James Madison College. James Madison College is a college of public affairs and international relations within Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. It was founded in 1967, with a vision of creating a residential college merging the best attributes of a small college with an undergraduate education focusing on public affairs and firmly rooted in liberal arts; the college was named after James Madison in honor of his role in writing the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and The Feder