Mission
Educating for Liberty Since 1953
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute inspires college students to discover, embrace, and advance the principles and virtues that make America free and prosperous. Through educational programs, events, and media exploring conservative thought and the Western tradition, we identify promising young Americans and invest in their development.
Educational Approach
Leadership and Learning
ISI programs introduce students to the conservative thought and virtuous leadership needed to sustain ordered liberty in America.
Virtuous Leadership
Within a national community of peers and mentors, students are inspired by examples of the great men and women who have embodied our civilization’s ideals throughout history. This bolsters them with the formation and network they need to become virtuous leaders for liberty.
Conservative Thought
Students are formed by the foundational ideas, questions, and achievements that have shaped America and the West. Under the direction of conservative scholars and through the works of Plato, Dante, Shakespeare, Burke, Tocqueville, Russell Kirk, and more, students study freedom and virtue, economic liberty, technology and human flourishing, and artistic excellence.
History and Foundation
Filling the Void in Higher Education
In the 1950s, the Left began its march across major American institutions, including academia. Higher education became a place where progressive political ideologies dominated and students were pressured into a single way of thinking.
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute was founded in 1953 to fight back. Under the leadership of its founder, conservative intellectual Frank Chodorov, and its first president, recent Yale graduate William F. Buckley, ISI sought to reclaim academia from the growing influence of the Left. Since its founding, ISI has remained committed to teaching undergraduates the principles and virtues that make America free and prosperous.
ISI’s in-person educational programs are the heart of its mission. These include ISI campus groups, intercollegiate conferences, and a weeklong academic retreat for our top students. Through these programs, ISI has cultivated a national community for conservative students and professors to study the Western tradition and political texts while building a network of like-minded peers.
In 1995, ISI expanded its reach by acquiring the Collegiate Network (CN) journalism program. The CN provides financial and technical assistance to student editors and writers of more than 80 conservative publications on campuses across the United States. These student journalists elevate campus discourse and provide a platform for students to express conservative perspectives that are otherwise suppressed. Additionally, ISI supports our CN students by training them in the techniques required for serious investigative journalism.
ISI facilitates conversations with the Right’s leading intellectuals. We publish a range of conservative voices in our flagship print journal Modern Age: A Conservative Review, which began in 1957 under Russell Kirk and Henry Regnery. ISI also brings together perspectives across conservatism in our educational media and in-person programs for students. Each week, our curated newsletter, the Intercollegiate Review, features the sharpest commentary on politics, education, the arts, and more from across the Right.
Ronald Reagan gives the keynote address at an ISI alumni dinner, 1977.
Milton Friedman with ISI students, 1967.
William F. Buckley speaks to a group of Harvard students, 1961.
Ludwig von Mises speaks with ISI students at Bard College, 1966.
Russell Kirk hosts a lecture with ISI students, 1965.
Eric Voegelin speaks with students at an ISI summer school at Stanford University, 1970.
ISI founder Frank Chodorov at a board meeting in Indianapolis, 1960.
Gerhart Niemeyer meets with ISI students, 1962.
Margaret Thatcher with the winners of the ISI Thatcher essay contest, 1997.
Roger Scruton speaks with ISI students at Oxford, 2002.
Robert P. George speaks at an ISI event in San Diego, 1992.
JD Vance gives a keynote lecture at ISI’s American Political Economy Conference, 2021.
Peter Thiel speaks at ISI’s Ninth Dinner for Western Civilization, 2014.
Ann Coulter delivers a keynote at ISI’s Collegiate Network Editor’s Conference, 2025.
Alumni
Our graduates become leaders in their communities, in their states, and on the national and global stages.
Thousands of thoughtful, principled leaders have come through ISI’s programs, including the following:
- Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch
- PayPal Co-founder Peter Thiel
- Heritage Foundation Founder Ed Feulner
- Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn
- Reason Magazine Editor-in-Chief Katherine Mangu-Ward
- New York Times Columnist Ross Douthat
- Bestselling Author and Columnist Ann Coulter
- See a full list of our notable alumni here.
The ISI Campus
A Place of Timeless Wisdom
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute campus embodies the perfect harmony of intellectual pursuit and natural beauty, making it a unique haven for learners, thinkers, and creators alike. Situated in the heart of the Brandywine Valley, our campus serves as a vibrant center for education, debate, and discovery, all within an environment that inspires and invigorates.
Linda L. Bean Conference Center
Generously endowed by Linda L. Bean, this modern facility blends elegance with functionality, providing an ideal setting for seminars, workshops, and lectures. With its state-of-the-art amenities and inspiring setting, the center fosters deep discussions on America’s founding principles, surrounded by the natural beauty and artistic heritage of the region.
Join Us
We warmly invite you to explore what it means to be part of ISI.
Email info@isi.org or call (302) 652-4600.
Whether you’re considering attending one of our events, participating in our educational programs, looking for a graduate fellowship, or seeking a new career, ISI offers a unique blend of intellectual rigor and natural beauty. Discover the enriching experiences that await you in the Brandywine Valley and take the first step towards joining a community that values tradition, cherishes liberty, and inspires excellence.
