On March 3-4, 2023, the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) convened its 50th annual meeting at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Nearly 50 years earlier, the Department of Political Science at UCA, then known as State College of Arkansas, hosted the first meeting that resulted in the founding of the ArkPSA by political science faculty members in the state of Arkansas.
What follows is a brief history of the more than 50 years of the ArkPSA in the state of Arkansas, including information about the annual meetings, the individuals who have served in leadership positions in the Association, the public officials and scholars who have spoken at the annual meetings, the students and faculty who have been honored with the Association’s awards, and the scholarly achievements of the members of the Association.
We encourage anyone who has information or documents pertaining to the history of the ArkPSA – including conference programs, guest speakers, Executive Board meeting minutes, financial reports, newsletters, awards, constitutional amendments, newspaper articles, and photos – to contact Dr. Mark Mullenbach at markm@uca.edu. Copies or originals of information or documents may be mailed to: Dr. Mark Mullenbach, Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies, 201 Donaghey Avenue, 217 Irby Hall, UCA, Conway, AR 72035.
If you have any questions regarding the history of the ArkPSA, contact Dr. Mark Mullenbach at markm@uca.edu.
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1974 – The 1st Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) was held in the Student Center Ballroom at the State College of Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas on March 1-2, 1974. Nearly 40 faculty members from 14 Arkansas colleges and universities attended the inaugural meeting of the ArkPSA. Dr. Daniel R. Grant, President of Ouachita Baptist University (OBU), gave a speech on the topic, “Political Science in Arkansas: Problems and Opportunities”, during the Friday evening dinner at the Ramada Inn in Conway on March 1st. Dr. Grant earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University in 1948, and he taught political science at Vanderbilt University from 1948 to 1970. Dr. Grant served as the 12th president of OBU from 1970 to 1988. Attending the dinner was Arkansas Lt. Governor Bob C. Riley, a faculty member in the political science department at OBU. Following the dinner, the Institute of Politics and Government in Little Rock sponsored a reception at the Ramada Inn.
The ArkPSA established four committees prior to and during the first meeting: Constitutional Committee – Dr. Tae Y. Nam, chairperson (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Raphael Lewis (Philander Smith College), Professor Simms McClintock (State College of Arkansas), and Professor Robert W. Meriwether (Hendrix College); Curriculum Committee – Dr. Thomas J. Bellows, chairperson (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville); Program Committee – Dr. Joel E. Anderson, chairperson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Bill Burns (ASU-Jonesboro), Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Arkansas-Monticello), and Elizabeth Hodge (Ouachita Baptist University); and Nominations Committee – Professor Robert W. Meriwether, chairperson (Hendrix College), Dr. Thomas J. Bellows (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Peter N. Kidman (ASU-Jonesboro), Dr. Tae Yul Nam (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), and Professor William C. Nolan (Southern State College).
On Saturday morning, March 2nd, four faculty members presented research papers, and four faculty members moderated discussions regarding each paper: Tae Y. Nam (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), “A Manifesto of the Black Student Activists in a Southern Black College Under the Integration Order,” (discussion moderated by Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College); Dr. Afak Haydar (ASU-Jonesboro), “Rebuilding Problems in a School District,” (discussion moderated by Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State College); Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Executive-Legislative Relations in Foreign Policy,” (discussion moderated by Dr. J. Maurice Rogers of ASU-Jonesboro); and Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Arkansas-Monticello), “Recruitment and Role Perceptions of Political Party County Chairmen in Arkansas,” (discussion moderated by Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville).
During the organization meeting held later on Saturday morning, Dr. Robert M. McChesney, Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at State College of Arkansas, was elected as the Association’s first President. Dr. Peter N. Kidman of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro was elected Vice-President, and Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock was elected Secretary-Treasurer. The annual membership fee was set at $5.00 for faculty and $1.00 for students. For the first annual meeting of ArkPSA, Dr. Peter N. Kidman of ASU-Jonesboro compiled a directory of all political scientists in the state of Arkansas, including 83 faculty members at colleges and universities in the state and 15 other individuals (a total of 98 names in the directory).
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1975 – The 2nd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Sam Peck Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 21-22, 1975. Approximately 50 individuals attended the meeting presided over by Dr. Robert M. McChesney of the University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Peter N. Kidman of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 1974-1975, and Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1974-1975. Dr. Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Program Chair for the 1975 annual meeting.
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1975 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “The Apparent Impact of Watergate Upon Students’ Attitudes of Trust and Confidence in Government”; Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Issue Salience an Political Awareness Among Children”; Ursula Nunn Polk (University of Central Arkansas), “The Influence of Military Family Background Upon Selected High School Student Political Attitudes”; Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar (Henderson State College), “The Burger Court: A Quantitative Study”; Dr. Charles D. Chastain (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Court in the Political Process”; Dr. Terry B. Smith (University of Central Arkansas), “Primary Election Structure and Political Behavior”; Dr. Robert L. Savage and Richard Gallagher (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Regionalism in Arkansas Politics: An Empirical Typology of Arkansas Counties”; and Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Constitutional Convention of 1917-1918.”
Dr. Evron M. Kirkpatrick, Executive Director of the American Political Science Association (APSA), was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 21st. Dr. Kirkpatrick earned his Ph.D. in Political Science at Yale University in 1939, and he taught political science at the University of Minnesota in the late-1930s and early-1940s. Dr. Kirkpatrick assisted a former student of his at the University of Minnesota, Hubert H. Humphrey, in establishing the Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) political party in Minnesota in April 1944. During the 1940s and 1950s, Dr. Kirkpatrick worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and U.S. Department of State in Washington DC. Dr. Kirkpatrick, who served as Executive Director of the APSA from 1954 to 1981, was married to Dr. Jeane J. Kirkpatrick (who served as U.S. Ambassador to the UN from 1981 to 1985). The Honorable T. Ark Monroe III, State of Arkansas Insurance Commissioner (1972-1976), spoke about pending legislation in the Arkansas General Assembly during the Saturday luncheon on February 22nd.
On Saturday morning, February 22nd, Dr. Robert M. McChesney (University of Central Arkansas) convened the business meeting of the membership of the ArkPSA and delivered his presidential address. Dr. Tae Yul Nam (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), Chairperson of the Constitutional Committee, presented a draft of the Association’s constitution, which was unanimously adopted with amendments by the full membership. Professor William C. Nolan (Southern State College) and Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Arkansas-Monticello), members of the Nominations Committee, presented the following nominations for Officers and At-Large Members of the Executive Board: Dr. Peter N. Kidman of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro as President; Dr. Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1975-1977); Professor Diane D. Kincaid of University of Arkansas-Fayetteville as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1975-1977); Professor William C. Nolan of Southern State College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1975-1976); and Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1975-1976). All of the nominations were approved unanimously. Walter H. Nunn, Secretary-Treasurer, reported a balance of $162.31 in the Association’s financial report.
Dr. Robert M. McChesney (standing at podium) presiding over the
1975 annual meeting in Little Rock. Dr. Joel E. Anderson and
Dr. Charles D. Dunn are seated on the far right.
A meeting of the Executive Board of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, October 11, 1975. The Executive Board accepted the August 30, 1975 resignation letter submitted by Dr. Peter N. Kidman (ASU-Jonesboro), who had been elected as President of the Association on February 22, 1975. Vice-President Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock was recognized as the President of the Association. Walter H. Nunn, secretary-treasurer, reported that the association had $313.96 in its account, with 24 dues-paying members. The Executive Board authorized Dr. Joel Anderson to establish an ad hoc committee to review the Constitution of the ArkPSA. Dr. Charles D. Dunn of the University of Central Arkansas was nominated to serve as Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1976 annual meeting. Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro), Dr. Tae Yul Nam (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Dale Enoch (Executive Director, Institute of Politics and Government), and John Zeigler were approved as members of the Program Committee. President Joel Anderson nominated Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech College as Chairperson of the Nominations Committee. Dr. Tom Slinkard, Professor Diane D. Kincaid (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Professor William Echols (Arkansas State University-Beebe), and Dr. Merrill R. Pritchett (University of Arkansas-Monticello) were approved as members of the Nominations Committee.
Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr.’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “The Constitutional Convention of 1917–1918,” was published in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly (volume 24) in Spring 1975. Dr. Terry B. Smith‘s (University of Central Arkansas) co-authored manuscript (along with Dr. James E. Piereson), “Primary Divisiveness and General Election Success: A Re-Examination,” was published in The Journal of Politics in May 1975. Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) presented a manuscript, “Political Environment, Issue Saliency, and Systemic Support Among Children: Pre-Watergate/Post-Pardon,” at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) in Chicago in May 1975.
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1976 – The 3rd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas on February 27-28, 1976. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Arkansas Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA). Dr. Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 1975-1976. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1975-1976. Dr. Charles D. Dunn of the University of Central Arkansas served as Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1976 annual meeting. Dr. Robert M. McChesney of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio. The At-Large members of the Executive Board in 1975-1976 were Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College (1975-1977), Professor Diane D. Kincaid of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1975-1977), Professor William C. Nolan of Southern State College (1975-1976), and Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University (1975-1976).
Dr. John Manley of Stanford University spoke during the Friday evening dinner on February 27th. A well-known political scientist for several decades, Dr. Manley was the author of several scholarly publications, including the articles, “Neo Pluralism: A Class Analysis on Pluralism I and Pluralism H,” in the American Political Science Review (1983), “American Liberalism and the Democratic Dream: Transcending the American Dream” in the Review of Policy Research (1990), and “Marx in America: The New Deal” in Science & Society (2003). The Honorable Jim Guy Tucker, Jr., Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas, spoke during the Saturday luncheon on February 28th. Jim Guy Tucker earned a B.A. degree in Government from Harvard University in 1964 and a J.D. degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1968. He served as Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas from 1973 to 1977, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1979, Lt. Governor of the state of Arkansas from 1991 to 1992, and Governor of the state of Arkansas from 1992 to 1996.
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1976 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Clyde C. Jones (ASU-Jonesboro), “Status of Civics in Arkansas Public Secondary Schools”; Dr. Kurt Tweraser (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Senator Fulbright, Alternative World Order Futures, and the United Nations, 1943-1973″‘; Dr. Peter Vanneman and Dr. Allen Davenport (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “The Sale of Arkansas Soybeans to the Soviet Union: Political, Legal, and Economic Problems and Prospects”; Dr. Afak Haydar (ASU-Jonesboro), “Lebanon: A House Divided”; Dr. Robert E. Johnston (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Evaluating Change in a Part-Time Legislature: Arkansas, 1965-1975”; Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Constitutional Convention of 1975 and some Remaining Constitutional Problems”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Substantive and Procedural Norms of the Ways and Means Committee”; Dr. Nelwyn Davis (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Comparative Study of the Arkansas House of Representatives”; Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Politics in Fayetteville: Gemeinschaft or Gesellschaft?”; and David Valentine (University of Arkansas-Monticello), “The Independent Voter: Myth or Reality”.
Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) convened the business meeting of the membership of the ArkPSA on Saturday morning, February 28th. The following individuals were nominated for Officers and At-Large Members of the Executive Board: Dr. Charles D. Dunn of the University of Central Arkansas as President; Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn of ASU-Jonesboro as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Professor Merrill R. Pritchett of the University of Arkansas-Monticello as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1976-1978); and Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1976-1978). The nominations were approved unanimously.
A meeting of the Executive Board of the ArkPSA was held at Sam Peck Hotel in Little Rock on Saturday, June 12, 1976. Members present included Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Professor Diane D. Kincaid (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Raphael O. Lewis (Philander Smith College), and Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock). Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) was selected as Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1977 annual meeting. Other members of the Program Committee selected were Dr. William Burns (ASU-Jonesboro), Dr. W. James Megginson (Garland County Community College), Professor Henry Wilkins III (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), and Dr. George W. Zilbergeld (Arkansas College). The Executive Board approved the establishment of the ad hoc Publication Committee to discuss the feasibility of the ArkPSA publishing a scholarly journal.
