Thomas Kelly, J.D.

Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer

Thomas Kelly oversees JMC’s core program areas, including the American Political Tradition Project, Founding Civics Initiative, and National Summit on Civic Education.

He received his A.B. from the University of Chicago, where he studied international relations, and he earned his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame. He practiced as a commercial litigator in Chicago prior to his return to JMC, where he was previously a programs officer.

His writing on civic education has appeared in Newsweek, The Hill, National Review, The Philadelphia Inquirer, RealClear Public Affairs, University Bookman, and The Fulcrum.

If those of us who are working to strengthen civics believe in genuine pluralism, we’re going to have to show it by embracing genuine differences.

– Thomas Kelly
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OUT NOW: Read our Fall 2026 Civics Magazine! Featuring pieces on what it means to be an American from Ken Burns, Colleen Shogan, Andrew Delbanco, and more!

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