Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Recorded live on April 30th, 2026 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Johnny Burtka, President and CEO of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), delivers an address at the America 500 Gala. Drawing on the metaphor of embers beneath ash, Burtka calls on Americans to rediscover the warmth of Western civilization and the virtues that made this nation great: humility, gratitude, and love of neighbor.
ISI's mission is to nurture the next generation of students and leaders by connecting them to the great tradition of Western and American thought — from Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome to London and Philadelphia. In this speech, Burtka reflects on what it truly means to be called to greatness, and why the answer may surprise you.
Timestamps:
0:00 — The wood-burning stove: finding the embers of Western Civilization
2:06 — ISI's professors as "fire keepers" on America's campuses
4:09 — Are we really called to greatness? A surprising answer
6:28 — Washington & Lincoln on humility: the path to America 500
🌐 Learn more about ISI: isi.org/join
#America500 #ISI #IntercollegiateStudiesInstitute #WesternCivilization #Leadership #Humility #AmericanHistory
Recorded live on April 30th, 2026 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, D.C.
Johnny Burtka, President and CEO of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), delivers an address at the America 500 Gala. Drawing on the metaphor of embers beneath ash, Burtka calls on Americans to rediscover the warmth of Western civilization and the virtues that made this nation great: humility, gratitude, and love of neighbor.
ISI's mission is to nurture the next generation of students and leaders by connecting them to the great tradition of Western and American thought — from Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome to London and Philadelphia. In this speech, Burtka reflects on what it truly means to be called to greatness, and why the answer may surprise you.
Timestamps:
0:00 — The wood-burning stove: finding the embers of Western Civilization
2:06 — ISI's professors as "fire keepers" on America's campuses
4:09 — Are we really called to greatness? A surprising answer
6:28 — Washington & Lincoln on humility: the path to America 500
🌐 Learn more about ISI: isi.org/join
#America500 #ISI #IntercollegiateStudiesInstitute #WesternCivilization #Leadership #Humility #AmericanHistory