Another meeting of the Executive Board of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday, November 13, 1976. Members present included Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro), Professor Diane D. Kincaid (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Professor Merrill R. Pritchett (University of Arkansas-Monticello), and Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock. The ad hoc Publication Committee gave a report on the feasibility of and options for publishing the Association’s research papers. Discussion was held on the issue of presenting awards for the best papers presented at the annual meetings. Discussion was held on the issue of advocating legislation in the state legislature to require college students to take a U.S. government course. Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) was appointed as Chairperson of the Nominations Committee. Other members appointed included Dr. Robert M. McChesney (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. C. Jeddy Levar (Henderson State University), and Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (ASU-Jonesboro).
The manuscript written by Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar (Henderson State University), “The Burger Court, 1973-1974: New Horizons in Human Rights and Judicial Power,” was published by GPSA Journal (volume 4, no. 2) in Fall 1976.
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1977 – The 4th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas on February 18-19, 1977. Dr. Charles D. Dunn of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 1976-1977. Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 1976-1977. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1976-1977. Dr. Robert L. Savage of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as the Program Chair for the 1977 annual meeting. Dr. Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1975-1976 were Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1976-1978), Professor Merrill R. Pritchett of the University of Arkansas-Monticello (1976-1978), Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College (1975-1977), and Professor Diane D. Kincaid of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1975-1977).
During the Friday evening dinner on February 18th, Dr. Norton E. Long of the University of Missouri-St. Louis spoke on the topic, “A Marshall Plan for Cities”. Dr. Long, who earned his Ph.D. in Political Science at Harvard University in 1937, was a well-known scholar in the fields of urban politics and public administrations until his death at the age of 83 in 1993. During his long career, Dr. Long was employed as a professor and administrator at several U.S. universities during his more than 50-year academic career, including Harvard University (1935-1939), Mount Holyoke College (1939-1940), Queens College (1940-1942), Western Reserve (1948-1955), Michigan State University (1955-1959), Northwestern University (1959-1964), Brandeis University (1964-1968), University of Illinois (1968-1969), University of Missouri-St. Louis (1969-1981), University of California-Berkeley (1987), University of California-San Diego (1988), San Diego State University (1989-1992), and Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1992-1993). From 1942 to 1948, Dr. Long worked for the federal government in the Office of Price Administration (1942-1946) and National Housing Administration (1946-1948). Among his many publications, Dr. Long wrote the seminal article, “Power and Administration,” for the Public Administration Review in 1949.
The Honorable William J. Clinton, Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas, spoke during the Saturday luncheon on February 19th. Bill Clinton earned his B.S. degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1968 and a J.D. degree from Yale University in 1973. After an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974, Bill Clinton was elected Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas in 1976. He was elected to the first of several terms as Governor of Arkansas in 1978. From 1993 to 2001, Bill Clinton served for two terms as the 42nd President of the U.S.
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1977 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Peter W. Schramm (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro), “Citizen Alienation and Democratic Government: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Clarification of the Problem”; Jeffrey D. Wallin (ASU-Jonesboro), “Natural Right and National Prudence: Thomas Jefferson on the Abolition of American Slavery”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Black Political Thought: What is it Now?”; Dr. Charles W. Hartwig and Samir Ghali (ASU-Jonesboro), “The Lebanese Conflict in Perspective”; Robert Monson (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Race and Political Development in the Caribbean: Nation Building in Corporatist Perspective”; Dr. James F. Willis (Southern Arkansas University), “The First Effort at Punishing Genocide: The Allies and the Armenian Massacres, 1915-1922”; Professor Diane D. Kincaid (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Gubernatorial Appointments and Legislative Influence: Some Preliminary Observations”; Dr. Donald C. Leavitt (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), “Comparative Political Cultures: Arkansas and Minnesota”; Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Office of Governor in Arkansas History”; and Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock, “Voting Behavior in Arkansas on Statewide Ballot Issues, 1964-1976”.
Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas) convened the Business Meeting of the membership of the ArkPSA on Saturday morning, February 19, 1977. In his presidential address, Dr. Dunn spoke about the possibility of requiring American National Government for all Arkansas college graduates. The members decide to postpone action on the issue until further study by the Executive Board. Walter H. Nunn, Secretary-Treasurer, reported that the association had a balance of $475.17 in its account at start of the year. Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Chairperson of the Nominations Committee, presented the following nominations for officers and at-large members of the Executive Board: Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn of ASU-Jonesboro as President; Dr. Robert L. Savage of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Polytechnic College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1977-1979); and Dr. William James Megginson of Garland County Community College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1977-1979). The nominations were approved by the members. Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro) appointed Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (ASU-Jonesboro) as Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1978 annual meeting. Other members of the Program Committee selected were Dr. Glen W. Sparrow (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar (Henderson State University), and Dr. George W. Zilbergeld (Arkansas College).
Dr. Tae Yul Nam‘s (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff) manuscript, “A Manifesto of the Black Student Activists in a Southern Black College Under the Integration Order,” was published in the Journal of Negro Education (vol. 46, no. 2) in Spring 1977. In Ronald W. Walters & Cedric Johnson’s Bibliography of African American Leadership: An Annotated Guide (2000), the article is summarized as the following: “This article examines the germination of protest at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (formerly Agricultural, Mechanical, and Normal College) during the process of an imminent merger with the state’s majority white universities. Dr. Nam attempted to ascertain the motives and purposes of the students’ actions through intensive oral interviews with key activists. The main thesis is that student activism was a manifestation of an “identity crisis” and an effort to advance “self-imposed segregation” in Black higher education administration.” Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar‘s (Henderson State University) manuscript, “The Nixon Court: A Study of Leadership,” was published by The Western Political Quarterly (volume 30, no. 4) in Winter 1977. The manuscript written by Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) and Richard J. Gallagher (City of West Memphis), “Politico-Cultural Regions in a Southern State: An Empirical Typology of Arkansas Counties,” was published by Publius: The Journal of Federalism (volume 7, no. 1) in Winter 1977.
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1978 – The 5th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at DeGray Lake State Park near Arkadelphia, Arkansas on February 24-25, 1978. Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as President of the ArkPSA in 1977-1978. Dr. Robert L. Savage of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as Vice-President in 1977-1978. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1977-1978. Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Program Chair for the 1978 annual meeting. Dr. Charles D. Dunn of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1977-1978 were Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech College (1977-1979); Dr. W. James Megginson of Garland County Community College (1977-1979); Professor Merrill R. Pritchett of the University of Arkansas-Monticello (1976-1978); and Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1976-1978).
Carol Griffee (Arkansas Gazette), Don Harrell (Press Secretary to Governor David Pryor), and Cal Wasson (KAIT-TV, Jonesboro) participated in a panel discussion, “The Media and the 1978 Elections,” during the Friday evening dinner on February 24th. Dr. Jewell L. Prestage (Southern University in Baton Rouge) spoke on the topic, “Women in the American Political System,” during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on February 25th. In 1953, Jewell Prestage became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Iowa. Dr. Prestage taught political science and served as Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at Southern University from 1956 to 1989. In 1977, Dr. Prestage co-authored the book A Portrait of Marginality: The Political Behavior of the American Woman, with Marianne Githens. In 1989, Dr. Prestage was chosen as Dean of the Benjamin Banneker College at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas.
Several research papers written in 1977 on Arkansas government and politics were honored during the Saturday luncheon. The awards were sponsored by Walter H. Nunn and the Rose Publishing Company. Professor Diane D. Kincaid‘s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) paper, “The Arkansas Plan: Coon Dogs or Community Services,” was the recipient of the “Best Faculty Paper” award. Walter H. Nunn presented the award, including a check for $50.00, to Professor Kincaid during the Saturday luncheon. William Onopa‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) paper, “Improving State/Local Relations in Arkansas,” was the recipient of the “Best Graduate Student Paper” award, and Adrienne Brietzke‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) paper, “The Issue of Appellate Review of Sentencing: Some Preliminary Findings from the States” was the recipient of the “Best Undergraduate Student Paper” award.
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1978 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Michael Kelley (University of Central Arkansas), “An Examination of the Relationship Between National Power and Imperial Success, 1870-1914”; Stanford McConkie (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro), “The Study of Public Administration”; Jack D. Jackson (State of Arkansas), “The Development of the Congressional Public Affairs Program”; Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr., Dr. Glen W. Sparrow, and Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Governor Pryor’s Arkansas Plan: Historical Perspective”; Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), “The Impact of Amendment 55 on Quorum Court Membership in Arkansas”; Dr. Donald C. Leavitt and Professor Henry Wilkins III (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), “The Arkansas Legislature: Patterns of Norms and Roll Call Voting”; Donna Hudspeth (ASU-Jonesboro), “Party in Office and Party Organization: The Arkansas Legislature and the Democratic Party”; Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and John Carroll (University of Detroit), “Rules of the Game in a Constitutional Convention Setting: An Aggregate Analysis”; Peggy Gravning and Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Relative Influence of IQ on the Development of Political Awareness in Children: A Longitudinal Analysis”; Adrienne Brietzke (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Issue of Appellate Review of Sentencing: Some Preliminary Findings from the States”; Dr. Mary Susan Power (ASU-Jonesboro), “John Locke and the Rights of Rebellion, Resistance, and Opposition”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Democracy in Principle and Practice Among Blacks”; Dr. Conrad Waligorski (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Efforts to Institutionalize a Right to Resist within Democratic Theory”; and Dr. George W. Zilbergeld (Arkansas College), “Equality and Experience”.
Dr. Carolyn Zinn convened the business meeting of the membership of the ArkPSA on Saturday morning, February 25, 1978. President Zinn reviewed the first five years of the ArkPSA, and she appointed an ad hoc committee to explore the possibility of holding a “social science” meeting with geography and sociologist professors in the state of Arkansas. A motion to establish an academic journal was adopted, including a provision authorizing the president to appoint an editorial review board. Dr. Charles D. Dunn, Chairperson of the Nominations Committee, recommended the following for officers and at-large members of the Executive Board: Dr. Robert L. Savage of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville as President; Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Professor Robert W. Meriwether of Hendrix College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1978-1980); and Dr. Glen W. Sparrow of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1978-1980). The nominations were approved unanimously.
President Robert L. Savage appointed the following individuals as committee chairpersons for 1978-1979: Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Program Committee; Carolyn Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro) – Nominations Committee; Professor William C. Nolan (Southern Arkansas University) – Constitutional Revisions Committee; Dr. Glen W. Sparrow (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Membership Committee; and Professor Simms McClintock (University of Central Arkansas) – Awards Committee.
The ArkPSA Executive Board met on December 2, 1978. Members present included Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock, Dr. W. James Megginson (Garland County Community College), Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro), Professor Robert W. Meriwether (Hendrix College), and Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock). Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock reported that the Association had a balance of $491.65 in its account. Among other issues, the Executive Board discussed proposed changes to the constitution and nominations for officers and Executive Board members. The Executive Board also discussed Dr. Joel E. Anderson’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) decision to conditionally accept (depending on the finances) the appointment as Chairperson of the Editorial Board of the proposed journal of the ArkPSA.
Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) was appointed as Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1978. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock replaced Dale Enoch as Executive Director of the Institute of Politics and Government in Little Rock in 1978. The manuscript written by Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Policy Innovativeness as a Trait of American States,” was published in The Journal of Politics in February 1978. The manuscript written by Dr. Merrill R. Pritchett and Dr. William L. Shea (University of Arkansas-Monticello), “The Afrika Korps in Arkansas, 1943-1946,” was published in The Arkansas Historical Quarterly in Spring 1978. The manuscript written by Dr. Glen W. Sparrow (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Arkansas Local Governments Begin to Take Control,” was published by the National Civic Review in November 1978.
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1979 – The 6th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Holiday Inn and Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas on February 23-24, 1979. Dr. Robert L. Savage of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as President of the ArkPSA in 1978-1979. Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 1978-1979. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1978-1979. Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as Program Chair for the 1979 annual meeting. Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro) served as Past President ex officio. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1978-1979 were Professor Robert W. Meriwether of Hendrix College (1978-1980), Dr. Glen W. Sparrow (University of Arkansas-Little Rock, 1978-1980), Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech University (1977-1979), and Dr. W. James Megginson of Garland County Community College (1977-1979).
