A Tribute to Professor Carey

Dr. George W. Carey was Professor of Government at Georgetown University. He taught political theory in the Department since 1961. He was an expert on American political thought, especially The Federalist Papers and the Constitution. His work was marked by a deep knowledge of the Constitution and founding period, coupled with a vigorous defense of traditional approaches to the Constitution and government.

One of Professor Carey’s major early works was The Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition, written with Willmoore Kendall. He continued as a prolific writer, a deeply engaged conservative thinker who influenced many students and readers. His interests and broad knowledge jump out from the titles of the books he wrote and edited, including Freedom and Virtue: The Conservative/Libertarian Debate, In Defense of the Constitution, The Federalist: Design for a Constitutional Republic, The Federalist: The Gideon Edition,

A Second Federalist: Congress Creates a Government, Christianity and Political Philosophy and Community and Tradition: Conservative Perspectives on the American Experience.

In 2008, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) published Defending the Republic: Constitutional Morality in a Time of Crisis, a book of essays in honor of Professor Carey. In 2003, Dr. Carey was awarded the ISI Regnery Award for Distinguished Institutional Service. Professor Carey passed away on Friday, June 21 at age 79.

He is survived by his wife, Claire, his daughter, Michelle, and three grandchildren, Eliza, Hanna and Emelie.

Anyone interested in contributing to a fund to support the study of American Political Thought at Georgetown in Professor Carey’s name should contact Professor Michael Bailey, the Chair of the Department of Government, at baileyma@georgetown.edu.

The American Conservative featured an article in which friends, students, and colleagues remembered Dr. Carey, one of our finest traditionalist scholars: Farewell to a Constitutional Conservative.