Student Documentaries
A Hillsdale education doesn’t end in the classroom. Our student-produced documentaries showcase the curiosity, discipline, and conviction that define a Hillsdale education, recovering remarkable stories that deserve to be told and sharing them with the world.
Watch and see what your support makes possible.
Hillsdale Student, American Hero
Most people have never heard of Elizabeth Smith Friedman. A Hillsdale alumna who got her start studying Shakespeare on this campus, Friedman went on to become one of America’s most consequential and overlooked code-breakers. In 2022, Hillsdale students set out to recover her story. This documentary is the fruit of a Hillsdale education, created by curious minds trained in the liberal arts and committed to pursuing truth wherever it leads.
Every generation of Hillsdale supporters inherits something from the one before it. The College you believe in today — independent, principled, and unapologetically committed to truth and liberty — exists in large part because of one man’s generosity. This documentary tells the story of Spike Hennessy: Hillsdale pharmacist, board trustee, and the donor whose extraordinary kindness kept the College alive when it had no other options. Watching it, you’ll see your own commitment to this mission reflected in his, and understand more fully what it means to be part of a legacy that endures.
This documentary features legendary trumpet player and big band leader Fred Radke of Seattle. For many years, Fred was the lead trumpet player for the Harry James Orchestra and later became the band’s director, helping keep the legacy of big band music alive. Fred serves as a guest artist at Hillsdale College every year, a liberal arts school in southern Michigan with a renowned jazz program. The film is presented by the Hillsdale College documentary filmmaking program, in special arrangement with the college.
In 1861, Hillsdale College sent more than 500 students to fight for the Union — all volunteers, half of whom became officers, four of whom received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hillsdale students produced this documentary to recover the stories behind those numbers: Henry McGee, who enlisted as the third man from Hillsdale; Asher LeFleur, an orphan who returned to battle after losing his leg; Moses Luce, who carried his wounded classmate off the field under fire; and Mary Blackmar, who held her finger on a dying soldier’s artery for 24 hours to save his life. These were men and women formed by a Hillsdale education, and they put that formation to the ultimate test. Your gift ensures their story continues to inspire the students who follow them.