Constructing the Constitutional Imagination: A Symposium in Honor of Ken I. Kersch

Event Overview 

On February 20, 2026, the Clough Center will host a conference in honor of Ken I. Kersch, who passed away last November. In addition to directing the Clough Center from 2008 to 2012, Kersch served as a professor in BC's Political Science Department, where he taught classes on American conservatism, political thought, constitutional development, and civil liberties. A revered teacher and author of 5 books, Kersch was the recipient of, among other honors, the American Political Science Association's 2020 C. Herman Pritchett Award for the best book on law and courts. 

The Clough Center's conference will coincide with the publication of a special issue of the Journal of American Constitutional History that engages with Kersch's work in political science, history, and law. Speakers include Aziz Rana (Boston College), Sophia Lee (Penn), Mark Graber (Maryland), Justin Dyer (UT Austin), Mary Ziegler (UC Davis), Sanford Leinvson (UT Austin), Julie Novkov (SUNY Albany), Jonathan Gienapp (Stanford), Rogers Smith (Penn), Linda McClain (BU), James Fleming (BU), George Thomas (Claremont McKenna), Logan Sawyer (Georgia), Michael Dichio (Utah), Paul Herron (Providence), Sean Beienburg (Arizona State), Clement Fatovic (Florida International), Austin Steelman (Clemson), and Calvin TerBeek (Claremont McKenna). 

The Law School and Political Science departments are co-sponsoring this event.