This is a lightly edited version of remarks delivered on July 11 at the opening dinner of The Public Interest Fellowship’s Annual Forum. The author spoke in his capacity as director of studies for TPIF’s flagship fellowship program.

BALTIMORE — Welcome to The Public Interest Fellowship’s Annual Forum.

About this time 10 years ago, in July 2015, TPIF was four months old.

We had a purpose: We sought to advance the American experiment in ordered liberty.

And we had a concept: We would accomplish our purpose by providing talented young men and women jobs that advanced constitutional government in America. We would also supply a continuing education in ideas, institutions, and public policy. And we would form a network of friends and colleagues for those just getting started and who shared our dedication to freedom and democracy in America.

Our convictions were and remain those that undergird America’s experiment in ordered liberty. These are the same convictions that informed that great quarterly, founded in 1965 by Irving Kristol and Daniel Bell, The Public Interest. We believe that the American experiment in ordered liberty is grounded in individual freedom; human equality; limited constitutional government; the rule of law; free markets; good character; a vibrant civil society comprising families, communities, civic associations, and houses of worship; and a strong America abroad.

At its inception, TPIF differed from other Washington programs for young men and women. Ten years ago, D.C. had internships aplenty that enabled twenty-somethings to acquire political experience. And undergraduates and graduate students could find opportunities in D.C. to study ideas and public policy.

In those days, though, it would have been hard to find in Washington a full-time program that stressed both working in politics and studying politics. TPIF aimed to provide our fellows hands-on experience and vigorous discussion around the seminar table – discussion of great books, seminal articles, and thorny policy issues. This raises the venerable question: Which is more important to preparing for politics, experience or study? TPIF answers that both experience and study are essential to forming responsible citizens and effective public servants.

So, 10 years ago this month, TPIF had a purpose and a concept. But we had no full-time employees. And we had no fellows. In July 2015, we part-timers – Joel Winton, Mike Goldfarb, Nani Beraha, and I – were still assembling what became TPIF’s legendary first-year class.

That legendary first-year class consisted of five men and two women. Four of them – two men, two women – went on to occupy positions of weight and responsibility in either the first or second Trump administration.

The late Ian Lindquist was a stalwart member of TPIF’s first-year class. Ian excelled in the activities in which it is most worth excelling. He shined as student, teacher, friend, mentor, colleague, thinker, doer, son, husband, and father. Ian remains for TPIF a model and a standard. His memory is a blessing.

One year after completing the program, Ian returned as TPIF executive director. He served in that position for nearly three years. Ian played a pivotal role in launching the expansion of TPIF’s offerings beyond the flagship fellowship but in view of TPIF’s founding mission.

The flagship fellowship hosts around 20 twenty-somethings each year. It involves two years of full-time work, bi-monthly........

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