Dr. Dan D. Nimmo, Professor in the Department of Political Science and College of Communications at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, spoke on the topic, “Politics and Media,” during the Friday evening dinner on February 23rd. Dan Nimmo earned his Ph.D. in Political Science at Vanderbilt University in 1962. Among his numerous authored and co-authored publications in the field of political communications at the time include Political Persuaders: The Techniques of Modern Election Campaigns (1970); Candidates and Their Images: Concepts, Methods, and Findings (1976); and Political Communication and Public Opinion in America (1978). The Honorable Steven Clark, Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas, spoke on the topic, “Reflections on Political, Administrative, and Academic Roles,” during the Saturday morning breakfast on February 24th. Steven Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arkansas State University-Jonesboro in 1968 and a J.D. degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville in 1971. Steven Clark was elected Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas in 1978.
The following individuals were appointed as the Panel Moderators for the 1979 annual meeting – Professor Robert W. Meriwether (Hendrix College) – Teaching Political Science to Undergraduates; Jeff Wallin (ASU-Jonesboro) – Political Theory; Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. (Southwest Missouri State University) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Law & Society; Bill Galante (Arkansas Society of Public Administration) – Public Administration; Dr. Jane Fagg (Arkansas College) – Comparative Politics/International Relations; and Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Political Behavior. Bill Galante was later replaced by Dr. Neil Snortland (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), who was the President of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1979 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), “Reaction to Reform: Arkansas County Officials Under Amendment 55”; Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr., Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr., and Dr. Glen W. Sparrow’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Arkansas Plan: A Case Study in Public Policy”; Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and John Carroll (University of Detroit), “Continuing Constitutional Convention Activists: The Case of the 1970 Arkansas Convention Delegates”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Hannah Arendt: The Foundations of Her Political Philosophy”; Dr. Mary Susan Power (ASU-Jonesboro), “John Winthrop: Charity or Covenant”; Stanford McConkie (ASU-Jonesboro), “Public Administration and Virtue”; Dr. W. James Megginson (Garland County Community College), “Fiftieth Anniversary Reflections: Current Parallels to American Recognition of China in 1928”; Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (ASU-Jonesboro) and Samir Ghali (University of Nebraska at Omaha), “The French Connection: The French Role in Lebanon”; Dr. Kurt Tweraser (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Member Goals, Environmental Constraints, and Decision Rules: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Under Fulbright, 1959-1974”; Dr. Donald C. Leavitt (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), “The 1978 Class Polarization of Electoral Politics in One-Party Arkansas”; Dr. Kenneth D. Bailey and Peggy Gravning (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Political Crisis and IQ in the Development of Political Orientations in Pre- and Early-Adolescence: A Test of the Environment/Maturation Questions on a Four-Year Longitudinal Sample”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Future Black Elites’ Systemic Legitimacy/Effectiveness and Stability”; Denny Pilant (Southwest Missouri State University), “Reflections on the Administration of Municipally Owned Utility Systems”; Dr. Glen W. Sparrow (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Metropolitan Reorganization: An Agenda for Future Study”; Dr. Myra Masters (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Dilemmas in Arkansas Juvenile Law”; Dr. Donald C. Leavitt (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), “Supreme Court Decision Making from Jay to Taney”; and Robert Berry (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Discrepancy between Official and Victimization Statistics as a Function of City Size”.
Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) convened the business meeting of the membership of the ArkPSA during the Saturday luncheon on February 24, 1979. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock reported that the Association had a balance of $496.65 in its account.
Professor William C. Nolan, Chairperson of the Constitution Revisions Committee, submitted three proposed amendments to the Association’s constitution and two by-laws. Each of the items was approved unanimously. Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) announced the membership of the Editorial Board for the Association’s journal: Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. Daniel R. Grant (Ouachita Baptist University), Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. (Southwest Missouri State University), Professor Diane D. Kincaid (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar (HSU), Dr. Carolyn Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro), and Walter H. Nunn (Little Rock).
Professor Simms McClintock (University of Central Arkansas), Chairperson of the Awards Committee, presented Dr. Kurt Tweraser (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) the “Best Faculty Paper” award for his research paper, “Member Goals, Environmental Constraints, and Decision Rules: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee Under Fulbright, 1959-1974” presented during the 1979 annual meeting. Honorable mention awards were presented to Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas) and Dr. W. James Megginson (Garland County Community College). Professor Simms McClintock (University of Central Arkansas) also presented awards for student papers written in 1978: Danny Richey (ASU-Jonesboro) – “Best Undergraduate Paper” and Mike Brown (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – “Best Graduate Student Paper”.
Dr. Carolyn Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro), Chairperson of the Nominations Committee, submitted the following nominations for officers and members of the Executive Board: Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro as President; Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Gene Goss of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1979-1981); and Professor Simms McClintock of the University of Central Arkansas as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1979-1981). The nominations were approved unanimously.
Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr.‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “The Anti-Evolution Law: Church and State in Arkansas,” was published in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly (volume 38) in Winter 1979. Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr., Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. and Dr. Glen W. Sparrow‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, The Arkansas Plan: A Case Study in Public Policy, was published by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Press in 1979. Dr. Thomas J. Bellows‘ (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “Normalization-A Taiwan Perspective,” was published in Asian Affairs: An American Review (vol. 6, no. 6) in July/August 1979. Dr. Thomas J. Bellows‘ (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “The Vietnamese-Cambodian War,” was published in the Asian Perspective (vol. 3, no. 2) in Fall 1979. Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (ASU-Jonesboro) and Samir Ghali‘s manuscript, “France and the Lebanese Conflict,” was published in the Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies in Fall 1979.
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1980 – The 7th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Indian Rock Resort in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas on February 29-March 1, 1980. Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as President of the ArkPSA in 1979-1980. Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Vice-President in 1979-1980. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1979-1980. Dr. William James Megginson of Garland County Community College served as Program Chair for the 1980 annual meeting. Dr. Robert L. Savage of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as President ex-officio. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1979-1980 were Gene Goss of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association (1979-1981), Professor Simms McClintock of the University of Central Arkansas (1979-1981), Professor Robert W. Meriwether of Hendrix College (1978-1980), and Dr. Glen W. Sparrow (University of Arkansas-Little Rock, 1978-1980). Dr. Joel E. Anderson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) served as Editor of the Arkansas Journal of Political Science (AJPS).
Professor Robert A. Leflar (University of Arkansas School of Law) spoke on the topic, “The Proposed Arkansas Constitution,” during the Friday evening dinner on February 29th. The Honorable Raymond H. Thornton, Jr., a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke during the Saturday morning breakfast on March 1st. Ray Thornton, Jr. earned a Bachelor of Art’s degree in International Relations and Engineering from Yale University in 1950 and a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville in 1956. He served as Attorney-General of the state of Arkansas from 1971 to 1973 and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1978, losing to Governor David Pryor in the Democratic Party primary election.
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1980 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Robert E. Johnston (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Arkansas Electoral Patterns, 1960-1978”; Gail Ponder (University of Central Arkansas), “Political Campaigns in Arkansas: The 1978 Democratic Senatorial Primary”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Democracy in Practice and Principle Among Students”; Dr. Conrad Waligorski (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “The Context of American International Economic Policy”; Dr. Gene E. Bigler (Hendrix College), “Practical and Structural Barriers to the Expansion of Arkansas’ International Exports”; Gene Goss (Arkansas Oil Marketers Association), “Arkansas’ Energy Needs and Supply Potentials in the 1980s”; Rhonda Weaver (Office of Senator Dale Bumpers), “Arkansas’ Agricultural Exports in the 1980s”; Gary Smith (Arkansas Department of Economic Development), “Exporting Arkansas Products on a Practical Basis: The Experience of the Marketing Division”; Patrick Hollingsworth (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Public Education in Arkansas: A Brief Comparative Analysis”; Richard D. Roblee and Mark Schlesinger (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “The Changing Influence of AP&L on Arkansas Politics”; Jannell Dillon (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Constitutional Revision in Arkansas”; Clay Sloan (Arkansas College), “Campaign Contributions and Expenditures of 1978 Legislative Candidates in Arkansas”; Wesonga Isaac Luboti, Jr. (ASU-Jonesboro), “An Analysis of Kenyan Public Administration”; Dan Durning, “Implementing Change in a Public Organization: The Case of the City of Texarkana’s Public Safety Officer Program”; Dr. George W. Zilbergeld (Arkansas College), “Political Philosophy and Public Administration: The Problem of Welfare Reform”; Harry J. Hammer (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Improving Probation Administration”; Fred Jewell (Harding University), “The Evolution of the ‘Public Person’ Doctrine from New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) to Wolton v. Reader’s Digest (1979)”; Dr. Charles D. Chastain (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Effects of Jury Experience on Jurors’ Attitudes”; and Dr. Donald C. Leavitt (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), “Attitudes on the Post-Civil War Supreme Court, 1863-1888”.
Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro) convened the business meeting of the membership of the ArkPSA during the Saturday luncheon on March 1st. Reports were given by the chairpersons of the Awards, Program, and Nominations committees.
Dr. Conrad Waligorski (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Chairperson of the Awards Committee, announced awards for graduate and undergraduate research papers written in 1979. Gayle Avant (Baylor University) and Dr. C. Jeddy Levar (Henderson State University) were presented the “Best Graduate Student Paper” award for their co-written research paper, “Arkadelphia Changes its Water Rate: A Learning Design.” Mary Elizabeth Dobb, a student at ASU-Jonesboro from Mountain View, Missouri, was presented the “Best Undergraduate Student Paper” award.
Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Chairperson of the Nominations Committee, submitted the nominations for Executive Board Officers and At-Large Members for 1980-1981: Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as President; Dr. W. James Megginson of Garland County Community College as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1980-1982); and Dr. Kurt Tweraser of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1980-1982). The nominations were approved unanimously. The membership approved a recommendation by the Executive Board to increase the annual membership fee from $5.00 to $10.00.
The Executive Board held a meeting at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday, April 5, 1980. Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock submitted the following appointments for committee chairpersons and members:
Program Committee – Dr. James F. Willis, chairperson (Southern Arkansas University), Dr. Peggy Scranton (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Kenneth Walker (Arkansas Tech University), Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. R. Lawson Veasey (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. Mary Susan Power (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro), Dr. Genevieve Mills (Arkansas Tech University), and Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. (University of Arkansas-Little Rock).
Clearinghouse Committee – Professor Diane Kincaid Blair, chairperson (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Robert McChesney (University of Central Arkansas), Dr. Charles D. Chastain (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Carolyn Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro), Professor William C. Nolan (Southern Arkansas University), and Walter H. Nunn (Little Rock),
Nominations Committee – Dr. Charles Hartwig, chairperson (ASU-Jonesboro), Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. (Arkansas Tech University), and Dr. Robert E. Johnston (University of Arkansas-Little Rock).
Best Paper Awards Committee – Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr., chairperson (Southwest Missouri State University), Professor Robert W. Meriwether (Hendrix College), Dr. Stan McConkie (ASU-Jonesboro), and Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar (Henderson State University).
Membership Committee – Professor Mary Weiner, chairperson (East Arkansas Community College), Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Gene E. Bigler (Hendrix College), Dr. Darwin Gamble (ASU-Jonesboro), and Dr. Jane Fagg (Arkansas College).
Journal Editorial Board – Dr. Joel E. Anderson, chairperson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Conrad Waligorski (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), Kay Goss (Association of Arkansas Counties), Dr. Daniel R. Grant (Ouachita Baptist University), and Walter H. Nunn (Little Rock). The committee appointments were approved by the Executive Board.
The Executive Board also approved the tentative location, date, and speakers for the 1981 annual meeting. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock, secretary-treasurer, submitted a financial report including proposed budget expenditures and expected revenues.
Dr. Robert L. Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) and John P. Price‘s manuscript, “Regionalism in Two Southern States: An Exploratory Study of Intrastate Politico-Cultural Cleavages,” was published in the Arkansas Political Science Journal (vol. 1) in February 1980. Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and John J. Carroll’s manuscript, “Perspectives on Continuing Constitutional Activism: The Case of the 1969-70 Arkansas Convention Delegates,” was published in the Arkansas Political Science Journal in February 1980; Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and John J. Carroll’s manuscript, “Teaching Constitutional Conventions in Legislative Process and State & Local Government Courses,” was published in Teaching Political Science (vol. 7, no. 3) in April 1980. Dr. Gary H. Brook‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “Correlates of Progressive Taxation in the American States,” was published in the Journal of Political Science (vol. 7) in Spring 1980. Dr. C. S. Tai‘s (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff) manuscript, “Trends in Japan’s Import Diversification: Some Quantitative Evidence,” was published in Asian Profile (vol. 8, no. 5) in October 1980. Dr. Neil Snortland and Robert D. Pursley‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, Managing Government Organizations, was published by Duxbury Press in 1980.
