
The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour
The Radio Free Hillsdale Hour is a one-hour, weekly radio show/podcast advancing the efforts of Hillsdale College in radiating its knowledge and teaching to the world outside of campus. Listeners will hear the arguments and debates that make up the liberal arts education and will experience the learning and teaching that happens on campus. Hosted by Scot Bertram.
Latest episodes

Apr 25, 2025 • 43min
Dana Perino Shares Life and Career Advice
Guests: Dana Perino & Benedict Whalen Host Scot Bertram talks with Dana Perino, co-host of Fox News’ The Five and America's Newsroom and former White House Press Secretary, about the lessons she's learned over the course of her career and her new book I Wish Someone Had Told Me . . .: The Best Advice for Building a Great Career and a Meaningful Life. And Benedict Whalen, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, gives a biographical sketch of American writer and humorist Mark Twain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 18, 2025 • 49min
The Legacy of William F. Buckley
Guests: Richard Samuelson & George H. Nash Host Scot Bertram talks with Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government at Hillsdale College’s Washington, D.C. campus, continuing their conversation around the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This week, they discuss the battle at Lexington and Concord. And George H. Nash, American historian and chronicler of American conservatism, discusses William F. Buckley and the beginnings of the conservative movement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 11, 2025 • 43min
The Ambition of American Art
Guests: Charlie Kirk, Christina Lamb Chakalova, & Ellen Condict Host Scot Bertram plays excerpts from a speech by Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and syndicated radio host, about the Trump administration's efforts to curtail the bureaucratic state. Christina Lamb Chakalova, assistant professor of Art at Hillsdale College, gives an overview of the history and character of American art. And Ellen Condict, English teacher at Hillsdale Academy and adjunct professor of English and Education at Hillsdale College, explains the importance of memorization in education. Listen to Charlie Kirk's complete speech here: https://freedomlibrary.hillsdale.edu/programs/national-leadership-seminar-phoenix-arizona/hitting-the-ground-running-the-trump-transition-and-early-prioritiesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 4, 2025 • 40min
Classical Architecture and Human Flourishing
Guests: Miles Smith IV & Justin Shubow Host Scot Bertram talks with Miles Smith, assistant professor of History at Hillsdale College, about a recent essay he wrote on the historical role of the press in American politics. And Justin Shubow, president of the National Civic Art Society, lays out the roots of modern architecture and explains the importance of classical art and architecture in public spaces.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 28, 2025 • 1h 1min
Saving Hollywood From Itself
Guests: Kevin Portteus, Titus Techera, & Stephen Goniprow Host Scot Bertram talks with Kevin Portteus, professor of Politics and director of American Studies at Hillsdale College, about a recent article he wrote on the history and political theory of American immigration policy. Titus Techera, executive director at the American Cinema Foundation, explains how Hollywood lost touch with the American people. And Stephen Goniprow, a recent graduate of Hillsdale's Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, outlines the intellectual foundations of global justice theory.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 21, 2025 • 51min
How DEI Weakens the Military
Guests: Charles N. Steele, Will Thibeau, & Derek Stauff Host Scot Bertram talks with Charles N. Steele, director of the Center for Commerce and Freedom and Herman A. and Suzanne S. Dettwiler Chair in Economics at Hillsdale College, about Understanding Capitalism, the latest online course from Hillsdale College. Will Thibeau, director of the American Military Project at the Claremont Institute Center for the American Way of Life, lays out how DEI initiatives weaken the American military as described in a recent report. And Derek Stauff, associate professor of music at Hillsdale College, gives some simple tips on how to better appreciate classical music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 14, 2025 • 49min
William F. Buckley Jr. and the American Character
Guests: Joseph Postell, Lawrence Perelman, & Michael Tripepi Host Scot Bertram talks with Joseph Postell, associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College, about the origins of the bureaucratic state as laid out in his book Bureaucracy in America: The Administrative State’s Challenge to Constitutional Government. Lawrence Perelman, founder & CEO of Semantix Creative Group, shares the lessons he learned as a close friend of National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr. and takes us inside his new book American Impresario: William F. Buckley, Jr., and the Elements of American Character. And Michael Tripepi, assistant professor of physics at Hillsdale College, explains why physicists study infrared light.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 7, 2025 • 51min
How Transparency Weakens the Deep State
Guests: Khalil Habib, Kevin M. Shipp, & Brent Cline Host Scot Bertram talks with Khalil Habib, associate professor of politics and Allison and Dorothy Rouse Chair in Politics at Hillsdale College, about how examples of statesmanship in the Roman Republic can teach us about good government. Kevin M. Shipp, former CIA officer and anti-terrorism expert, lays out the history of the CIA and gives an overview of his new book Twilight of the Shadow Government: How Transparency Will Kill the Deep State. And Brent Cline, associate professor of English at Hillsdale College, continues a short series on the Harlem Renaissance. This week, the life and work of writer James Weldon Johnson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 28, 2025 • 45min
Digital Currency and the End of Freedom
Guests: Richard M. Langworth, Catherine Austin Fitts, & Tori Hope Petersen Host Scot Bertram plays a previous interview with the late Richard Langworth, writer, historian, and senior fellow at the Hillsdale Churchill Project, about common misconceptions and myths about Winston Churchill. Catherine Austin Fitts, president of Solari, Inc., warns of the potential consequences of efforts by central banks to impose the use of digital currencies. And Tori Hope Petersen, author, speaker, and Hillsdale graduate, talks about the process of recovering from past traumas and her new book Breaking the Patterns That Break You: Healing from the Pain of Your Past and Finding Real Hope That Lasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 21, 2025 • 42min
How DOGE is Reshaping the Administrative State
Guests: Mollie Hemingway & Mark P. Mills Host Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, senior journalism fellow at Hillsdale College and editor-in-chief at The Federalist, about the first month of President Donald Trump's second term in office. And Mark P. Mills, senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and director of the National Center on Energy Analytics, talks about the economics and future of electric vehicles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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