Independence Hall at 91修车厂 stands as an outward and visible symbol of the聽University鈥檚 commitment to teaching our nation鈥檚聽history and founding principles. The new building will聽house the academic programming and classes associated聽with the Morris Family Center for Law & Liberty. The聽Center is an initiative of the School of Humanities and聽was started in 2011 under the leadership of the Dean聽at the time – Dr. Chris Hammons. He and several of his聽colleagues were concerned about an increasing number聽of students who had little understanding and interest in聽American history or our nation鈥檚 founding principles. 鈥淚t聽was increasingly apparent that fewer and fewer of our聽students understood the importance of our constitutional聽system of government,鈥� says Hammons. 鈥淭he Center was聽started as an academic initiative to address that problem聽and make sure our students understood the beauty of our聽nation鈥檚 founding principles.鈥�
The Center began offering academic programming such聽as special lectures, historic travel programs, and book聽groups for students as well as workshops for teachers.聽One of the earliest activities was a mock Constitutional聽Convention where students would debate ratification of聽the Constitution. 鈥淚 got a small grant from a national聽organization to buy some 18th-century-looking tablecloths,聽quill pens, parchment, and other decorations and we聽recreated on campus a room that looked like where the聽Constitution was created and debated,鈥� says Hammons.
Hammons says the event was a great success and that聽students were more engaged in the activity than he聽thought they might have been otherwise. 鈥淏eing in that聽room really gave students a sense of time and space which聽is often lacking in discussions of history,鈥� said Hammons.聽It was this event that was the genesis for the idea of聽bringing Independence Hall to HBU.
As Dean of the School of Humanities, Hammons made聽the Center鈥檚 mission a priority and began talking with聽University leadership about the possibility of creating聽a building on campus to house the Center鈥檚 activities.
鈥淲hen we began looking at buildings to house the Center聽for Law & Liberty, Independence Hall was a natural draw,鈥澛爏ays Hammons. 鈥淚ndependence Hall is an iconic building聽that is central to the story of our nation and easily聽recognizable.鈥� With the blessing of University President聽Dr. Robert Sloan, Hammons began over a decade-long聽campaign to raise funds to bring this historic building to聽the campus. He spoke all over the city, state and even in聽other states, explaining the importance of the mission of聽the Morris Family Center for Law & Liberty and the value聽of the Independence Hall building on a campus as diverse聽as HCU. Hammons estimates he has spoken to over 100聽civic groups across the nation in sharing this vision.
鈥淚 just knew this was such a unique opportunity and the聽timing was right and if I could find the right people who聽shared this vision, we could make it happen. I just wasn鈥檛聽sure what that timeline would look like,鈥� says Hammons.
He made a trip to Philadelphia in 2013 at his own expense聽to secure the blueprints to the original Independence聽Hall and take a tour of the historic building. Those聽blueprints became the basis for several years of meetings聽with potential donors and other interested parties to聽generate interest in the Independence Hall project.
Hammons envisioned not only a building modeled after聽Independence Hall but also the construction of additional聽classrooms and office space in a complex devoted to the聽teaching of American history and government, as well as聽creation of a unique event space on campus.
Hammons put together a committee to help promote the聽idea and one of the instrumental people on that committee聽was Dr. Stewart Morris, Sr. Unbeknownst to Hammons, at聽the time, the entire Morris family had a deep love and interest in American history and had commissioned the聽recreation of several historic buildings across the nation.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know at the time that the Morris family had聽such a love of historic architecture. I was just hoping they聽could help me meet people who might support the project,鈥澛爏hared Hammons. He organized and held numerous聽fundraising events over the years and the Morris family聽always made a point of attending and helping to promote聽the project. Hammons says they were early believers in聽the vision and helped advocate for construction of the聽building from the very start. 鈥淚 really feel like the Lord聽connected us for this project,鈥� says Hammons.
Hammons spent the next five years promoting the聽project through numerous fundraising events. 鈥淚 think聽we had breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with every civic聽and business group in town,鈥� jokes Hammons. Members聽of the Morris family and University leadership were often聽present. After having been involved with the endeavor for聽a few years, the Morris family decided to make a major gift聽to the project. With that transformational gift, Hammons聽says it was much easier to secure additional funding to聽complete the project.
The Center was formally renamed聽the Morris Family Center for Law & Liberty to honor the聽generosity and shared vision of the Morris family.聽Construction of the complex began in 2021 and was聽completed by fall of 2022. The main building will be聽used for special lectures, events, banquets and tours for聽the public and local school kids. Hammons is developing聽curriculum for 5th graders (who study the American聽Revolution as part of their curriculum) to come tour聽the building and learn about the nation鈥檚 history. The聽complex will also host two classroom buildings. The first聽classroom building opened for fall classes and a second classroom聽building is planned for construction in the聽very near future.
Hammons notes that the instantly recognizable building聽is now the tallest point on campus and easily visible from聽the highway. 鈥淚鈥檝e always believed that this project was聽important beyond just the teaching of American history聽and government. It brings new visibility to the University聽and beautifies our campus. The illuminated tower at night聽is beautiful,鈥� Hammons says.
Having worked on the project for over a decade,聽Hammons, Director of the Morris Family Center for聽Law & Liberty, says he is glad to see it come to fruition.聽鈥淏eyond just teaching American history, our nation鈥檚聽founding principles, and the importance of the free聽enterprise system, it鈥檚 a great feeling to see people smile聽when they walk into the building.鈥� Hammons hopes the聽complex will be a place where students and visitors聽can learn about our nation鈥檚 history, discuss important聽questions about our nation鈥檚 future, and leave feeling聽good about their country