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1981 – The 8th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at DeGray Lake State Park near Arkadelphia, Arkansas on February 27-28, 1981. Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 1980-1981. Dr. W. James Megginson of Garland County Community College served as Vice-President in 1980-1981. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1980-1981. Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University served as Program Chair for the 1981 annual meeting. Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro served as Past President ex officio. The At-Large members of the Executive Board in 1980-1981 were Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University (1980-1982), Dr. Kurt Tweraser of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1980-1982), Gene Goss of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association (1979-1981), and Professor Simms McClintock of the University of Central Arkansas (1979-1981). Dr. Joel Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Editor of the Arkansas Journal of Political Science (AJPS).
The ArkPSA Executive Board held a luncheon meeting on Friday, February 27th. Reports were presented by Walter H. Nunn (financial) and Dr. Joel E. Anderson (journal). The committee agreed that the president should appoint a newsletter editor and a membership directory member for 1981-1982. Nominations for Executive Board Officers and At-Large Members for 1981-1982 were approved, including Dr. W. James Megginson of Garland County Community College as President); Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer); Dr. Gene E. Bigler of Hendrix College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1981-1983); and Dr. Genevieve Miles of Arkansas Tech University as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1981-1982).
Dr. Daniel R. Grant, President of Ouachita Baptist University, spoke on the topic, “Political Action, Teaching, and Research: Which Hat(s) for Arkansas Political Scientists?”, during the Friday evening dinner on February 27th. The Honorable William Fewell “Casey” Laman, former mayor of North Little Rock, spoke on the topic, “Reflections on Local Politics,” during the Saturday morning breakfast on February 28th. William F. Laman was born to James N. and Anna (Fewell) Laman in Pulaski County on October 20, 1913. He attended Little Rock Junior College and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville during the Great Depression. He earned a B.S. degree in Botany and Chemistry from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in May 1939. He worked as a deputy assessor for Pulaski Academy, and he served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946. After his military service, William F. Laman became manager of Laman Furniture Company. He served on the North Little Rock school board from 1949 to 1958 and as Mayor of North Little Rock from 1958 to 1972. Later, he served as a non-voting member of the North Little Rock Park and Recreation Commission, and he died at the age of 98 on April 16, 2012.
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1981 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Charles D. Dunn and Dr. Lawson Veasey (University of Central Arkansas), “Influencing State Legislatures: A Typology of Interest Groups”; Denny Pilant (Southwest Missouri State University), “On Revolution: Aristotle and Arendt”; Dr. Mary Susan Power (ASU-Jonesboro), “Thomas Hooker and Eric Voegelin: Protestantism and Gnosticism”; Ladonna Cowart (Ouachita Baptist University) and Rex Nelson (Ouachita Baptist University), “The Use of Terrorism as a Weapon and Its Effects on International Relations”; Jeff Stahoviak (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The UALR Citizen Survey and the 1980 General Election”; Dee S. Davis (Hendrix College), “An Examination of Resolution SA, Concerning the Apartheid Problem in South Africa, To be Submitted to the Security Council of the United Nations by the USA”; Sallie L. Laux (University of Central Arkansas), “Preferential Treatment and Reverse Discrimination”; Harry J. Hamner, “The Rehabilitation Act: Effects on Local Government”; John Putman, “The Dilemma of Service Delivery in Rural Arkansas: A Proposed Consolidation of Fire Departments and Police Departments in Faulkner County”; Dr. C. S. Tai (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), “Economic Development and Social Equality in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan”; Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (ASU-Jonesboro), “Rhodesia to Zimbabwe: Nationalism, Diplomacy, and Power”; John Ziegler (Hendrix College), “Attempts by LaFollette’s Magazine to Shape Isolationist Attitudes on Foreign Affairs: A Content Analysis of Editorial Opinion”; Dr. Gene E. Bigler (Hendrix College) and Chris Collier (Hendrix College), “The World is Closing in on Arkansas: International Relations and Public Opinion in the Heartland”; Dr. Robert E. Johnston (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The 1980 Election in Arkansas: What Happened?”; Dr. Donald C. Leavitt (University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff), “The 1980 Arkansas Democratic Party: What Is It?”; Dr. Charles D. Chastain (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Effect of Juror Experience Revisited”; Jim Thompson, “Issue Campaigns vs. Candidate Campaigns”; and Mike Niggel, Ferris Baker, and Dr. Gene E. Bigler (Hendrix College), “Some Determinants of Split-Ticket Voting in Arkansas Elections.”
Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr., Chairperson of the Awards Committee, presented the “Best Faculty Paper” award to Dr. Gene E. Bigler and Chris Collier (Hendrix College) for their paper, “The World is Closing in on Arkansas: International Relations and Public Opinion in the Heartland” presented during the 1981 ArkPSA conference. The “Best Undergraduate Paper” award was presented to Sallie L. Laux (University of Central Arkansas) for her paper, “Preferential Treatment and Reverse Discrimination” presented during the 1981 ArkPSA conference. The “Best Arkansas Paper” award was presented to Mike Niggel, Ferris Baker, and Dr. Gene E. Bigler (Hendrix College) for their paper, “Some Determinants of Split-Ticket Voting in Arkansas Elections” presented during the 1981 ArkPSA conference.
The Executive Board held a meeting in Little Rock on April 25, 1981. Secretary-Treasurer Walter Nunn of Little Rock reported that the association had $1,590.00 in its accounts, but the invoice for the second volume of the journal had not yet been paid. The Executive Board approved a resolution expressing its strong support for Robert Meriwether (Hendrix College) as Director of the Arkansas Governor’s School. Dr. R. Lawson Veasey of the University of Central Arkansas was appointed to complete the remaining year in the Dr. James F. Willis’ two-year term as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board. Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. was appointed as Program Chair for the 1982 annual meeting.
Dr. Mary Susan Power‘s (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro) manuscript, “Return to Rhetoric: A Case for Cooperative Discussion,” was published in the Journal of Political Science in Spring 1981. Professor Diane K. Blair and Ann Henry‘s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “The Family Factor in State Legislative Turnover,” was published in Legislative Studies Quarterly in February 1981. Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and John J. Carroll’s manuscript, “Rules of the Game in Ephemeral Institutions,” was published in the Legislative Studies Quarterly in May 1981. Dr. Robert L. Savage‘s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “Looking for Political Subcultures: A Critique of the Rummage-Sale Approach,” was published in the Political Research Quarterly in June 1981. In July 1981, Dr. Thomas J. Bellows (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) was hired as Director of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
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1982 – The 9th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Hilton Hotel in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 26-27, 1982. Dr. William James Megginson of Garland County Community College served as President of the ArkPSA until his resignation effective on September 1, 1981. Dr. Megginson resigned to accept a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship for the College Faculty at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York. Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University served as Vice-President until September 1, 1981, when he became Acting President. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1981-1982. Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as the Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1982 annual meeting. Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr. of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1980-1981 were Dr. Kurt Tweraser of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1980-1982), Dr. R. Lawson Veasey of the University of Central Arkansas (1981-1982), and Dr. Gene E. Bigler of Hendrix College (1981-1983). Dr. Genevieve Miles of Arkansas Tech University had resigned her At-Large position (1981-1982) on the Executive Board. Dr. Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Editor of the Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ). Members of the Editorial Board for the APSJ included Walter H. Nunn (Little Rock), Dr. Gary Brooks (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), Dr. Daniel R. Grant (Ouachita Baptist University), Kay Goss (Office of the Governor), and Dr. Raphael O. Lewis (Philander Smith College).
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1982 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Denny Pilant (Southwest Missouri State University), “Aristotle’s Ideal State”; Dr. Conrad Waligorski (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “The Elements of Democratic Theory”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler and Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), “The Arkansas General Assembly and Interest Groups”; Dr. Kurt Tweraser (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “How Have You Looked to Me Lately, Senator? J. William Fulbright, Models of Representation and Re-election Strategies”; Adolph Reed (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Orval E. Faubus: On the Spectrum of American Liberalism-An American Liberal?”; Beka Miles-DeLony (Philander Smith College), “Destroying Barriers: Little Rock Sit-Ins and the Participation of Philander Smith College Students”; Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. (Arkansas Tech University), “Sharing Governmental Functions in an Arkansas City”; Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Reapportionment in Arkansas: A Historical and Legal Perspective”; Dr. Robert E. Johnston and Mary Storey’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Arkansas Senate: Senatorial Attitudes, Behavior, and Power”; Mark Ellickson (University of Central Arkansas), “Success in the Arkansas State Legislature”; R. Christopher Perry (Tennessee State Energy Office), “Patterns of Intellectual Deference: Personal and Proxy Influence of Chief Justice Burger, 1976-1979”; Mary Weiner (Eastern Arkansas Community College), “Television in the Courtroom: Can Fair Trial and Free Press Exist in Modern Society”; Martin Greenberg (ASU-Jonesboro), “Check Points on the Reform of Law Enforcement Curricula”; and Kelly Hughes (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “The Rationale for Soviet Involvement in the Third World: An Emphasis on Africa.”
The ArkPSA Executive Committee met at Charlie’s Restaurant in Fayetteville on Friday, February 26th. Secretary-Treasurer Walter Nunn of Little Rock reported a balance of $29.00 in the association’s account prior to the annual meeting. Dr. Joel E. Anderson, Editor of the Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ), reported that the second volume of the journal had been printed. The committee discussed options for funding the publication of the journal semi-annually, including subvention by a university in the state, a foundation grant, and an appropriation by the state legislature. Guest speakers during the annual meeting included Arkansas State Auditor Julia Hughes Jones and State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher, who participated in a panel discussion on “The Role of Women in Arkansas Government and Politics” during the dinner on Friday evening, July 26th. Arkansas Secretary of State Paul Riviere spoke during the breakfast on Saturday morning, July 27th.
The ArkPSA membership (business) meeting was held at the Hilton Hotel in Fayetteville on Saturday noon, February 27th. President James F. Willis presented the “Best Undergraduate Student Paper” award to Gary Perkey (ASU-Jonesboro) for his paper, “Congressional Reform: The Impact of the Legislative Reorganization Acts of 1946 and 1970 on the American Legislative Process” written during the 1981-1982 academic year. The “Best Faculty Paper” award was presented to R. Christopher Perry (Tennessee State Energy Office) for his paper, “Patterns of Intellectual Deference: Personal and Proxy Influences of Chief Justice Burger, 1976-1979,” presented during the 1982 ArkPSA conference. Nominations for Executive Board Officers and At-Large Members for 1982-1983 were approved: Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University as President; Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Harry Hamner of Arkansas Municipal League as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1982-1983); Dr. Donald Kelley of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1982-1984), and Gary Brooks of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1982-1984). The chairpersons of the ArkPSA committees were approved: Dr. Jeddy LeVar (Henderson State University) – Program Committee; Dr. Harold “Hal” Bass (Ouachita Baptist University) – Membership Committee; Kay Goss (Office of the Governor) – Awards Committee; Dr. Robert Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Journal Review Committee; Dr. W. James Megginson (Garland County Community College) – Nominating Committee; and Dr. Gene Bigler (Hendrix College) – International Education Committee.
The Executive Board held a meeting at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock on April 24, 1982. Secretary-Treasurer Walter Nunn of Little Rock reported a balance of $1,146.62 in the association’s account. The Executive Board approved the appointment of Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University as Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1983 annual meeting to be held on the campus of Henderson State University on February 25-26, 1983. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas was appointed as the new Editor of the Arkansas Journal of Political Science (AJPS). The Executive Board approved a motion to commend Dr. Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock for his service as the first Editor of the AJPS. The Executive Board approved a motion to conditionally raise the 1983 annual meeting registration fees to $20.00, depending on whether or not the University of Central Arkansas was able to financially contribute to the publication of the journal.
Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr.‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, co-authored with C. Fred Williams, “Arkansas Governors in the Twentieth Century: A Ranking and Analysis,” was published in the Arkansas Political Science Journal (volume 3) in 1982. Also, Dr. Ledbetter’s manuscript, “The Constitution of 1836: A New Perspective.” was published in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly (volume 41) in Autumn 1982. Dr. Carolyn J. Zinn (ASU-Jonesboro), Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at ASU from 1973 to 1982, was appointed as Academic Dean and Professor of Political Science at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia beginning on July 1, 1982. Professor Diane K. Blair (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) was selected for the 1981-1982 “Outstanding Teacher” Award in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Dr. James F. Willis’ (Southern Arkansas University) book manuscript, Prologue to Nuremberg: The Politics and Diplomacy of Punishing War Criminals of the First World War by Greenwood Press in May 1982.
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1983 – The 10th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on February 25-26, 1983. Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1982-1983. Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. of the State Claims Commission served as Vice-President in 1982-1983. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1982-1983. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1982-1983 were Dr. Gene E. Bigler of Hendrix College (1981-1983), Harry Hamner of the Arkansas Municipal League (1982-1983), Dr. Donald Kelley of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1982-1984), and Dr. Arthur English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1982-1984). Dr. Arthur “Art” English of University of Arkansas-Little Rock had been appointed to replace Dr. Gary Brooks of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, who resigned his At-Large position in August 1982. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as the Chairperson of the Program Committee for the 1983 annual meeting. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Arkansas Journal of Political Science (AJPS).
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1983 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Teaching the 1982 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary as a Political Game”; Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. (Arkansas Tech University), “Sharing of Governmental Functions in an Arkansas City: A Case Study of Russellville, Arkansas”; Dr. David Levenbach (ASU-Jonesboro), “Local Leadership Perspectives on Economic Development”; Eldon Eisenach (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Place of Politics and Culture in J. S. Mill’s Science of Society”; Gilda Macksam (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Arkansas: Options Under Reaganomics”; David A. Smith (Harding University), “The Marxian Conception of Alienation: An Overview”; Lance Thornton (Hendrix College), “The Supreme Court and the American Public: An Analysis”; Carlene Wyatt (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The Election Laws Institute, Inc.”; Professor Diane K. Blair and Dr. Robert Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Regional Patterns in the Distribution of Political Opinions Among Arkansans”; Dr. Robert E. Johnston (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “The 1982 Elections in Arkansas”; and James L. Larson (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Fraud in Government Programs: A Secondary Analysis”.
Retired State Senator Robert Harvey from the town of Swifton in Jackson County spoke during the Friday evening dinner on February 25th. Dr. Robert McChesney of the University of Central Arkansas spoke during the Saturday morning breakfast meeting in HSU cafeteria on February 26th. Jerome Bill Becker, President of Arkansas AFL-CIO, spoke during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on February 26th.
An amendment to the Constitution was approved, providing for the Program Chair to serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Board.
Nominations for ArkPSA Executive Board Officers and At-Large Members for 1983-1984 were approved: Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. of State Claims Commission as President; Dr. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University as Vice-President; Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock as Secretary-Treasurer; Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1983-1985); and Dr. Mary Susan Power of ASU-Jonesboro as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1983-1985).
Kay Goss (Office of the Governor), Chairperson of the Awards Committee, presented the “Best Faculty Paper” award to Professor Diane K. Blair and Dr. Robert Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) for their paper, “Regional Patterns in the Distribution of Political Opinions Among Arkansans.” Lance Thornton’s paper, “The Supreme Court and the American Public – An Analysis,” was awarded the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented during the 1983 conference.
The Executive Board met in the State Capitol Building in Little Rock on May 13, 1983. The president of the ArkPSA, Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. (State Claims Commission), appointed Kay Goss (Office of the Governor) as the Program Chair for the 1984 annual meeting. Professor Diane K. Blair (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) was appointed as Chairperson of the Awards Committee, Dr. James Willis (Southern Arkansas University) as Chairperson of the Nominations Committee, and Professor Robert Meriwether (Hendrix College) as Chairperson of the Membership Committee.
The manuscript written by Dr. Steven Neuse (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “TVA at Age Fifty–Reflections and Retrospect,” was published in Public Administration Review in November/December 1983, and his manuscript, “From Grass Roots to Citizen Participation: Where We’ve Been and Where We Are Now,” was published in Public Administration Quarterly in Fall 1983. The manuscript written by Dr. Robert Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Policy Traditions in American State Politics,” was published in the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare in June 1983. The manuscript written by Dr. Charles D. Dunn and Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas), “Institutional Representation as Institutional Accountability in the Arkansas General Assembly,” was published in the Arkansas Political Science Journal in Winter 1983.
In Memoriam: Dr. Charles Clyde Jones, a professor and chair of the political science department at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, died in Jonesboro on November 18, 1983. Charles Clyde Jones was born in East Lynn, West Virginia on February 9, 1926. Staff Sgt. Jones served in the U.S. Army in Europe (Tank Division of the Third Army) during the Second World War. He earned a B.A. degree (1949) and M.A. degree (1950) from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. He earned a Ph.D. in Public Administration from West Virginia University in 1965. Dr. Jones’ dissertation, The Peace Corps: An Analysis of Development Problems, Preliminary Education, and Future was published in 1967. At ASU-Jonesboro, Dr. Jones served as Chair of the Department of Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, and Geography; and he served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Jones was survived by his wife Francis Elkins Jones, daughter Toni R. Jones, and son Keith A. Jones.
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1984 – The 11th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 24-25, 1984. Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. of the Arkansas State Claims Commission served as President of the ArkPSA in 1983-1984. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Vice-President in 1983-1984. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1983-1984. Dr. James F. Willis of Southern Arkansas University served as Past President ex officio. Kay Goss (Arkansas Governor’s Office) served as Program Chair for the 1984 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1983-1984 were Dr. Donald Kelley of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1982-1984), Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1982-1984), Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College (1983-1985), and Dr. Mary Susan Power of ASU-Jonesboro (1983-1985). Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Arkansas Journal of Political Science (AJPS). Professor Diane K. Blair of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and Dr. Michael Kelley of the University of Central Arkansas were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for tw0-year terms (1984-1986).
Panel sessions were held on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning during the 1984 annual meeting, including paper presentations by Dr. Charles D. Dunn and Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas) “Insiders and Outsiders: Lobbyists in the Arkansas General Assembly”.
Dr. Mary Susan Power’s (ASU-Jonesboro) manuscript, Before the Convention: Religion and the Founders, published by the University Press of America in 1984. Dr. Conrad Waligorski‘s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “Conservative Economist Critics of Democracy,” was published in Social Science Journal in April 1984. Dr. Harold “Hal” Bass, Jr. (Ouachita Baptist University) and Dr. Andrew Westmoreland‘s (Ouachita Baptist University) manuscript, “Parties and Campaigns in Contemporary Arkansas Politics,” was published in the Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ) in Winter 1984. Dr. Margaret Scranton’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) book, Making United States Foreign Policy: The President, the Congress, and the Panama Canal Treaties, was published by Westview Press in 1984.
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1985 – The 12th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Arkansas Tech University and Holiday Inn in Russellville, Arkansas on February 22-23, 1985. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1984-1985. Kay Goss (Office of the Governor) served as Vice-President in 1984-1985. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1984-1985. Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech University served as Program Chair for the 1985 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1984-1985 were Dr. Mary Susan Power of ASU-Jonesboro (1983-1985); Dr. Raphael O. Lewis of Philander Smith College (1983-1985), Professor Diane K. Blair of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1984-1986), and Dr. Michael Kelley of the University of Central Arkansas (1984-1986). Dr. Norman L. Hodges, Jr. of the Arkansas State Claims Commission served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ). Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass of Ouachita Baptist University and Dr. Myra Masters of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (1985-1987).
The Section Chairpersons for the 1985 annual meeting were Sharon Robinette (Arkansas Society of Public Administrators) – Public Administration, Carol Griffee (Little Rock) – Public Law/Judicial Process/Criminal Justice; Dr. Kurt Tweraser (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – International Relations/Comparative Politics; Dr. Mary Susan Power (ASU-Jonesboro) – Political Theory; Dr. Robert Savage (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Arkansas Politics; Dr. Gary Wekkin (University of Central Arkansas) – Political Behavior/American Government; Dr. Raphael O. Lewis (Philander Smith College) – Teaching Political Science; and Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter, Jr.‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “The Constitution of 1868: Conqueror’s Constitution or Constitutional Continuity?” was published in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly (Vol. 44) in Spring 1985.
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1986 – The 13th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Riverfront Hilton Hotel in North Little Rock, Arkansas on February 21-22, 1986. Kay Goss (Office of the Governor) served as President of the ArkPSA in 1985-1986. Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech University served as Vice-President in 1985-1986. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1985-1986. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Program Chair for the 1986 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1985-1986 were Professor Diane K. Blair of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1984-1986), Dr. Michael Kelley of the University of Central Arkansas (1984-1986), Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass of Ouachita Baptist University (1985-1987), and Dr. Myra Masters of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1985-1987). Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ). Professor William C. Nolan of Southern Arkansas University and Dr. Steven M. Neuse of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (1986-1988).
Dr. John S. Jackson, III of Southern Illinois University spoke on the topic, “The Southernization of American Politics,” during the dinner on Friday evening, February 21st. John S. Jackson grew up in Waldo, Arkansas. He earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and psychology from Ouachita Baptist University in 1962, a master’s degree in political science from Baylor University in 1963, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in 1971. John S. Jackson worked for the Senator Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1963, and he served in the U.S. Army’s Intelligence Corps from January 1964 to July 1966. John S. Jackson started teaching in the Department of Government at SIU in 1969, becoming an Assistant Professor in 1970. Dr. Jackson served as Acting Dean of the Graduate School at SIU from 1980 to 1983, and he served as Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Southern Illinois University from 1984 to 1985. In 1985, Dr. Jackson was appointed as the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Southern Illinois University.
Dr. Charles D. Dunn and Dr. Donald E. Whistler‘s (University of Central Arkansas) manuscript, “Lobbying in a State Legislature: Another Look at Communications Techniques,” was published in Southeastern Political Review in Fall 1986.
Dr. Charles D. Dunn (University of Central Arkansas), who served as 4th President of the Arkansas Political Science Association in 1976-1977, was selected as the 14th President of Henderson State University in Arkadelphia in 1986. Dr. Dunn taught political science at the University of Arkansas-Monticello (1969-1971 and 1973-1975) and the University of Central Arkansas (August 1975-1982). Dr. Dunn served as Chairperson of the UCA Department of Political Science from 1976 to 1982. From 1982 to 1986, Dr. Dunn served as Director of Governmental Relations at the University of Central Arkansas.
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1987 – The 14th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held in Little Rock, Arkansas in March 1987. Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1986-1987. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Vice-President in 1986-1987. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1986-1987 and as Program Chair for the 1987 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1986-1987 were Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass of Ouachita Baptist University (1985-1987), Dr. Myra Masters of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1985-1987), Professor William C. Nolan of Southern Arkansas University (1986-1988), and Dr. Steven M. Neuse of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1986-1988). Kay Goss (Office of the Governor) served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ). Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Dr. David Levenbach of ASU-Jonesboro were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (1987-1989).
Dr. F. David Levenbach, Dr. Charles W. Hartwig, and Dr. David E. England‘s (ASU-Jonesboro) research paper, “Introduction to U.S. Government: Prior Levels and Correlates of Political Knowledge,” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented at the 1987 annual meeting.
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1988 – The 15th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held in March 1988. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 1987-1988. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Vice-President in 1987-1988. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1987-1988. Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass of Ouachita Baptist University served as Program Chair for 1988 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1987-1988 were Elizabeth Hodge (1987-1988), Dr. Steven Neuse of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (1986-1988), Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1987-1989), and Dr. David Levenbach of ASU-Jonesboro (1987-1989). Professor Walter P. Carr, Jr. of Arkansas Tech University served as Past President ex officio. The Arkansas Political Science Journal (APSJ) was renamed the Midsouth Political Science Journal (MPSJ) in 1988. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Journal (MPSJ). Professor Diane K. Blair of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and Dr. Michael A. Kelley of the University of Central Arkansas were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (1988-1990).
