What the Founders Read

What the Founders Read is a yearlong discussion group for Athenæum members, led by Bradley Owen, Ph.D. The group examines the education of the American Founders, with particular attention to their engagement with the classical literature and ideas of ancient Greece and Rome and the ways those influences shaped the ideals of the new nation.

The discussions use Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Ricks’s 2021 book, *What America’s Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country*, as a guide. Registration covers the full year, with meetings held monthly.

When: Saturday, January 17 through Saturday, December 19.

Showtimes: Meetings take place at 10:30 AM on the third Saturday of each month. The April 18, 2026 meeting is canceled; its make-up meeting is scheduled for January 18, 2027.

Facilitator: Bradley Owen, Ph.D., an Athenæum member and former philosophy professor at Loyola University of Chicago and San Diego State University. He and his wife moved to Philadelphia in 2024.

Tickets: Athenæum member registration is $120.00. Young Friend and student registration are each $60.00.

Registration: Registration is for the complete year, and all registration sales are final. Registration is currently closed.

Venue: The Athenæum of Philadelphia, 219 S. 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3794.

Contact: The Athenæum can be reached at 215-925-2688.