Each Receives $100,000 Grant to Further Democracy Work

Chautauqua Institution proudly introduces Melody Barnes and David French as the inaugural recipients of the Chautauqua Perry Fellowship in Democracy. Barnes is the executive director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia; French is a widely read opinion columnist at The New York Times. Both will be able to use the distinction and funding afforded by the Perry Fellowship to further democracy-focused personal and professional projects of their choice, in addition to their roles with their home institutions and shared projects with Chautauqua Institution.  

This announcement comes just ahead of Chautauqua’s 150th anniversary season, opening Saturday, June 22, and reinforces the Institution’s mission and commitment to fostering democratic engagement. Made possible by the philanthropy of Chautauqua patrons and community leaders Marnette and Paul Perry of Naples, Florida, the Perry Fellowship supports the Institution’s mission to broaden its impact beyond the Summer Assembly, aligning with the strategic plan 150 Forward. As the inaugural Perry Fellows, Barnes and French will engage the public in meaningful discourse and contribute to the Chautauqua Lecture Series and other democracy-focused initiatives throughout the duration of the fellowship. 

“We are elated that Melody and David have agreed to come on this inaugural journey with us, to help us shape how this major new Chautauqua initiative can have meaningful, tangible impact in expanding and deepening the work of democracy in America and around the world,” said Michael E. Hill, president of Chautauqua Institution. “To bring together and benefit from the experience of two of our country’s most clear-minded thinkers in small-D democratic policy and politics is a blessing beyond my most aspirational hopes for the first year of this Fellowship. That it coincides with the sesquicentennial of this mission and community that embodies the study and practice of democratic ideals makes this announcement and the work ahead extra special. 

The Perrys’ philanthropy provides for annual support of the fellowship and a $5 million estate gift that will endow the program in perpetuity.  By both providing the annual costs needed for the program and ensuring that the effort will have an impact for generations to come, the Perrys’ contribution significantly advances the Institution’s desire to play an ever-larger role in convening important conversations in the nation. 

“I am unendingly grateful to Marnette and Paul Perry for their personal commitment to this work, and for funding this new initiative to give Chautauqua and our Fellows new capacity to create lasting and positive change,” Hill said. 

The Perry Fellowship in Democracy aims to strengthen the intellectual and emotional capacities required for active citizenship and democratic participation. Barnes and French will be the inaugural Perry Fellows for the 2024–25 cycle, each receiving a $100,000 stipend for their 15-month appointment. This transformative grant is intended to accelerate and amplify existing research or initiatives of each Perry Fellow, with a goal of creating a work product of some kind for distribution and engagement. Both the process and work product are entirely at the discretion of each Fellow, in consultation with Institution leadership. 

Barnes and French will make their first official appearances as the inaugural Perry Fellows in Democracy during the opening week of the 2024 Chautauqua Summer Assembly, with back-to-back lectures on the Institution’s signature, historic Chautauqua Lecture Series platform in the Chautauqua Amphitheater. The theme for the week’s lectures is “The Evolution of the Modern Presidency.” Barnes will speak at 10:45 a.m. Thursday, June 27, on the reach of presidential power and its impact on daily American life. French will speak at 10:45 a.m. Friday, June 28, on the symbolism of the U.S. presidency, and the significance of the U.S. president as a world and moral leader. 

Barnes is the founding executive director of the Karsh Institute, guiding the organization on an action-oriented path to realizing democracy in both principle and practice. She is a dedicated public servant with more than 25 years of experience crafting public policy. She served in the administration of President Barack Obama as assistant to the president and director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Earlier in her career, Barnes was executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress and chief counsel to the late Senator Ted Kennedy on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Barnes started her career in New York as an associate at Shearman & Sterling. 

“For 150 years, Chautauqua Institution has played a vital role in encouraging the exchange of ideas and viewpoints necessary for our communities and our country to thrive,” Barnes said. “I’m reminded of the importance of that work in my role as executive director of the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy and honored to be a part of this vibrant community as a Perry Fellow advancing our shared commitment to democracy. My deepest gratitude to Marnette and Paul Perry, who believe individuals and institutions can and must illuminate the way forward at a critical moment for our country and world.” 

French has written an opinion column at The New York Times since January 2023. Previously he was a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a former constitutional litigator and a past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. A New York Times bestselling author, his most recent book is Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. He is a former major in the United States Army Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. 

“I’m deeply honored. The fight to preserve liberal democracy — at home and abroad — is the central struggle of our time,” French said. “Chautauqua’s educational mission is vital to reminding our nation that embracing liberal democratic values is indispensable to protecting human dignity and advancing the cause of justice.”