A deeper look at what motivated our Founding Fathers to build a new nation is ahead on the next “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. John Vile

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. John Vile, dean of MTSU’s University Honors College, aired from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, on WMOT-FM/Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. (Listen to the full interview below)

Vile, a political scientist and native Virginian, will teach the spring 2017 course “Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar: The Constitutional and Political Legacy of America’s Founders.”

During spring break, March 4-11, the class will visit numerous locations in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

The itinerary for the spring break trip includes:

• Poplar Forest, President Thomas Jefferson’s private retreat in Forest, Virginia.
• Monticello, Jefferson’s estate, and Ash Lawn, President James Monroe’s home, both in Charlottesville, Virginia.
• Montpelier, President James Madison’s home, in Orange, Virginia.
• St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, where Patrick Henry delivered his famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech in 1775.
• Several sites in Williamsburg, Virginia, including the College of William and Mary.
• Mount Vernon, President George Washington’s home, in the Virginia community named for it.
• Gunston Hall, the Lorton, Virginia, home of George Mason, a delegate to the first Constitutional Convention and the acknowledged “father of the Bill of Rights.”
• The National Archives and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

“We’re primarily concentrating on the period from 1776 to roughly 1791, you know, some of the early presidents,” said Vile. “We are going to try to integrate some work related to women and African-Americans, who sometimes get overlooked in the period.”

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about “MTSU On the Record,” contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.