During the Sixth Annual Carl B. Menges Colloquium, the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization (AHI) reserved the luncheon of April 20 to unveil a new volume of essays that explore the thought of Michael Oakeshott, called by Dartmouth Professor Jeffrey Hart “the most important political thinker in the Anglo-Saxon tradition since Burke (and I have not overlooked J. S. Mill).”  The late Kenneth Minogue (1930-2013), a student of Oakeshott who contributed to this outstanding collection, was one of the featured attendants. Paul Franco and Leslie Marsh edited and contributed to the volume which represents the work of more than a dozen scholars.

Dr. Franco and Dr. Marsh expressed their gratitude, which, with their permission, we are pleased to post here:

“As the editors of the A Companion to Michael Oakeshott (Penn State University Press, 2013) Paul Franco and I would like to thank the AHI not only for so graciously allowing us to tag onto the Sixth Annual Carl B. Menges Colloquium but also for so generously funding our attendees. Unfortunately, because of the vagaries of the weather and the explosion in Waco, Tim Fuller and Elizabeth Corey were unable to make it. Their presence was sorely missed but hopefully there will be another opportunity in the not-to-distant-future for them to come along to the AHI and enjoy the wonderful hospitality – both substantively and socially. Those that did make it through, though not without incident, were Corey Abel, Ken McIntyre, Steven Gerencser, and sadly, the late Ken Minogue. Ken it must be said was in sparkling form: this despite being in the midst of a punishing travelling schedule. Ken was a trooper – his interest in topics and people was palpable to those who heard him perform and to those who encountered him in close quarters. AHI was a new home-from-home for him.

Though billed as the launch of the Oakeshott volume it was more a case of informally introducing Oakeshott to an audience that wouldn’t have otherwise have come across him. Oakeshott’s writings on liberal arts education (among other topics), has a great deal of resonance to the AHI’s concerns.

We wish to register our profound thanks to our hosts Bob Paquette and Thomas Cheeseman.

Paul Franco and Leslie Marsh.”