Spire serves as a beacon of hope by sharing inspirational stories about Acton Institute’s supporters, scholars, and events to lift your spirit as together we build a free and virtuous society. To change hearts and minds—and the world—look forward and upward … to the Spire.
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Preserving Principles: Chip and Julie Wisse’s Investment in Freedom
At a dinner party in Grand Rapids in the early 1990s, Chip and Julie Wisse met some devout Roman Catholics who introduced them to the…
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A Legacy of Learning: The Roberts’ Gift to Acton Institute
When Susan Roberts recalls how she and her late husband Owen first connected with Acton Institute, she remembers it started with a lunch meeting. In…
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Understanding Real Compassion: How James Whitford Is Changing Charity in America
One evening on the streets of Joplin, Missouri, Ralph—a chronically homeless man—offered James Whitford half of his sandwich. At that moment, both men were living…
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From Acton to Action: How One Intern Shaped Charter School Education
At National Heritage Academies (NHA), a network of 100 charter schools serving 65,000 students across nine states, Chief Learning Officer Nick Sheltrown guides the educational…
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Faith, Family, and Formation: The LaMothe Foundation’s Enduring Support of Acton Institute
In the serene community of Ave Maria, Florida, Sydney McManus along with her brothers, Chris and Regan LaMothe carry forward a legacy of faith, education,…
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Cultivating Free and Virtuous Societies: Jeff Sandefer’s Acton-Inspired Academies
You approach a healthcare provider to discuss your concern about the new tightness in your chest. After listening to your description of your symptoms, the…
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Partnering to Promote Dignity, Community, and Flourishing
Michael Matheson Miller directed an award-winning documentary on poverty in the developing world. Now he’s turning his camera lens to the United States.Poverty, Inc., released…
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Finding Sustainable Solutions to Homelessness with Better Way Detroit
It’s no secret that Detroit is struggling. Once a thriving metropolis, the Motor City suffered a dramatic fall from grace that began with an overreliance…
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A Professor Brings Others to Acton
There is a passage in Frederick Douglass’s autobiography that business professor Rachel Ferguson never forgets. Douglass describes how, when he was a slave, his owner’s…