Two hundred years to the month after James Madison's inauguration as President of the United States, the university that bears his name will celebrate his life and legacy during Madison Week.

The celebration will be highlighted by the release of a new book on Madison's legacy by Phil Bigler, director of the James Madison Center at JMU, a visit by the C-SPAN Civics Bus, a keynote address by Madison scholar and Cornell University President Emeritus Hunter Rawlings and the eighth annual Madison Cup debate contest.

Two hundred years after his inauguration, at a time when the role of the federal government is in seemingly constant debate, the presidency and life of the man known as "The Father of the Constitution" may have added significance to the nation.

"What makes him so important to us is the fact that Madison understood human nature," says Bigler. "He realized that people are going to behave in their own self interest and as a result created a government that was designed to allow people to pursue their happiness but at the same time to provide stability and a reasonable set of laws."

Bigler's book, "Liberty & Learning: The Essential James Madison," was officially released Monday after a wreath laying at the James Madison statue on Bluestone Drive. Proceeds from book sales will support the Donald Robertson Scholarship, offered annually by the James Madison Center in honor of James Madison's first teacher.

Rawlings will deliver the keynote address on Madison's legacy at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wilson Hall Auditorium. A native of Madison's hometown of Orange, Virginia, Rawlings is a recognized scholar of classic and American history and sits on the board of Madison's Montpelier.

Bigler, who taught history for more than 20 years in secondary schools and was named the 1998 National Teacher of the Year before returning to JMU in 2001, stressed the importance of remembering the contributions of a president who is often overshadowed by some of his fellow founding fathers.

"I hope that our students will come away with the appreciation of what Madison means to this university and what he means to the country," says Bigler. "One of the things that I think is so important is that Madison believed in the freedom of conscience, the freedom of thought."