
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

Mar 4, 2022 • 45min
Stephen Markman, Margarita Mooney Suarez, & Shane Smith
TOPICS: Independent Redistricting Committees, the love of learning, and a Hillsdale student published in a science journalHost Scot Bertram talks with Stephen Markman, a retired Michigan Supreme Court justice and Professor of Constitutional Law at Hillsdale College, about the promises and results of redistricting commissions in various states. Margarita Mooney Suarez, founder and Executive Director of the Scala Foundation, discusses the purpose of education and her recent book THE LOVE OF LEARNING. And Shane Smith '22, a Hillsdale senior, highlights the work that landed him in the peer-reviewed science journal NATURE ASTRONOMY.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 25, 2022 • 51min
David Azerrad, Mark Bauerlein, & Dwight Lindley
TOPICS: The preamble to the Constitution, examining the Millennial generation, and taking literature personallyHost Scot Bertram talks with David Azerrad, Assistant Professor and Research Fellow at Hillsdale College ’s Van Andel Graduate School of Government, about how the Constitution’s preamble explains America’s mission statement. Mark Bauerlein, senior editor at First Things, drops by to discuss his new book, THE DUMBEST GENERATION GROWS UP: FROM STUPEFIED YOUTH TO DANGEROUS ADULTS. And we welcome back Dwight Lindley, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale, to talk about taking literature personally.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 18, 2022 • 48min
Mollie Hemingway, Steven Mosher, & David Diener
TOPICS: CNN, Joe Rogan, & redistricting, the "Bully of Asia," and an introduction to Neil PostmanHost Scot Bertram talks with Mollie Hemingway, Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College, Editor-In-Chief at The Federalist, and Fox News Contributor, about CNN's latest troubles, the targeting of Joe Rogan, and the politics of redistricting. Steven Mosher discusses his book BULLY OF ASIA, now available in paperback. And David Diener, Headmaster of Hillsdale Academy and Lecturing Professor of Education at Hillsdale College, introduces us to the thinking of Neil Postman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 11, 2022 • 54min
Matt Mehan, Holly Ordway, Lorraine Murphy, & Mike Pompeo
TOPICS: Patriotism as a virtue, Tolkien and the Christian Imagination, Gustav Flobert, & Mike Pmpeo at HillsdaleHost Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Mehan, Director of Academic Programs for Washington D.C. and Assistant Professor of Government for the Van Andel Graduate School of Government, about the concept of patriotism as a virtue. Holly Ordway, Cardinal Francis George Fellow of Faith and Culture for the Word on Fire Institute, speaks on Tolkien and the Christian imagination. Lorraine Murphy, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale, returns for her occasional series on Realism to discuss Gustave Flaubert. And we hear excerpts from a speech here at Hillsdale College given by former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 4, 2022 • 46min
Matthew Spalding, James Rickards, & Stephen Smith
TOPICS: Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, debating a cashless society, & Sir Thomas MoreHost Scot Bertram talks with Matthew Spalding, Vice President of Washington Operations and Dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College, about how Thomas Jefferson influenced and helped shape the Declaration of Independence. New York Times bestselling author and economist James Rickards presents the current state of the cashless society. And Stephen Smith, Dean of Humanities and Professor of English at Hillsdale, discusses Sir Thomas More and his recent book, THE ESSENTIAL WORKS OF THOMAS MORE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 28, 2022 • 56min
Khalil Habib, Allen Guelzo, & Larry Arnn
TOPICS: Tocqueville & free press/free speech, the life of Robert E. Lee, and Hillsdale's Churchill ProjectHost Scot Bertram talks with Khalil Habib, Associate Professor of Politics at Hillsdale College, about a recent published essay on Tocqueville and the concepts of free speech and the free press. Noted historian Allen Guelzo discusses his recent book ROBERT E. LEE: A LIFE. And, as this week marks the 57th anniversary of the death of WInston Churchill, we talk with Hillsdale president Larry Arnn about the College's Churchill Project and why he's so interested in the man.Khalil Habib (0:46), Allen Guelzo (15:02), and Larry Arnn (44:02)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 21, 2022 • 48min
Thomas West, John Ellis, & Dedra Birzer
TOPICS: The effectual truth of identity politics, the breakdown of higher education, & Laura Ingalls Wilder and the "Little House" seriesHost Scot Bertram talks with Thomas West, Professor of Politics at Hillsdale College, about his recent essay titled, "The Effectual Truth of Identity Politics". John M. Ellis joins the show to discuss his book, THE BREAKDOWN OF HIGHER EDUCATION: HOW IT HAPPENED, THE DAMAGE IT DOES, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE, now in paperback. And Dedra Birzer, Lecturer of History at Hillsdale, begins a brief series on Laura Ingalls Wilder and the "Little House" series of books.Thomas West (0:45), John Ellis (12:12), and Dedra Birzer (35:00)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 14, 2022 • 52min
John J. Miller, Peter Wood, Kelli Kazmier, & Dutton Kearney
TOPICS: Safety in the game of football, the recent book WRATH, drug addiction at the atomic level, & Hillsdale's Visiting Writers ProgramHost Scot Bertram talks with John J. Miller, Director of Hillsdale's Dow Journalism Program and author of THE BIG SCRUM, discusses changes made to keep the game of football safe and how President Teddy Roosevelt helped save the sport. Peter Wood, President of the National Association of Scholars, talks about his recent book WRATH: AMERICA ENRAGED. Kelli Kazmier, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Hillsdale, describes drug addiction at the atomic level and shares some of her research. And Dutton Kearney, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale and director of the school's Visiting Writers Program, gives us an overview of the project.John J. Miller (0:51), Peter Wood (12:53), Kelli Kazmier (25:46), and Dutton Kearney (40:50)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 7, 2022 • 50min
Scott Atlas, John R. Lott, Jr., & Matthew Gaetano
TOPICS: Hillsdale's new Academy for Science and Freedom, Election reform and the Carter/Baker Commission, & the connections between the Renaissance and the ReformationHost Scot Bertram talks with Scott Atlas, Fellow at Hillsdale College's Academy for Science and Freedom, about the launch of the new program and what we can expect from the effort. John R. Lott, Jr., Founder and President of the Crime Prevention Research Center, discusses Election reforms and the Carter-Baker Commission. And Matthew Gaetano, Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale, compares and contrasts the key tenets of the Renaissance and the Reformation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 31, 2021 • 7min
Holiday Greetings & Most Popular Shows of 2021
TOPICS: Holiday Greetings from THE RADIO FREE HILLSDALE HOUR & listing the most-listened-to episodes of 2021See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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