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By Caleb Aridano
In order to gain admittance to the McConnell Scholars program, one is asked to write an essay detailing “What person from the past would you like to meet and why?” Four years ago, I wrote an essay about former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court William Brennan- today I would like to revise my answer.
This being my final blog as a McConnell Scholar, I find it only fitting to write a new, updated answer to the same question I was asked all those years ago, which could potentially serve as a yardstick of my own growth. While Justice Brennan was certainly an unusual answer that suited my delusional ideas about justice and the Constitution, my personal judicial philosophy has strayed lengths from his pragmatism. However, for the first time in four years, I will set the Supreme Court aside and write an essay on who I believe to be America’s most profound patriot, and someone I would truly like to meet: John Adams.
Adams is often overlooked by those studying the founding. Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, and even Madison seem to get more press than our second President. And this observation holds true. If one is searching for an adventurous, irresistible hero tale or a striking profile in leadership, they will likely not choose Adams. He was a simple, humble, honest man of industry. This is not to diminish his intellectual prowess or ability to lead; instead, it serves to profile his life in terms of the qualities that made him so fit as our second commander.
At his core, Adams was a puritan farmer who had a zeal for all things reading, writing, and lawyering. Without frills or feathers, Adams was able to establish himself as Boston’s preeminent lawyer, and one of the nation’s finest advocates before the court. Adam’s most admirable quality, and what makes him the subject of this essay in large part, is Adams’ reluctancy to hold his posts. Almost every position that Adams held during his tenure is not one that he sought directly, but one that he was nudged toward by his contemporaries. His skills, honest reputation, and ability to master any role afforded him a lion reputation that subsequently advanced his career all the way to the White House.
But Adams’s service as President is not what makes him the subject of my essay; his devotion to his family, his farm, and his industry make him a suitable subject of emulation. Throughout my time in university and in the scholar’s program, we have had the privilege of studying many founders—each as impressive as the last—but none have left a lasting impression on my life like John Adams. As I navigate the postgraduate world and begin law school, Adams serves as a yardstick by which I can measure myself. Faith in God and in myself, a devotion to humble and honest practice, and a formidable, industrious work ethic are all elements of Adams that I can only hope to emulate in the next chapter of my life.
I am unsure where a career in law will take me. There exists a world where I practice right at home, but there’s an equal chance that I will try my hand in Chicago, New York City, or Washington D.C. Regardless of where I am led, I cannot lose sight of where I’m from and who I’ve become. Adams reminds us of this through his writing, actions, and words. Despite spending many years serving the nation in Philadelphia and abroad in France, he never lost sight of his roots as a humble Massachusetts farmer.
On a final note, I am reminded of one of Adams’s most lauded phrases that has loomed over every discussion, debate, and meeting I have taken part in as a McConnell Scholar.
“Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”
At every turn throughout university, Adams has been present- offering a challenge to all those who are willing to accept it. After four years of study, class, discussion, and debate, I am finally ready to accept the challenge that Adams has set forth.
Caleb, of Crestwood, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2024 at the University of Louisville. He studies philosophy, political science, ethics, and public health.