Capitalism Institute welcomes new class of Lyceum Scholars

The Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism (CISC) has welcomed its third full class of Lyceum Scholars, exceptional students wanting to study the moral foundations of capitalism in a traditional liberal arts university setting.

The 10-member, 2017-18 freshman class was selected from more than 500 who applied for entry into Clemson University’s unique academic program. The new class had an average SAT score of 1429.

Members of the 2017-18 Lyceum Scholars, include: Clayton Anderson, Greer, S.C., pre-business major, Southside Christian H.S.; Anthony DePietto, Holland, Penn., pre-business major, Council Rock High School South; Joseph Lord, Ladson, S.C., history major, Stratford High School; Peyton McKellips, Awendaw, S.C., general engineering major, Wando High School; Trent Kurkcu, Sunset, S.C., biology major, Daniel High School; William “Jack” Harrison, Atlanta, Ga., pre-business major, homeschooled; Susan Badgley, Wheaton, Ill., English major, Wheaton Warrenville South High School; Evan Patrohay, New Hope, Penn., general engineering major, New Hope-Solebury High School; Emma Lane McGahey, Anderson, S.C., biomedical engineering, homeschooled; Jordan Kiser, Myrtle Beach, S.C., political science major, Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology.

“The Lyceum Scholars Program is becoming one of the most sought after and competitive scholarship programs in the United States,” said C. Bradley Thompson, CISC executive director. “We believe it is the most important and innovative academic program since WWII.”

Students accepted into CISC’s Lyceum Scholars Program receive a $10,000 scholarship over four years. During that time, they study the moral foundations of capitalism in the only university-based program of its kind in the U.S.

Incoming freshman Susan Badgley said the eight-course Lyceum Scholars Program sold her on attending Clemson University.

“I fell in love with the curriculum and it was a primary reason I chose to attend Clemson,” she said. “It offers me a relatively conservative education where one can speak freely on American values. I’ve decided to wholeheartedly dedicate myself to joining and excelling in the program.”

CISC’s Lyceum Scholars Program was created with the goal of bringing the traditional liberal arts education to a modern university setting. Today, the program boasts almost 30 Lyceum Scholars.

The Lyceum Scholars Program draws on the inspiration from the Lyceum school founded by Aristotle in 335 B.C., where students read from classic texts about renowned academics in political and economic thought. Students are assigned faculty Socratic tutors to create a one-on-one mentorship that helps them apply the ideals they learn to their everyday living.

About the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism

CISC is America’s first and only university-based teaching and research center dedicated to exploring the moral, political and economic foundations of capitalism. Founded in 2005, and housed within Clemson University’s College of Business, the Institute is educating a new generation of students about the moral requirements of a free society.