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The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia announced Friday afternoon that Jeffrey Rosen has stepped down as president and CEO. Effective immediately, Vince Stango, vice president, is interim president and CEO.
Rosen, a scholar of constitutional law, came to the NCC 12 years ago with the mission of turning it into a bipartisan town hall for discussing issues related to the United States’ founding document.
“My goal was to create an American institution that convenes people of different perspectives for civil dialogue and debate and inspires people to learn about our Founding ideals,” Rosen wrote in a statement. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, I am proud to pass the baton to Vince and our exceptional leadership team who are fully ready to guide the Center’s next chapter.”
Stango has been with the Constitution Center since 1999, predating its opening in 2003. He said Rosen came to the NCC in 2013 when the organization was “struggling to find its identity,” giving it a clear purpose for civic dialogue.
“He had a mission and he surely met and exceeded his goals as CEO,” Stango said. “After a 12 ½-year tenure as CEO, he and then the board felt it was time to make that change at the start of the year rather than at some later point.”
Stango added that the Constitution Center ended its 2024-2025 fiscal year in one of its strongest financial positions ever.
“No part of this change has anything to do with the financial strength of the organization,” he said.
Rosen said he will devote more of his time to writing and public engagement. His 2024 book “The Pursuit of Happiness,” about the philosophical underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence’s famous phrase, was a New York Times bestseller. He has since released a second book, “The Pursuit of Liberty,” and aspires to make it a trilogy with a proposed third book, “Pursuit of Union.”
Last year, Rosen also hosted “Pursuit,” a 12-episode podcast exploring concepts in his books with filmmaker Ken Burns and invited guests. He’s also written a dozen art songs, taking inspiration from 12 virtues Benjamin Franklin listed as essential to living a good life.