By Kirk Laughlin

Called the Great Compromiser and named one of the five greatest Senators in American history by the Senate, the historic Kentucky statesman Henry Clay was remembered in an educational symposium on Feb. 17 at the University of Louisville.

The Henry Clay Conference was hosted by the McConnell Center as part of a two-year series on the life of Clay. The conference included lectures and debates by academics and historians from across the nation and an appearance by Clay, who was portrayed by Chautauqua Performance actor George McGee.

In attendance were high school and college students, high school teachers, and guests. Republican Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was expected to attend but was not able to make the conference due to the recent U.S. Senate filibuster over the vote on the Iraq War.

The conference’s keynote speaker was U.S. House of Representative Historian Dr. Robert Remini. Remini was named the official historian of the House in 2005, after being asked by former Speaker of the U.S. House Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Before a crowd seated in the Chao Auditorium of the Ekstrom Library, Remini delivered a lecture on Clay’s role in the House, and how the actions and legacy of Clay impacted the history of today’s U.S. House of Representatives.

“This man from Kentucky made the House what it is today,” Remini said of the legendary statesman. “He made the rules that made this democratic institution into a well-oiled machine.”

“In order to understand the House, you must be in the House,” Remini said. He compared the work ethic of Clay’s day to today’s short work weeks and temporary Washington visits by current members of Congress.

“Remini’s lecture was very engaging and he has a clear knowledge of both Clay and the House of Representatives,” said Nina Faghri, a junior biology major.

Another speaker at the event, Dr. Stephan Aron, a history professor from UCLA, noted Clay’s intense rivalry with Andrew Jackson, the founder of the modern Democratic Party. This match-up was caused by the intense political split between the two men and Clay’s staunch Whig and anti-Democrat agenda.

Aron, when noting the impact of these men, said, “The age [of the 1800s] may be known as the age of Jackson, but with the success and acceptance of Henry Clay’s policies, we live today in the age of Clay.”

“The subject matter was captivating,” said Forrest Pittman, a freshman biochemistry major. “I have always respected Henry Clay, but I learned some new aspects of his leadership capabilities and their impact on our nation.”

In part of the conference, a panel of Clay scholars debated and discussed great historical questions surrounding Clay’s life, such as, if Clay had lived long enough, would he have been able to prevent the Civil War, was he capable of being President and what kind of President would Clay have been?

Moderated by Dr. John Kleber, a senior fellow and advisor of the McConnell Scholars’ Henry Clay Society, the discussion bounced among four distinguished professors on the panel; Dr. Lindsey Apple of Georgetown College, Dr. Aron, Dr. Peter Knupfer of Michigan State University; and Dr. Thomas Mackey of the University of Louisville.

“The lectures and events today were interesting,” said Kyle Riggs, a junior political science major, “the legacy of Henry Clay shines light on the problems of our current national crises and raises hope for resolution to the problems of today.”

Dr. Gary Gregg, director of the McConnell Center, announced the conference, which was supposed to include a dedication ceremony of an original statue of Clay and Senate desk replica commissioned by McConnell, would be cut short due to weather conditions.

Both items, along with other displays from Kentucky legislative history, can be found in the new wing of the Ekstrom Library.