John Adams College Leadership
A Letter from the Founding Trustees
of John Adams College
We did not create John Adams College because we believed higher education was broken.
We built JAC because we believed higher ed. was incomplete.
Most institutions of learning do an admirable job preparing students to function within existing structures. They transmit settled knowledge, reward specialization, and provide credentials aligned with known careers. Society depends on this work, and we respect it.
But history shows that civilization does not advance by continuity alone.
It advances because a small number of individuals are willing to question assumptions, endure uncertainty, and explore beyond the boundaries of accepted thought. These individuals rarely fit comfortably within institutional norms. In their own time, they are often dismissed as impractical, disruptive, or unrealistic.
Only later does the world recognize their necessity.
John Adams College was founded to serve such minds.
We chose the American West deliberately — not as a marketing device, but as a symbol. The frontier has always demanded independence, resilience, and courage without guarantees. Those qualities remain essential, even as the frontier has moved from geography to ideas.
Our curriculum is demanding. Our standards are high. Our expectations are unapologetic. We are not accredited by design, because we refuse to trade intellectual freedom for institutional comfort.
This education is not for everyone. However, for those who feel compelled to understand first principles, to think independently, and to build rather than merely inherit, John Adams College exists to provide a rare institutional home.
We do not promise ease. We promise preparation.
— The Founders of John Adams College
Gordon Jones
Jennifer Jensen
Frank Brown
Faculty
