wilson also worked on summer programs for high school teachers of American history, high school students, and for undergraduates. Thomas described fulfilling Wilson’s former role as having “big shoes to fill” due to Wilson’s influence on the program.
“I have never known anyone with better judgment of people — a quality that is invariably reciprocated by the trust of those who work with him,” Franck wrote.
Clara Docherty is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading faculty, graduate students, and alumni coverage. She is from Lafayette, NJ, and can be reached at clara.docherty[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
What Professors and Princetonians have to say about the Iran war
Elizabeth HuFollowing the start of the U.S.-Iran war on Feb. 28, University community members have expressed concerns about the destruction happening in the Middle East, as well as confusion about American motivations for entering the war.
Following the start of the U.S.-Iran war on Feb. 28, University community members have expressed concerns about the destruction happening in the Middle East, as well as confusion about American motivations for entering the war.
Princeton awarded ‘C’ on ADL Antisemitism Report Card to mixed reviews
David EstradaPrinceton received a C on the ADL’s latest Campus Antisemitism Report Card after earning an F on its first assessment, but some Jewish students and campus leaders told The Daily Princetonian that the grade does not accurately reflect Jewish life at the University.
Princeton received a C on the ADL’s latest Campus Antisemitism Report Card after earning an F on its first assessment, but some Jewish students and campus leaders told The Daily Princetonian that the grade does not accurately reflect Jewish life at the University.
Following membership changes, the U-Store seeks to expand student partnerships
Oliver WuAfter limiting its 10 percent membership discount to branded merchandise in February, the U-Store has sought to rebuild student engagement through campus partnerships, events, and collaborations centered on student involvement.
After limiting its 10 percent membership discount to branded merchandise in February, the U-Store has sought to rebuild student engagement through campus partnerships, events, and collaborations centered on student involvement.