The 2026 Coolidge Senator Summit
The annual Coolidge Senator Summit brings together accomplished high school students from across the nation.
In 2026, nearly a hundred students from 31 states gathered in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, for the five-day summit.
The Coolidge Senators represent the top applicants for the 2026 Coolidge Scholarship, chosen from among more than 4,000 students nationwide. The Senators distinguish themselves through academic excellence, humility, leadership, service, and an appreciation for the values Calvin Coolidge championed.
Below are some highlights from the 2026 Coolidge Senator Summit. To look at all the photos, see this album.
A tour of the Massachusetts State House takes the students to the Senate floor
Coolidge Senators at the State House
A portrait of Calvin Coolidge in the Massachusetts State House
The Coolidge Foundation’s Jonathan Peele and Emily Burden lead the seminar “How to Debate,” preparing the Senators to debate the question of whether Coolidge deserves to be ranked among the top ten U.S. presidents
The Coolidge Senators outside the Union Christian Church in Plymouth Notch
Students declaim a Coolidge speech
Senators compete in the Coolidge Knowledge Bowl
Touring the Notch
Coolidge Senators Program Manager Jacob McNeill with students at the Notch
With Governor Jim Douglas leading the way, Coolidge Senators reenact the 1923 “Homestead Inauguration” that made Calvin Coolidge president
Coolidge Senators under the tent
Taking in the scene at the Notch
Randy George, 41st Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, delivers the Diana Davis Spencer Lecture, sharing his reflections on military service and a life of meaning
Ian Rowe, CEO and cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies, speaks to students on leading a life of virtue and agency
The Honorable Robert Cerasoli, a Coolidge Foundation trustee, addresses the Coolidge Senators at the Massachusetts State House. Standing near Cerasoli are State Representative Bruce J. Ayers and Norfolk County Superior Court Clerk Walter Timilty, who also spoke to the students.
Dr. Douglas A. Irwin, professor of economics at Dartmouth College, delivers the Block Lecture, discussing free trade and its critics
Historian George H. Nash discusses the books the Founding Fathers read
Author Ryan L. Cole leads a seminar on the Marquis de Lafayette, the subject of Cole’s book The Last Adieu
The Honorable Jim Douglas, the 80th Governor of Vermont and a longtime Coolidge Foundation trustee, leads the seminar “Free Inquiry on Campus: A Discussion”
Coolidge Foundation Chair Amity Shlaes and Foundation President Matthew Denhart discuss Calvin Coolidge
Amity Shlaes in conversation with U.S. Army veteran Patricia George, discussing Soldier and Family Readiness Groups