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History of Constitution Day

Concerned about lack of knowledge of the United States Constitution, West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd introduced in December 2004 an amendment intended to help U.S. students appreciate and learn more about the U.S. Constitution. The amendment, passed into law along with an appropriations bill by both the House and Senate, requires that all educational institutions receiving federal funds implement educational programs relating to the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17 each year. Senator Byrd's amendement was implemented in May 2005 by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement.

As you may know, it was on Sept. 17, 1787, that delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time, in Philadelphia, to sign the United States Constitution and present it to the public. Constution Day is observed annually on Sept. 17, except when the 17th falls on a Sunday, in which case the federal government specifies that Constitution Day programs may be held the week before or the week after Sept. 17. The federal government, while requiring that Constitution Day be marked by educational programming, does not specify the type or duration of that programming.

Constitution Day at Penn State

At Penn State, Constitution Day 2006 was marked by adding a permanent Constitution Day section to the Laboratory for Public Scholarship and Democracy website.  These pages include not only resources for learning about the U.S. Constitution and other constitutions but also materials for teaching and learning about the Constitution in the context of undergraduate curricula across the University. What sets this website apart from other websites and programs marking Constitution Day is its emphasis on Public Scholarship: presented here are resources for professors and students to think and talk together about how their areas of academic and professional expertise relate, actually or potentially, to the Constitution of the United States. Follow the links to discover how this website can help you learn more about the U.S. Constitution, about how your major relates to the Constitution, and about how you can take advantage of Constitution Day to become a more active citizen-scholar.

Penn State celebrated Constitution Day 2005 with a panel discussion of contemporary constitutional issues. Read more about Constitution Day 2005 at Penn State. And visit the 2005 Penn State Constitution Day website for more information.