J. David Gowdy is a senior fellow with the Virginia Institute for Public Policy. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Kansas State University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, received his Juris Doctorate degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, graduating Cum Laude, and is a candidate for a Master of Arts degree in American History & Government from Ashland University (2025). He is a practicing attorney and is a member of the Virginia, Texas, and California Bar Associations.
David also serves as the president of the Virginia Institute for American History and as the director of the George Washington Center for Constitutional Studies in Buena Vista, Virginia. He has taught civics classes and continuing education teacher seminars on the Constitution and the American Founding since 2007. He also serves on the board of directors of the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is the author of “Seven Principles of Liberty” and “Jefferson & Madison’s Guide to the Constitution.” David and his wife, Norlene, have seven children and twenty-three grandchildren.
