Constitution Day

Celebrate Constitution Day September 17, 2011

Background

Senator Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat and the United States Congress' unofficial constitutional scholar, believes that the American primary, secondary, and post-secondary students lack significant knowledge regarding the United States Constitution. In December 2004, Senator Byrd offered an amendment that was passed by both the United States House of Representatives and the Unites States Senate in an attempt to increase students' knowledge about the constitution.

The legislation requires that all educational institutions that receive federal funds implement educational programs relating to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year. September 17th was selected as the date for the celebration due to the fact that on September 17, 1787 the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the United States Constitution and present it to the American Public. Click here to visit the official Constitution Day website.

On-Campus Events

All students, faculty and staff were invited to the opening of an exhibit of Constiutional documents and artifacts from the collection of Stanley and Dr. Naomi Yavneh Klos on Thursday, September 8, on the first floor of the law library on the Broadway campus. The collection is housed in the three glass exhibit cases in the circulation area.  

Mr. Klos made brief remarks introducing the exhibit, which is on special loan as part of Loyola's celebration of Constitution Day. The items displayed cover the following periods in our nation's history:

• United Colonies of America under the colonial Continental Congress: September 4, 1774 to July 1, 1776
• United States of America under the U.S. Continental Congress: July 2, 1776 to February 28, 1781
• United States of America under the ratified Constitution of 1777 (Articles of Confederation): March 1,
• 1781 to March 3, 1789
• The United States of America under the ratified Constitution of 1787

For those who were unable to come to the opening, the exhibit is on display until the end of September. Thank you to Mr. Stanley and Dr. Naomi Yavneh Klos, Professor and Library Director Michael Whipple, and Associate Library Director Brian Barnes, for their work in making this exhibit possible in time for the celebration of Constitution Day on September 17. 

Constitution Day materials may also be found in the J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library. The Loyola community is invited to view a display of materials related to the Constitution at the front of the Monroe Library in the new book area. In addition, the library has an electronic list of materials related to the Constitution.

If you are in the Danna Center this weekend, check out the special Constitution Day presentation running on the TVs throughout the building.

Look for postings on our Facebook page during September thanks to the National Constitution Center and School House Rock!

Annual Notices:

• Annual Constitution Day Notice (sent out on September 16th on the campus e-mail network)

Voter Registration Information

We encourage all students to register to vote. As a Catholic and Jesuit institution, Loyola is committed the cause of social justice.  We encourage our students to participate in the electoral process as it is critical in living a life as "men and women for others" who are aware of  the needs of under privileged and marginalized populations. Read more about why voting matters.

Updated September 16, 2011