Former national security advisor to Ronald Reagan and ISI alum, Richard V. Allen, was a student at Notre Dame when a misdirected copy of The Intercollegiate Review made its way into his campus mailbox. That day he was introduced to the Institute, and the rest of the story is ISI history. Today, he serves on ISI's Board of Trustees.

From time to time we hear from students and faculty about how they came to discover ISI. Others relate how an occurrence at an ISI-sponsored event shaped their lives. Many of these stories prove insightful (and humorous) into how the network of conservative intellectuals has grown over the years. So what's your ISI story?

Tell us and we'll occasionally select from among the best to receive a free ISI book.

My ISI story is somewhat a fluke. I was waiting to go into my music class in Spring 2004 and I noticed a copy of Campus on a nearby table. I wasn't sure what to think at first but the cover intrigued me which stated, "Are Today's Student Activists Doing the Reading?" I started reading it and liked what I saw. I showed it to my advisor and he stated that he knew about the group and said that I should request copies to distribute and so I did. Well this fall rolled around and I had a copy or two lying around and was planning to put them out. While reading a column in Townhall.com, I saw the ad for ISI which offered a free Guide to the Major Disciplines so I clicked and joined ISI and am now a campus rep. for my school and hope to start a group and leave a legacy on my campus. In fact I was able to get my library to order an ISI book for their collection. That's my ISI story and I'm stickin' to it.

Daniel Sauerwein

My college roommate told me about an economics professor he had for class that he thought I would like to meet. The prof shared a lot of the ideas that my roommate and I frequently discussed.

One day when the professor was giving a test, my roommate arranged for me to meet him. He and I talked outside his classroom and then his office for a couple hours. It was then that he told me about ISI and gave me a membership brochure. That day, December 12, 1994, changed my life. I eagerly filled out and returned my member registration and sent it in. I have been a devoted fan of the ISI ever since.

My first indirect contact with ISI was through Professor Andrew Tadie of Seattle University in 1988. The truth is we never talked of ISI.

I was taking a class on Rhetoric to finish off an English secondary credential to add to my Social Studies (History) and Spanish credentials. As I bilingual teacher I thought additional English studies would be essential no matter if I taught in the field of Social Studies or Spanish.

So Professor Tadie kindly invited me to study with him independently so that I could meet the requirements of Washington State. After that we struck up a friendship based on our mutual love of literature, history and the classical tradition.


The first time I ever spoke to a college class or informally taught in a college was for Andrew Tadie when he asked me to give a talk on Robert Burns and the Scottish Enlightenment.

No ISI yet.

I moved to California and became a teacher there.

In 1997-1998 I became involved for the first time with the Internet and with the English for the Children Movement.

I had met Ron Unz in October 1997 and had signed up to help him (I was by this time thoroughly disgusted with multiculturalists and phoney bilingual education).

No ISI yet but we are getting close.

In the mean time I kept writing to Prof Tadie about my family, my plays, my academic career and I sent him many articles I wrote about prop 227. So Prof Tadie was always in close touch with my literary, academic, religious and poltical interests.

Disgusted with the NYT et al and their bias during the 227 campaign, I began to read articles on TOWNHALL.COM.

Many were authors I had read before.

One day I saw an advertisement for a fellowship and so I looked it up.

I made an inquiry. I saw on the list of the trustees an author DONALD KAGAN whom I had never met but whose works were well-known to me. I knew he was at Yale so I wrote him a sincere letter (e-mail) explaining my background and my interests.

I did not expect a reply.

On Sept 26, 2003 Professor Kagan,surprised me by an rapid and postive response to the email I had sent him concerning the Renshaw Fellowship.
It was less than 24 hours.

To make a long story short, I called Professor Tadie to ask him about ISI and the Renshaw and ask if he would write a letter of recommendation for me.

It was only then that I realized that Professor Tadie had long associations with ISI and that he approved of it highly. He assured me that this was the kind of organization that would appreciate me and that I did not have to hide my conservative and tradtional beliefs. Usually I left off my applications that I had served in the U.S. Marines (Reserves) and I knew I had to watch my language. The F word was acceptable to many but not the the capital G word, the J word or the M world.

I did not like this but kept quiet and served the yoke as my ancestors would have said.

With a great sense of liberation I set to the work to apply for the Renshaw Fellowship which I was lucky enough to win, with the help of God, and the prayers of many dear friends round the globe. Since then I have learned more about ISI and I really support the organization.

When I was an undergraduate at NYU I never heard of Russell Kirk. Because of Annette Kirk and ISI I have now read several of his wonderful books and many of his essays. I was delighted that here was a man who loved old Gilbert Highet as I did. (at UVA Highet's books are in IVY stacks that is to say storage they are never assigned and Highet will be unknown to the younger generation of scholars I am afraid to their great loss).

I never heard of ISI.

I had heard of course of Bill Buckley but only that he was a "Catholic reactionary" and a snob to boot.

I realize now when I lived in New York that I was adrift and alone in a sea of Liberal Secular Humanists who, essentially, hated everything I believed in and cherished. I took refugee in the church and ethnic circles of Cubans, Poles, exiled Irish and Scottish Gaels.

I loved the books at NYU -I read many off the lists- and a few professors and a few dear godly Christian and Jewish friends but I lived anonymously and totally isolated.

I came like water and like wind I went. I had gained much learning but had no connections and no money. My first real job was unloading railcars and working in construction. I kept my university ring in my pocket but I continued praying, singing the Big Songs and reading the classics as I had always done.

The only NYU personality ever to recognize anything in me was Diane Ravitch and to this day I don't know what I said to make her take notice of me. In fact I feel the same way about Andrew Tadie. I never understood how the fates drew us together but it is true from the start we were soul mates.

I did not know at that time but I was headed, slowly on the path to ISI and now the University of Virginia.

That's my ISI story.
Despite the conspiracy of silence, after a long odyssey, I finally heard the good news. Maybe it took me that long to gain the maturity and faith I needed to succeed. Only God knows but I have always trusted in the Lord.

"Reverence unto God" (biodh eagal dhe oirre) was in fact the first Bible verse I ever knew.

I did the right thing and kept on working, living, supporting my family and gradually my hard work was rewarded and my modest talents were recognized as well as my loyal heart of service. I will be eternally grateful to those good people at ISI who have changed my life and honored me by their association.

My first encounter with ISI was in Washington, DC. At the time I was working with Students for Saving Social Security and through CPAC, met Francisco Gonzalez.

We kept in touch and I became more involved with ISI by way of the Conservatism on Tap. DC had the wonderful air of bringing people from around the country, sometimes around the world, together. I wanted to become more involved, but I knew I was about to travel to London to study for my masters at the London School of Economics.

During my undergrad I had always wanted to start an organization. Something that I could create that would give great benefits to the students and become an asset to the university. I never had that chance. While at the London School of Economics I obtained this opportunity.

Even though the process took a bit longer than I expected, I managed to sign 30 people up. It has been great getting together with each of them and learning about their home country's; religion, culture, and philosophy.

Setting up the first international chapter for ISI has been wonderful. I have met some great people from around the world, established a society with a western connection at LSE, and learned alot about western civilization.

I want to thank ISI for giving me the chance to install this chapter and thank Francisco for helping me through the process.

Sincerely,

Bill Fields