The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour

Latest Episodes:

Robert Norton, William B. Allen, Lorraine Murphy, & Greg Corombos Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

TOPICS: Electric vehicles and the electrical grid, THE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA, the decline of Realism, & a Hillsdale alumnus working in journalism.
Host Scot Bertram talks with Robert Norton, Vice President and General Counsel of Hillsdale College and a former top-level legal executive of automakers, about the effect a mass adoption of electric vehicles could have on the grid and shortcomings of EVs in winter conditions. William B. Allen, resident scholar and former chief operating officer of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, discusses a new book he edited, THE STATE OF BLACK AMERICA: PROGRESS, PITFALLS, AND THE PROMISE OF THE REPUBLIC. Lorraine Murphy, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale, returns for a final entry in her series on literary Realism. And Hillsdale grad Greg Corombos '97 discusses his work at Radio America and the "Three Martini Lunch" podcast and what lessons from college stay with him to this day.

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Tom Conner, Daniel J. Mahoney, & Kyle Murnen May 27, 2022

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TOPICS: A tour of Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, great statesmen as thinkers, & a new Hillsdale online course on C. S. Lewis
Host Scot Bertram talks with Tom Conner, Professor Emeritus of History at Hillsdale and author of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE: THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENT COMMISSION, who gives us a tour of Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in France. Daniel J. Mahoney joins the show to talk about his new book THE STATESMAN AS THINKER: PORTRAITS OF GREATNESS, COURAGE, AND MODERATION. And Kyle Murnen, Director of Online Learning at Hillsdale College, previews a new online course on C. S. Lewis and Christianity.

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Dan Coupland, Christopher Caldwell, & Dedra Birzer May 20, 2022

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TOPICS: Hillsdale's new Graduate School of Classical Education, why inflation is no accident, and the connections between the LITTLE HOUSE series and American identity.
Host Scot Bertram talks with Dan Coupland, dean of Hillsdale's new Graduate School of Classical Education, about the launch and goals of the program. Christopher Caldwell, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and columnist at Compact Mag, discusses his recent essay, "Inflation Is No Accident". And Dedra Birzer, Lecturer of History at Hillsdale, concludes her series on Laura Ingalls Wilder and the "Little House" series of books by examining how the books connect with the American identity.

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David Azerrad, Titus Techera, Ken Calvert, & David Randall May 13, 2022

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TOPICS: "Cancel culture" on a college campus, themes in film noir, the rise and fall of Greek democracy, & civics taught in K-12 schools
Host Scot Bertram talks with David Azerrad, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government in Washington, D.C., about his recent lecture at Saint Vincent College and the reaction from students and school officials. Titus Techera, Executive Director of the American Cinema Foundation, takes us into the world of film noir and the movie LAURA. Ken Calvert, Professor of Ancient History at Hillsdale, tells us about the rise and fall of Greek democracy. And David Randall, Director of Research at the National Association of Scholars and Policy Director at the Civics Alliance, speaks on a recent regarding study by NAS on K-12 civics and how parents might review and think about civics education programs for their children.

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Kevin Slack, Nathan Lewis, & Elizabeth Fredericks May 06, 2022

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TOPICS: Benjamin Franklin as moral lawgiver, what is inflation and why it's bad, and the life and work of William Butler Yeats
With the recent release of a PBS documentary on Benjamin Franklin, host Scot Bertram continues his discussion with Kevin Slack, Associate Professor of Politics at Hillsdale, about Franklin as moral lawgiver. Nathan Lewis, co-author with Steve Forbes and Elizabeth Ames of the new book INFLATION: WHAT IT IS, WHY IT'S BAD, AND HOW TO FIX IT, stops by to talk about those exact things. And Elizabeth Fredericks, assistant professor of English at Hillsdale, returns for her occasional series on modern Irish poetry, this time examining the life and work of Wiliam Butler Yeats.

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Wilfred McClay, Arthur Herman, & Miles Smith Apr 29, 2022

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TOPICS: Why a proper approach to history is important, why China is winning the war for high tech, and why raising virtuous men is vital for the country
Host Scot Bertram talks with Wilfred McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, about his recent Bradley Prize, his approach to history, and why the subject is so important. Arthur Herman, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, discusses a recent essay that argues China is winning the war for high tech. And Miles Smith, lecturer in history at Hillsdale, tells us why raising virtuous men is vital for the continuity of liberty and self-government in the American republic.

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Kathleen O'Toole, Jason Lepojärvi, & Brad Birzer Apr 22, 2022

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TOPICS: American classical education, themes in C. S. Lewis's fiction, and a deeper look at Andrew Jackson
Host Scot Bertram talks with Kathleen O'Toole, Assistant Provost for K-12 Education at Hillsdale College, about what makes for truly *American* classical education. Jason Lepojärvi, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Thorneloe University, stops by to discuss themes found in C. S. Lewis's fiction. And Brad Birzer, Professor of History & Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies, joins the show to take us deeper into the life of Andrew Jackson.

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Paul Moreno, Stephen Moore, Lorraine Murphy, & Philip Wegmann Apr 15, 2022

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TOPICS: History of the filibuster, the relentless growth of government, Tolstoy's great works, and a Hillsdale grad in the White House press corps
Host Scot Bertram talks with Paul Moreno, William and Berniece Grewcock Chair in Constitutional History and Professor of History at Hillsdale, about the history of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate. Stephen Moore, Senior Economist at FreedomWorks and former Trump advisor, details his new book GOVZILLA: HOW THE RELENTLESS GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT IS DEVOURING OUR ECONOMY-- AND OUR FREEDOM. Lorraine Murphy, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale, returns for her occasional series on literary realism with a look at the great works of Tolstoy. And Hillsdale alumnus Philip Wegmann of RealClearNews tells us about life in the White House briefing room and lessons learned at the College.

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Kevin Slack, Christopher Rufo, & Blake McAllister Apr 08, 2022

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TOPICS: Benjamin Franklin as Enlightenment philosopher, Critical Race Theory & our schools, and the problem of evil and suffering
With PBS debuting a new documentary on Benjamin Franklin, host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Slack, Associate Professor of Politics at Hillsdale, about Franklin as Enlightenment philosopher. Christopher Rufo, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, joins the show to discuss his work on Critical Race Theory and how parents can become involved in this fight. Blake McAllister, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hillsdale, takes us into his research on the problem of evil and suffering.

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Darryl Hart, Edward Erler, Kelly Scott Franklin, & Vivek Ramaswamy Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

TOPICS: Revolutions in 1968, THE UNITED STATES IN CRISIS, a great moment in THE ODYSSEY, and woke capitalism vs. profit.
Host Scot Bertram talks with Darryl Hart, Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College, about events from the year 1968, a year of global revolution. Edward Erler joins the show to discuss his new book THE UNITED STATES IN CRISIS: CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION, AND THE NATION STATE. Kelly Scott Franklin, Assistant Professor of English at Hillsdale, returns for a "Great Moment In a Great Book," this time from THE ODYSSEY. And we hear excerpts from a recent Hillsdale lecture given by Vivek Ramaswamy titled "Woke Capitalism vs. Profit".

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