Dr. Harold “Hal” Bass’ (Ouachita Baptist University) manuscript “Presidential Party Leadership and Party Reform: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Abrogation of the Two-Thirds Rule,” was published in the Presidential Studies Quarterly in Spring 1988.
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1989 – The 16th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 3-4, 1989. Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 1988-1989. Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr. of Ouachita Baptist University served as Vice-President in 1988-1989. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1988-1989. Dr. Steven M. Neuse of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Program Chair for the 1989 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1988-1989 were Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1987-1989), Dr. David Levenbach of ASU-Jonesboro (1987-1989), Professor Diane K. Blair of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1988-1990), and Dr. Michael A. Kelley of the University of Central Arkansas (1988-1990). Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio and Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Journal (MPSJ). Dr. Mary Susan Power of ASU-Jonesboro and Dr. Daryl Rice of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for tw0-year terms (1989-1991).
Dr. Arthur “Art” English’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) research paper was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 1989 annual meeting.
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1990 – The 17th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on March 2-3, 1990. Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr. of Ouachita Baptist University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1989-1990. Dr. Steven M. Neuse of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as Vice-President in 1989-1990. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1989-1990. Dr. John N. Short of the University of Arkansas at Monticello served as Program Chair for the 1990 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1989-1990 were Professor Diane K. Blair of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1988-1990), Dr. Michael A. Kelley of the University of Central Arkansas (1988-1990), Dr. Mary Susan Power of ASU-Jonesboro (1989-1991), and Dr. Daryl Rice of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1989-1991). Walter H. Nunn of Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Journal (MPSJ). Sherry Dahlstrom of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (1990-1992).
Dr. Neil E. Snortland’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “The Supreme Court and the Constitutional Right to Privacy,” was published by the Midsouth Political Science Journal in Winter 1990.
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1991 – The 18th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Hilton Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas on March 1-2, 1991. Dr. Steven M. Neuse of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as President of the ArkPSA in 1990-1991. Dr. John N. Short of the University of Arkansas at Monticello served as Vice-President in 1990-1991. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1990-1991. Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as Program Chair for the 1991 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1990-1991 were Dr. Mary Susan Power of ASU-Jonesboro (1989-1991), Dr. Daryl Rice of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1989-1991), Sherry Dahlstrom of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1990-1992), and Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University (1990-1992). Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr. of Ouachita Baptist University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Gary Wekkin and Dr. Donald E. Whistler of the University of Central Arkansas served as Co-Editors of the Midsouth Political Science Journal (MPSJ). Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University and Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville were elected as At-Large members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (1991-1993).
The research paper presented by William J. Topich (ASU-Jonesboro) titled “Revolution and Regression in Cambodia: An Analysis of Khmer Communism” was selected as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented during the 1991 annual meeting.
Dr. Harold “Hal” Bass‘s (Ouachita Baptist University) manuscript “Presidential Party Leadership and Party Reform: Lyndon B. Johnson and the MFDP Controversy,” was published in the Presidential Studies Quarterly in Winter 1991. Dr. Harold “Hal” Bass’ (Ouachita Baptist University) manuscript, “Change and Democratization in One-Party Systems,” was published in Midsouth Political Science Journal in Autumn 1991. Dr. Margaret Scranton’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) book, The Noriega Years: U.S.-Panamanian Relations, 1981-1990, was published by Lynne Reinner Publishers in 1991.
Dr. Robert M. McChesney, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Arkansas, was selected as Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama beginning on July 1, 1991. One year later, Dr. McChesney became the 13th President of the University of Montevallo on July 1, 1992. Robert M. McChesney was born in Offingham, Illinois, and earned his B.A. degree in Political Science and History from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 1964. Robert M. McChesney earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the Woodrow Wilson Department of Government and Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia in 1968. Dr. McChesney taught political science at the University of Central Arkansas, and he was elected the first President of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) in March 1974. Dr. McChesney served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Central Arkansas from July 1982 to August 1989, when he returned to teaching political science in the UCA Department of Political Science. Dr. McChesney retired as President of the University of Montevallo on August 1, 2006.
In Memoriam: Henry Wilkins III, a former political science professor at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, died on February 20, 1991. Henry Wilkins was born on January 4, 1930. Representing a district in Jefferson County, Henry Wilkins served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1991. He co-founded the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus in 1989. Henry Wilkins also served as a delegate to the 1970 and the 1980 Arkansas Constitutional Conventions. Henry Wilkins taught political science courses at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff for more than 30 years until his death in 1991.
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1992 – The 19th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 28-29, 1992. Dr. John N. Short of the University of Arkansas at Monticello served as President of the ArkPSA in 1991-1992. Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Vice-President in 1991-1992. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1991-1992. Dr. Mary Susan Power of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Program Chair for the 1992 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1991-1992 were Sherry Dahlstrom of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1990-1992), Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University (1990-1992), Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University (1991-1993), and Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1991-1993). Dr. Steven M. Neuse (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Gary Wekkin of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Journal (MPSJ) until it became the American Review of Politics (ARP) in 1992. The ARP was not affiliated with the ArkPSA.
Scott Murray‘s research paper was selected as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented during the 1992 annual meeting. Dr. Mark Daniels‘ research paper was selected as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 1992 annual meeting.
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1993 – The 20th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas on February 26-27, 1993. The theme of the conference was “American Elections, Arkansas Connections.” Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 1992-1993. Dr. Mary Susan Power of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 1992-1993. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1992-1993. Dr. Gary Wekkin of the University of Central Arkansas served as Program Chair for the 1993 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1992-1993 were Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University (1991-1993) and Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1991-1993). Dr. John N. Short of the University of Arkansas-Monticello served as Past President ex officio.
Dr. Leon D. Epstein, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and former President of the American Political Science Association (APSA), was the guest speaker during the dinner on Friday evening, February 26th. Dr. Epstein’s talk was titled, “The Presidential Selection Process”. Dr. Charles D. Hedley, Professor of Political Science at the University of New Orleans and President of the Southern Political Science Association (SPSA), was the guest speaker for the luncheon on Saturday, February 27th. Dr. Hedley’s talk was titled, “Parties and Southern Voters: Whom Does the South Belong to Now?”.
The research paper presented by Dr. Will Miller’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “To Define and to Rule: The IRS and Clergy Self-Employment,” was selected as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 1993 annual meeting.
Dr. Harold “Hal” Bass‘s (Ouachita Baptist University) manuscript, “Comparing Presidential Party Leadership Transfers: Two Cases,” was published in Presidential Studies Quarterly in Winter 1993. Dr. Arthur “Art” English’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “The Clinton Promise and Style,” was published in The American Review of Politics in Summer 1993.
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1994 – The 21st Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Arkansas College (Lyon College) in Batesville, Arkansas on February 24-25, 1994. Dr. Mary Susan Power of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as President of the ArkPSA in 1993-1994. Dr. Gary Wekkin of the University of Central Arkansas served as Vice-President in 1993-1994. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1993-1994. Dr. Donald V. Weatherman of Arkansas College served as Program Chair for the 1994 annual meeting. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University was elected as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board for a tw0-year term (1994-1996)
Dr. William B. Allen, Dean of the James Madison College at Michigan State University and former Chairperson of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 24th. The topic of Dr. Allen’s speech was “The Nature of Civil Rights.” Robert McCord, newspaper columnist and television commentator, spoke on the topic of term limits during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on February 25th. On Saturday morning, February 26th, State Senator Steve Bell (D-Batesville) chaired a roundtable discussion on the topic, “Arkansas Civil Rights Legislation” – the panelists included former State Senator and University of Arkansas-Little Rock Law Professor John Pagan, State Representative Bill Walker, and Director of the MLK Commission Tracy Steele.
The research paper presented by Dr. Neil Snortland (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) titled “United States Supreme Court and Overturning Precedent” was selected as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 1994 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Dale Thomas (ASU-Jonesboro) titled “Utility of Futility: Can Microglobus Answer Questions in International Relations?” was selected as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented during the 1994 annual meeting.
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1995 – The 22nd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Riverfront Hilton Inn in North Little Rock, Arkansas on February 24-25, 1995. Dr. Gary Wekkin of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 1994-1995. Dr. Donald V. Weatherman of Lyon College served as Vice-President in 1994-1995. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1994-1995. Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University served as Program Chair for the 1995 annual meeting. One of the At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1994-1995 was Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University (1994-1996). Mary Susan Power of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Past President ex officio. Haroon A. Khan (HSU) also served as Chairperson of the Committee for the “Best Civics Teacher Award.” Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas and Dr. Richard P. Wang of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (1995-1997).
Dr. Richard Fenno, University of Rochester, spoke on the topic “Politicians as Institutions: David Pryor and Claiborne Pell” during the Friday evening dinner on February 24th. John Brummett, columnist, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 25th.
Dr. Brinck Kerr (UA-Fayetteville) presented a paper titled, “Measuring Leadership Power in the U.S. House: An Index of Speakers’ Formal Powers, 1877-1990,” during the 1995 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Dr. Haroon A. Khan’s (Henderson State University) titled “Comparison of the Level of Support for Presidents Among Freshmen and Non-Freshmen in the House” was selected as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 1995 annual meeting.
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1996 – The 23rd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on February 16-17, 1996. Dr. Donald V. Weatherman of Lyon College served as President of the ArkPSA in 1995-1996. Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University served as Vice-President in 1995-1996. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1995-1996. Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University served as Program Chair for the 1996 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1995-1996 were Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University (1994-1996), Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas (1995-1997), and Dr. Richard P. Wang of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro (1995-1997). Dr. Gary Wekkin of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College and Professor Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (1996-1998).
The following individuals served as Section Chairpersons for the 1996 annual meeting: Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr. (Ouachita Baptist University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Daryl Rice (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Political Theory; Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Comparative Politics; Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – International Relations; Dr. Jay Barth (Hendrix College) – Student Research; Dr. Jane Gates (ASU) – Public Administration; and Dr. Donald E. Whistler (University of Central Arkansas) – Arkansas Politics.
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1997 – The 24th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 21-22, 1997. Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1996-1997. Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University served as Vice-President in 1996-1997. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1996-1997. Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as Program Chair for the 1997 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1996-1997 were Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas (1995-1997), Dr. Richard P. Wang of ASU-Jonesboro (1995-1997), Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College (1996-1998), and Professor Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1996-1998). Dr. Donald V. Weatherman of Lyon College served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU and Sam Stanton served as editors of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 1996-1997. Dr. David Harding of ASU-Jonesboro and Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (1997-1999).
Dr. Brinck Kerr, Dr. Will Miller, and Dr. Margaret Reid (UA-Fayetteville) presented a paper titled, “Mayor-Manager: Are there Differences in Budgetary Policy?”, during the 1997 annual meeting.
The research paper presented by D. Sunshine Hillygus (UA-Fayetteville) was chosen as the “Best Graduate Student Paper” presented during the 1997 annual meeting.
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1998 – The 25th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas on February 13-14, 1998. The theme of the annual meeting was “A Silver Anniversary: Celebrating 25 Years.” Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1997-1998. Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as Vice-President in 1997-1998. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1997-1998. Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Program Chair for the 1998 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1997-1998 were Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College (1996-1998), Professor Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1996-1998), Dr. David Harding of ASU-Jonesboro (1997-1999), and Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1997-1999). Dr. W. Martin James of Henderson State University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro and Jason Sutfin served as Co-Editors of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 1997-1998. Dr. Stanley Berard of Southern Arkansas University and Dr. Michael Anda of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (1998-2000).
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1999 – The 26th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on February 12-13, 1999. Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as President of the ArkPSA in 1998-1999. Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Vice-President in 1998-1999. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1998-1999. Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff served as Program Chair for the 1999 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1998-1999 were Dr. David Harding of ASU-Jonesboro (1997-1999), Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1997-1999), Dr. Stanley Berard of Southern Arkansas University (1998-2000), and Dr. Michael Anda of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1998-2000). Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Editor and Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Associate Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig (ASU) served as Editor of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 1998-1999. Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University and Dr. Margaret Reid of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (1999-2001),
Dr. Margaret Scranton (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) presented a paper, “Ambiguous Conflict in Darien, Panama,” during the 1999 annual meeting. Dr. Janine A. Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) presented the paper, “Political Entrepreneurs and Institutionalized Interests: The Women’s Commission(s) of Arkansas,” during the 1999 annual meeting.
