The Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies is pleased to announce that the 11th annual Tom E. Moses Memorial Lecture on the U.S. Constitution will be given by Ralph Young, author of Dissent: The History of an American Idea on Sept. 16.

Young is a Professor of History at Temple University, where he teaches courses on dissent and coordinates weekly Dissent In America Teach-Ins. Young’s previous works include Dissent in America: The Voices That Shaped a Nation.

The Moses Memorial Lecture is named for the late Tom E. Moses, a longtime civil libertarian, activist, and founder of the Eastern Panhandle branch of the ACLU-WV. The lecture will be given on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 7 p.m. in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies’ Auditorium on the campus of Shepherd University. Admission is free and open to the public, but due to limited space advance tickets will be required.

Dissent on the part of Americans both celebrated and unknown has played a central role in the shaping the United States. Young will place some of America’s most significant dissenters, from the Puritan Anne Hutchison in the seventeenth century to the members of the Occupy and Tea Party Movements, in historical context and discuss how their actions impacted the nation in both intended and unexpected ways.

Persons interested in acquiring tickets should call Mr. Jody Brumage at (304) 876-5648 or email him at jbrumage@shepherd.edu. Tickets will also be available at the Byrd Center located at 213 N. King St., Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV 25443. Any remaining tickets will be available at the door on a first-come-first-served basis on the night of the lecture.

A private, nonpartisan and nonprofit educational organization located on the campus of Shepherd University, The Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies advances representative democracy by promoting a better understanding of the United States Congress and the Constitution through programs and research that engage citizens.