April 2025
"The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people."
On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s birth. The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans and look toward the future. From theme parks to classrooms, from Main Street to Wall Street and from city hall to the town square, this two-year celebration is being led in Orange County by USA250-OC. Read on to see how Orange County Business Council investor Richard Nixon Foundation and the USA250-OC initiative are encouraging Orange Countians to join the celebration.
USA250-OC
Pictured (from left) are USA250-OC Co-Chair Jo Ellen Chatham, Director of the Center for Civics Education at Concordia University Irvine; Chris Lowe, Director of Education at the Richard Nixon Foundation; Jeffrey Rosen, President of the National Constitution Center; General George Washington, First President of the United States; and Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez.
Q: The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s 250th birthday will be commemorated on July 4, 2026. How is USA250-OC leading this national initiative locally here in Orange County?
A: This historic celebration should be more than a single-day patriotic celebration, as special as that will be. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to encourage, educate and inspire all of us to explore and reflect on our country’s history, founding principles and aspirations.
USA250-OC is designed to 1) Act as a catalyst or driver of engagement to encourage all Orange Countians to participate in year-long activities; 2) Be a resource for cities, organizations of all kinds, families and others through a robust website, social media, speakers’ bureau, news and events calendar; and 3) Bring together the people, events and principles of our nation’s founding with the history, people and contributions that Orange County has made to that legacy
For more information about USA250-OC’s mission, visit here.
Q: Compared to its peers around the country, Orange County is a younger region. Yet, its history is important to the history of California and the development of the United States. What are some of Orange County’s top contributions, and are there “mini” field trips that residents can make around the County to connect our nation’s history to where they live and work?
A: Orange County is known nationally and internationally for its world-class, thriving, diverse economy and culture, based in large part on its freedom-based entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. Most of its cities maintain their own local historical societies while the Orange County Historical Society, Bowers Museum and similar groups provide lectures, programs and exhibits telling the story of Orange County from its Native American roots to its colonization by Spain to its independence and statehood. Among its many places to learn about our history, visit Mission San Juan Capistrano, Modjeska House, the Black Star Canyon Indian Village Site, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum and the exact replica of Independence Hall at Knott’s Berry Farm. Discover more information on local places to visit here.
Q: Can individuals and groups get involved? If so, where can educators, local governments, businesses, families and nonprofits get resources?
A: USA250-OC is for everyone – without exception. Celebrations can be fun and festive (picnics and patriotic cake-baking contests); educational (history-themed essay and speech contests for kids, online webinars, field trips); informative (reading the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and other founding documents); and inspirational (learn about Elizabeth Freedom, George Washington, Caesar Rodney and James Madison). The opportunities are limited only by your imagination. But if you need help, there are numerous online resources, including those from various state America 250 websites, but especially at USA250-OC.com where you can access a broad range of historical resources; or email USA250-OC for some help and ideas at [email protected].
Q: Who are some of your community partners that are helping to carry out the mission of USA250-OC, and what do those collaborations include?
A: USA250-OC is honored to have Orange County Supervisor Donald Wagner as its Honorary Chairman and Supervisors Doug Chaffee, Katrina Foley, Janet Nguyen, and Vicente Sarmiento as Honorary Co-chairs. Both the Orange County Board of Education and the Department of Education endorsed USA250-OC with a formal resolution and our community supporters include, among others, the Orange County Business Council, the Association of California Cities-Orange County, Arts Orange County, Orange County Music and Dance and the American Civics Campaign at the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Q: Who or what inspires your organization to do this kind of work?
A: The inspiration for USA250-OC is found in this mantra it has adopted: America is the perfect idea; the United States of America is a work in progress. It recognizes the unique aspirations found in the Declaration of Independence (that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) and their codification in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, designed as a limited government by “we the people” to “secure the blessings of liberty.” The freedom and opportunities bequeathed to us by the Founders have attracted people from around the world for nearly 250 years. It is our responsibility, as citizens, to continue to protect and expand those freedoms and to pursue the aspirations so eloquently laid out in the Declaration. This requires both knowledge of our country’s history and principles of government (civic literacy) and respect for each other as fellow citizens (civility).
Q: What is your organization planning to do after the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth? Are there future plans to continue commemorating and celebrating the role of the people of Orange County in the history and development of the United States?
A: USA250-OC plans to capitalize on the excitement and visibility of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States through continued advocacy for enhanced civics education in public as well as private schools; providing a variety of educational and community-based programs and activities focusing on our history, foundational principles and important events and people in our history; and collaborating with the Center for Civics Education at Concordia University Irvine and the American Civics Campaign at the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Q: How is your organization making a difference in Orange County?