Dr. Brinck Kerr, Dr. Will Miller, and Dr. Margaret Reid’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) paper, “Using EEOC Data to Evaluate the Nature and Extent of Sex-Based Occupational Segregation: The Case of U. S. State Bureaucracies,” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 1999 annual meeting.
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2000 – The 27th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 18-19, 2000. Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as President of the ArkPSA in 1999-2000. Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff served as Vice-President in 1999-2000. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 1999-2000. Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Program Chair for the 2000 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 1999-2000 were Dr. Stanley Berard of Southern Arkansas University (1998-2000), Dr. Michael Anda of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (1998-2000), Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University (1999-2001), and Dr. Margaret Reid of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1999-2001). Dr. Jeffrey J. Ryan of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Editor and Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Associate Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Editor of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 1999-2000. Dr. Janine A. Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and Dr. William D. Baker of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA) were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2000-2002).
Dr. Janine A. Parry and Dr. William D. Schreckhise’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) paper, “Mapping Public Opinion: Further Explorations (and Explanations) of Regionalism in Arkansas Politics,” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presenting during the 2000 annual meeting. Kim U. Hoffman’s (University of Oklahoma) research paper, “Key Actors in Welfare Reform: Policy Entrepreneurs at Work,” was chosen as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented during the 2000 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Leia Isanhart (University of Central Arkansas) was chosen as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented during the 2000 annual meeting.
Dr. Janine A. Parry, Dr. William D. Schreckhise, and Dr. Todd G. Shields (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) presented the paper, “Rising Republicanism in the Arkansas Electorate,” during the 2000 annual meeting.
Dr. R. Lawson Veasey and Dr Ronn Hy‘s (University of Central Arkansas) manuscript, “Heaven or Hell: What Fate Awaits Post-Property Tax in Arkansas,” was published in the Arkansas Business and Economic Review in Spring 2000.
In Memoriam: Diane F. Divers Kincaid Blair, a former professor of political science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died of lung cancer at her home in Fayetteville on June 16, 2000. Diane Frances Divers was born to William K. and Minna (Rosenbaum) Divers in Washington DC on October 25, 1938. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cornell University in 1959 and her master’s degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1967. Diane Divers married Hugh Kincaid in the early 1960s. She taught political science at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville from 1968 until her retirement in 1997. Professor Kincaid was appointed by Governor Dale Bumpers as Chairperson of the Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women in 1971, and she was appointed by Governor David Pryor as Chairperson of the Commission on Public Employee Rights in 1976. Professor Kincaid debated the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) with Mrs. Phyllis Schaffley on the floor of the Arkansas House of Representatives in Little Rock on February 14, 1975. After her divorce, Diane Kincaid was married by Governor Bill Clinton to James “Jim” Blair in 1979. Diane Blair was appointed by Governor Bill Clinton to the Commission for the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) in 1980. She served on the AETN Commission until 1993. Professor Diane Kincaid Blair served on the Executive Board of the Arkansas Political Science Association in 1975-1977 and 1984-1986. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of the U.S. Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in 1993 and 1997, and she served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the CPB from 1996 to 2000. At the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Professor Diane Blair was selected as the Outstanding Faculty Member by students in 1976 and 1978, and she was selected for the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Master Teacher Award in 1982. Among her many publications, Diane Blair wrote the books, The Personal Journal of Senator Hattie Caraway (Greenwood Press, 1979) and Arkansas Politics and Government: Do the People Rule? (University of Nebraska Press, 1988, 2005).
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2001 – The 28th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas on February 22-23, 2001. Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff served as President of the ArkPSA in 2000-2001. Professor Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Vice-President in 2000-2001. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2000-2001. Dr. Mark Elrod of Harding University served as Program Chair for the 2001 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 2000-2001 were Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University (1999-2001), Dr. Margaret Reid of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1999-2001), Dr. Janine A. Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2000-2002), and Dr. William D. Baker of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (2000-2002). Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Editor and Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Associate Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Editor of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 2000-2001. Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2001-2003).
Dr. Brinck Kerr, Dr. Will Miller, and Kevin Braswell (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) presented a paper titled, “Private School Choice in the State of California: The Effects of Public School Quality, Race, and Religion,” during the 2001 annual meeting. Dr. Janine A. Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) participated in the roundtable discussion, “Diane Blair: The Study and Practice of Arkansas Politics,” during the 2001 annual meeting.
The guest speakers during the 2001 annual meeting included Attorney-General Mark Pryor and Congressman Victor “Vic” Snyder.
Candace Ortbals’ (Indiana University-Bloomington) research paper, “Pilar Primo de Rivera and Federica Montseny: An Analysis of Gender, Bureaucracy, and Revolution,” was chosen as the “Best Graduate Student Paper” presented during the 2001 annual meeting. Tara Watts’ (ASU-Jonesboro) research paper, “Government and Politics in Rwanda” was chosen for the Best Undergraduate Paper presented during the 2001 annual meeting.
Dr. R. Lawson Veasey, Professor and Director of the Public Administration Program at the University of Central Arkansas was appointed as Chairperson of the Department of Political Science & Public Administration at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama starting on August 1, 2001. Dr. Veasey earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Louisiana Tech University in 1974, master’s degree in political science from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1976, M.P.A. from Idaho State University in 1979, and doctoral degree in Government from Idaho State University in 1979. Dr. Veasey taught political science and public administration at UCA from 1979 to 2001.
Dr. Calvin “Cal” R. Ledbetter Jr.‘s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “The Proposed Arkansas Constitution of 1980,” was published in the Arkansas Historical Quarterly (volume 60) in Spring 2001. Dr. Andrew Dowdle (UA-Fayetteville) and Randall Adkins’ manuscript, “How Important are Iowa and New Hampshire to Winning Post-Reform Presidential Nominations,” published in Political Research Quarterly in June 2001. The manuscript written by Dr. Janine Parry and Dr. Todd Shields (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Sex, Age, and the Implementation of the Motor Voter Act: The 1996 Presidential Election,” was published in Social Science Quarterly in 2001.
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2002 – The 29th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 22-23, 2002. Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 2001-2002. Dr. Mark Elrod of Harding University served as Vice-President in 2001-2002. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2001-2002. Dr. Richard P. Wang of ASU-Jonesboro served as Program Chair for the 2002 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 2001-2002 were Dr. Janine A. Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2000-2002), Dr. William D. Baker of Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (2000-2002), Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2001-2003), and Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University (2001-2003). Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Michael Anda of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Editor and Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Associate Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU served as Editor of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 2001-2002. Dr. William Schreckhise of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and Dr. Jane McBride-Gates of ASU-Jonesboro were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2002-2004).
The Honorable Shane Broadway, Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives and a graduate of the ASU-Jonesboro Department of Political Science, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 22nd. John Brummett of the Arkansas News Bureau was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 23rd.
Dr. Arthur “Art” English’s (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) manuscript, “A Note on the Office of Arkansas Lieutenant Governor: New Directions in a Neglected Office,” was awarded the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 2002 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Candi Gullett (University of Central Arkansas) was chosen as the “Best Undergraduate Student Paper” presented during the 2002 annual meeting.
Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr., Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at Ouachita Baptist University, was selected as the Founding Dean of the W. H. Sutton School of Social Sciences at OBU in 2002. Dr. Bass earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Baylor University in 1971, master’s degree in political science from Vanderbilt University in 1974, and Ph.D. in political science from Vanderbilt University in 1978. Dr. Bass served as President of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) in 1989-1990. Dr. Bass served as Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at OBU from 1979 to 2001 and Chairperson of the Division of Social Science at OBU from 1990 to 2001. Dr. Bass’ research on Arkansas politics, American presidency, and political parties has been published in the Arkansas Political Science Journal, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Midsouth Political Science Journal, and several edited books (including several editions of the Guide to the Presidency published by the Congressional Quarterly).
Dr. Andrew Dowdle (UA-Fayetteville) and Randall Adkins’ manuscript, “The Money Primary,” was published in Presidential Studies Quarterly in June 2002.
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2003 – The 30th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas on February 21-22, 2003. Dr. Mark Elrod of Harding University served as President of the ArkPSA in 2002-2003. Dr. Richard P. Wang of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 2002-2003. Dr. C. Jeddy LeVar of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2002-2003. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Program Chair for the 2003 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 2002-2003 were Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers of Arkansas Tech University (2001-2003), Dr. Arthur “Art” English of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2001-2003), Dr. William Schreckhise of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2002-2004), and Dr. Jane McBride-Gates of ASU-Jonesboro (2002-2004). Professor Ann V. Clemmer of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Michael Anda of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Editor and Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Associate Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro served as Editor of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 2002-2003. Dr. Susan Zlomke of Ouachita Baptist University and Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2003-2005).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairpersons for the 2003 annual meeting: Dr. David Harding (ASU-Jonesboro) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Jay Barth (Hendrix College) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Susan Zlomke (Ouachita Baptist University) – Political Theory; Dr. Kenneth N. Hansen (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Professor Ann V. Clemmer (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
President Lu Hardin of the University of Central Arkansas, former Arkansas State Senator and Director of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 21st. James L. “Skip” Rutherford, President of the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 22nd.
The research paper presented by Nick Rowell (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) titled “Long Roads: A Model of Prolonged Guerrilla Conflict in Latin America” was chosen as the “Best Undergraduate Student Paper” presented during the 2003 annual meeting. Dedric Lee’s (ASU-Jonesboro) research paper, “Liberia: Sliding Away from Stability,” and Willette Romious’ (ASU-Jonesboro) research paper were chosen as the “Best Graduate Student Papers” presented during the 2003 annual meeting.
Dr. Joel E. Anderson, who served as President of the ArkPSA in 1975-1976, was named as Chancellor of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in 2003. Dr. Anderson taught political science at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Anderson was also the founding Dean of the Graduate School, Provost, and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Dr. Anderson earned his B.A. degree in Political Science from Harding College in Searcy, M.A. in International Relations from American University in Washington DC, and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1974.
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2004 – The 31st Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 20-21, 2004. Dr. Richard P. Wang of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as President of the ArkPSA in 2003-2004. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Vice-President in 2003-2004. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2003-2004. Dr. Margaret Reid of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Program Chair for the 2004 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2003-2004 were Dr. William Schreckhise of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2002-2004), Dr. Jane Bride-Gates of ASU-Jonesboro (2002-2004), Dr. Susan Zlomke of Ouachita Baptist University (2003-2005), and Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas (2003-2005). Dr. Mark Elrod of Harding University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Michael Anda of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Editor and Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Associate Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro served as Editor of the Directory of Arkansas Political Scientists, 2003-2004. Dr. Paul Babbitt of Southern Arkansas University and Dr. Judy Tobler of Northwest Arkansas Community College were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2004-2006).
Former U.S. Senator David Pryor and current U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln were the speakers during the 2004 annual meeting.
Melissa Perry’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) research paper, “From Tokenism to Tilted Minority: ‘Critical Mass’ and Legislative Influence,” was chosen as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented at the 2004 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Jeremiah M. Dubb (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) was chosen as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented at the 2004 annual meeting.
Dr. Andrew Dowdle, Wayne Steger, and Randall Adkins’ (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “The New Hampshire Effect in Presidential Primaries,” was published in Political Research Quarterly in September 2004.
In Memoriam: Dr. Callis Jeddy LeVar, a retired faculty member at Henderson State University, died on August 15, 2004. Jeddy LeVar was born in Tavares, Florida to W.H. and Isabelle LeVar on May 31, 1938. He graduated from Tavares High School in 1956. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Brigham Young University in 1960 and a master’s degree in political science from Brigham Young University in 1962. In 1962, Jeddy LeVar he began teaching Government and Journalism at Orlando Junior College in Orlando, Florida. He married Karma Huntsman in the Idaho Falls, Idaho on January 25, 1964. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Florida in 1973. Dr. Jeddy LeVar taught political science in the Social Sciences Department at Henderson State University from 1973 to 2003. He served as President of the Arkansas Political Science Association in 1984-1985 and served as Secretary-Treasurer of the ArkPSA from 1987 to 2003. Dr. LeVar published articles in GPSA Journal, Western Political Quarterly, Intercollegiate Case Clearinghouse (Harvard University), Arkansas Political Science Journal, Midsouth Journal of Political Science, and Academic Forum. He served as the first editor of HSU’s Academic Forum.