A: As a catalyst for the 250th anniversary, USA250-OC has already begun to meet with representatives of Orange County cities, nonprofit organizations and others to encourage their engagement and provide creative ideas and resources. While July 4, 2026, is only a year and a half in the future, few people or organizations have begun to think about how they might celebrate, and even more are unaware that it is the 250th birthday of the United States. Our major purpose is to create that awareness, encourage participation, and be a resource in every way that we can. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Q: What is your organization’s favorite part about working on this initiative in Orange County?
A: Without question, working with the great variety of people and organizations who make up Orange County and bringing them together for a common purpose is exciting and stimulating. There are many kinds of diversity – of vocation, occupation, ethnicity, faith, culture, education, political preference – and Orange County has them all. Working to bring them together around a common purpose – to commemorate our country’s birth and its founding principles – is a formidable goal. However, it the goals are unity, not uniformity; disagreement without being disagreeable; learning from and about each other and our country; and collectively pursuing “a more perfect union,” what else could be more “favorite” than that?
Richard Nixon Foundation
In March 2025, the Richard Nixon Foundation partnered with the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host the inaugural National Civics Bee® competition in the state of California at the Nixon Library.
Q: The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s 250th birthday will be commemorated on July 4, 2026. How is USA250-OC leading this national initiative locally here in Orange County?
The Richard Nixon Foundation is planning a series of high-impact programs in 2025 and 2026 to educate an entirely new generation of Americans about our shared and storied past. Our activities hold to a two-pronged approach: we want to reacquaint Americans with 250 years of history and seize on the opportunity this anniversary presents to instill a sense of unity across our country.
Q: Compared to its peers around the country, Orange County is a younger region. Yet, its history is important to the history of California and the development of the United States. What are some of Orange County’s top contributions, and are there “mini” field trips that residents can make around the County to connect our nation’s history to where they live and work?
A: Orange County has a unique history of being home to the birthplace of an American president. Throughout 250 years of American history, only forty-five individuals have become president and, out of those, the only one born in California was Richard Nixon. President Nixon’s birthplace is part of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, one of only fifteen presidential libraries in the United States. A visit to the Nixon Library provides an immersive experience into the history of the second half of twentieth-century America.
Q: Can individuals and groups get involved? If so, where can educators, local governments, businesses, families and nonprofits get resources?
A: 18-months of programs, seminars and reenactments will be announced soon and a new, special exhibit on America’s 250 years of history is opening in November 2025. Individuals and groups are invited to attend, partner and participate. More information will be released on the Nixon Foundation website in the coming months.
Q: Who are some of your community partners that are helping to carry out the mission of USA250-OC, and what do those collaborations include?
A: The Richard Nixon Foundation is partnering with educational institutions including Chapman University’s Presidential Studies Program, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to create learning opportunities for elementary, high school and undergraduate students as well as K-12 teachers. We also partnered with the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce to host the first-ever National Civics Bee in California.
Q: Who or what inspires your organization to do this kind of work?
A: It is the mission of the Richard Nixon Foundation to apply the legacy and vision of President Nixon to defining issues that face our nation and the world today. When accepting his party’s presidential nomination in 1968 he said, “America is a great nation today not because of what government did for people—but because of what people did for themselves over a hundred-ninety years in this country. So, it is time to apply the lessons of the American Revolution to our present problem.”
Through our America 250 programming, we can do just that, apply the lessons of our country’s founding to today.
Q: What is your organization planning to do after the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth? Are there future plans to continue commemorating and celebrating the role of the people of Orange County in the history and development of the United States?
A: The Richard Nixon Foundation recently launched the America Civics Academy, made possible through the Foundation’s American Civics Campaign, with the goal of becoming a national leader in civics education. The American Civics Academy will reach students, through both in-person and online instruction, from elementary through college, to ensure the next generation is engaged in lifelong civic participation.
Q: How is your organization making a difference in Orange County?
A: The Richard Nixon Foundation jointly operates the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum with the National Archives and Records Administration welcoming more than 150,000 visitors annually to the presidential museum. The Foundation offers a robust calendar of events that bring thought leaders in business, politics, academia and media to Orange County, as well as rotating special exhibitions that offer new, fresh educational content for Orange County residents.
Q: What is your organization’s favorite part about working on this initiative in Orange County?
A: It is time to renew the spirit of the American dream for another 250 years. Richard Nixon said, “I believe in the American Dream because I have seen it come true in my own life.” From humble roots in Orange County, he rose to the highest office in our country, through hard work and a commitment to a cause bigger than himself. This is a story that can resonate with Orange County’s youngest minds, and maybe even inspire them to achieve their own American Dreams.
“Making a Difference” is Orange County Business Council’s feature series that brings the face and voice of OCBC
members to life by sharing how they’re making a difference in their communities.