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2005 – The 32nd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 18-19, 2005. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 2004-2005. Dr. Margaret Reid of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as Vice-President in 2004-2005. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2004-2005. Dr. Neil Snortland of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as Program Chair for the 2005 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2004-2005 were Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas (2003-2005), Dr. Susan Zlomke of Ouachita Baptist University (2003-2005), Dr. Paul Babbitt of Southern Arkansas University (2004-2006), and Dr. Judy Tobler of Northwest Arkansas Community College (2004-2006). Dr. Richard P. Wang served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro and Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for tw0-year terms (2005-2007).
Dr. Michael Nelson, Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 18th. Dr. David Alsobrook, Director of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum, was the guest speaker during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on February 19th.
The following individuals were appointed as the Section Chairpersons for the 2005 annual meeting: Dr. Richard P. Wang (ASU-Jonesboro) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr. (Ouachita Baptist University) – 2004 Elections; Dr. Gary Wekkin (University of Central Arkansas) – Roundtable: The Road to the White House 2008; Dr. William D. Schreckhise (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Constitutional Law/Judicial Politics; Dr. Kenneth A. Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Susan Zlomke (Ouachita Baptist University) – Political Theory; Dr. Douglas Reed (Ouachita Baptist University) – Public Policy; Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Marsha Guffey (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Public Administration; and Professor Ann V. Clemmer (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Louella Moore’s (ASU-Jonesboro) research paper, “Debt Financing in Arkansas: A Pre-Cautionary Tale” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented at the 2005 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Anna S. Makogonova (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) titled “Assessing the Impact of the Retirement Wave: The Example of the Arkansas Department of Human Services” was chosen as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented as the 2005 annual meeting.
The manuscript written by Todd Donovan, Shaun Bowler, and Dr. Janine Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “A Theory and Model of Mass Support for Proportional Representative,” was published in Social Science Quarterly in 2005.
Dr. James F. Willis, a professor of history and political science at Southern Arkansas University (SAU), retired from full-time teaching in May 2005. James Willis was born and raised in Heber Springs, Arkansas, where he graduated from high school in 1963. James graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in history and political science from Southern State College (SSC) in 1967, when he was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to pursue graduate studies in political science at Duke University. James graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) degree from Duke University in 1968. James taught history courses part-time at Little Rock University in 1968-1969 and at SSC from 1969 to 1973, when he was hired for a full-time teaching position. Southern State College became Southern State University in 1976, the same year that James earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University. After serving as Program Chair for the Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA in 1981, Dr. Willis served as Vice President, and then as President, of the ArkPSA from 1981 to 1983. Dr. Willis authored the book, Prologue to Nuremberg: The Politics and Diplomacy of Punishing War Criminals of the First World War, in 1982. Dr. Willis served as Chair of the Department of History, Political Science, and Geography at SAU on two occasions between 1976 and 2005.
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2006 – The 33rd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on February 17-18, 2006. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 2005-2006. Dr. Neil Snortland of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Vice-President in 2005-2006. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2005-2006. Dr. Susan Zlomke of Ouachita Baptist University served as Program Chair for the 2006 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board in 2005-2006 were Dr. Paul Babbitt of Southern Arkansas University (2004-2006), Dr. Judy Tobler of Northwest Arkansas Community College (2004-2006), Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro (2005-2007), and Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2005-2007). Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR).
The Honorable Mike Huckabee, Governor of Arkansas, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 17th. Dr. Paul Root, who worked for 22 years at OBU as Professor, Chairperson of the Department of Education, and Dean of the Graduate School, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 18th. Dr. Root also served as Special Assistant to Governor Bill Clinton from 1983 to 1987 and as Special Assistant to the Director of the Arkansas Department of General Education from 1987 to 1989.
The following individuals were appointed as the Section Chairpersons for the 2006 annual meeting: Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Trent Shaskan (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. John Passe-Smith (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Paul Babbitt (Southern Arkansas University) – Political Theory; Dr. Kim Hoffman (University of Central Arkansas) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Haroon Khan (Henderson State University) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
The research paper presented by Dr. Louella Moore (ASU-Jonesboro) titled “A Critique of Tax Increment Financing in Arkansas and Beyond” was selected as the Best Faculty Paper presented during the 2006 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Clint Pumphrey (Ouachita Baptist University) titled “Victory for Women, Victory for Eritrea: Women’s Participating in the Eritrean Revolution” and the research paper presented by Murad Elsaidi (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) titled “Islam and Democracy” were chosen as the Best Undergraduate Student papers presented during the 2006 annual meeting.
Dr. Andrew Dowdle’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “The Protomodern Presidency,” was published in White House Studies in January 2006.
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2007 – The 34th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas on February 16-17, 2007. Dr. Neil Snortland of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 2006-2007. Dr. Susan Zlomke of Ouachita Baptist University served as Vice-President in 2006-2007. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2006-2007. Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College served as Program Chair for the 2007 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2005-2006 were Dr. Charles W. Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro (2005-2007), Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2005-2007), William Topich of Pulaski Academy (2006-2008), and Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2006-2008). Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio and as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Douglas Reed (OBU) and Sydnee Moyers (Northwest Arkansas Community College) were elected to the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2007-2009).
The Honorable Mike Beebe, Governor of Arkansas, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 16th. Dr. David Stricklin, Director of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies in Little Rock, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 17th.
Russ Montgomery’s (Hendrix College) research paper, “Shopping Malls at the Expense of Schools? The Impact of Tax Increment Financing on School Funding in Arkansas,” and Larissa Braden’s (Arkansas Tech University) research paper, “An Outline of the Iraq War,” were chosen as the Best Undergraduate Student Papers presented at the 2007 annual meeting.
In Memoriam: Dr. Afak Haydar, a retired political science and public administration professor at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, died in Jonesboro on April 14, 2007. Afak Haydar was born in India on July 15, 1933, and his family emigrated to Pakistan in the 1940s. Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, Afak Haydar emigrated to the U.S. with his wife and children in the 1960s. Dr. Haydar served as Director of International Programs at ASU from 1970 until his retirement in 1997. Dr. Haydar established a scholarship for international studies at ASU. He recruited students from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and other countries to study at ASU. During his travels as director, Dr. Haydar collected some 1,500 fountain pens from around the world. Dr. Haydar was survived by his wife, Mrs. Chand A. Haydar and four children (and spouses) – Najmi (Kim) Haydar, Aslam (Sameera) Haydar, Arif (Nuzhat) Haydar, and Tara (Abbas) Raza.
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2008 – The 35th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas on February 22-23, 2008. Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College served as President of the ArkPSA in 2007-2008. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Vice-President in 2007-2008. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2007-2008. The At-Large members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2007-2008 were William Topich of Pulaski Academy (2006-2008), Dr. Lawrence Okere of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2006-2008), Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University (2007-2009), and Sydnee Moyers of Northwest Arkansas Community College (2007-2009). Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Program Chair for the 2008 annual meeting. Dr. Neil Snortland of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Sharon Wrobel of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and Dr. William McLean of ASU-Jonesboro were elected to the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2008-2010).
Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College served as
the 34th President of the ArkPSA in 2007-2008
The Honorable Dan Coody, Mayor of Fayetteville, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 22nd. The Honorable Dustin McDaniel, Attorney-General of the State of Arkansas, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 23rd.
Dr. Michael Rogers’ (Arkansas Tech University) research paper, “Thomas Hobbes and Who Should Rule,” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented at the 2008 annual meeting. Angela J. Wolfe’s (University of Delaware) research paper, “Subnational Actors and the Impact of Human Rights Norms,” was chosen as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented at the 2008 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Chris McNeal (Harding University) titled “State Legislative Professionalism: An Examination of Its Effects on Spending and Taxation” was chosen as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented at the 2008 annual meeting.
The manuscript written by Todd Donovan and Dr. Janine Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Leave the Rascals In? Explaining the Poor Prospects of Term Limits Extensions,” was published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly in 2008.
In Memoriam: Simms McClintock was born to William Richey and Lilly (Simms) McClintock in Lake Village, Chicot County, AR on July 10, 1927. Simms McClintock, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War, earned a B.A. degree from Hendrix College in 1951 and an M.A. degree from Columbia University in 1953. As a social studies teacher at Crossett High School, Simms McClintock won the “Arkansas Teacher of the Year” award and was a top-ten finalist for the “National Teacher of the Year” award in 1963. McClintock studied at Columbia University on a John Hay Fellowship in 1965. Professor McClintock was hired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Political Science at Arkansas State Teachers College (now the University of Central Arkansas) in Conway in the Fall of 1966. Shortly after arriving at the University of Central Arkansas in 1966, Professor McClintock founded and coordinated the Arkansas Model United Nations (AMUN) through his retirement in the 1990s. Professor McClintock was one of the founding members and served on the Constitutional Committee of the ArkPSA in 1974-1975. Simms McClintock died in Conway on December 5, 2008.
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2009 – The 36th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Lake Point Conference Center in Russellville, Arkansas on February 27-28, 2009. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 2008-2009. Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Vice-President in 2008-2009. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2008-2009. The At-Large members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2008-2009 were Dr. Douglas Reed of Ouachita Baptist University (2007-2009), Sydnee Moyers of Northwest Arkansas Community College (2007-2009), Dr. Sharon Wrobel of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2008-2010), and Dr. William McLean of ASU-Jonesboro (2008-2010). Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Program Chair for the 2009 annual meeting. Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College served as Past President ex officio. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Andrew Bagley of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas and Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas were elected to the ArkPSA Executive Board for tw0-year terms (2009-2011).
The following individuals were appointed as the Section Chairs for the 2009 annual meeting – Dr. Donald Gooch (Arkansas Tech University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Jay Barth (Hendrix College) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Paul Babbitt (Southern Arkansas University) – Political Theory; Dr. Sharon Wrobel (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Andrew Bagley (Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Ambassador Jason Yuan, Representative Taipei Economic & Cultural Representative Office in the United States, Washington D.C., was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 27th. The Honorable John Boozman, U.S. House of Representatives, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 28th.
Dr. Michael Rogers’ (Arkansas Tech University) research paper, “Elected Monarchy and Aristocratic Junto: Criticisms of the Election of the President During Ratification of the Constitution,” was chosen as the Best Faculty Paper presented at the 2009 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Cameron C. Wimpy (ASU-Jonesboro) titled “Unconventional Political Behavior in the Middle East” was selected as the Best Graduate Student Paper presented during the 2009 annual meeting. The research paper presented by Hunter Gillium (University of Arkansas-Monticello) titled “Al-Qaeda: A new Generation of Terror” was selected as the Best Undergraduate Student Paper presented during the 2009 annual meeting.
On March 30, 2009, the Chancellor Joel E. Anderson of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock unveiled a plaque designating the three-sectioned assembly room at the Donaghey Student Center as the “Calvin R. Ledbetter, Jr. Assembly Hall” in honor of Dr. Calvin R. Ledbetter, Jr., University of Arkansas at Little Rock Emeritus Professor, Chair of the Political Science Department, and College Dean. Dr. Ledbetter served as President of the ArkPSA in 1980-1981. Calvin Reville Ledbetter, Jr., who was born in 1929 and married to Mary Brown “Brownie” Williams on July 26, 1953, earned a B.A. degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, J.D. from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, and Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University. Dr. Ledbetter served as lawyer for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Corp. in Germany. Dr. Ledbetter served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1976, and he was vice-president of the 1980 Arkansas Constitutional Convention.
Dr. Donald V. Weatherman, who served as President of the Arkansas Political Science Association in 1995-1996, was selected as the 17th President of Lyons College in Batesville, Arkansas starting on July 1, 2009. Dr. Weatherman earned his B.A. in Political Science from California State University-Los Angeles, and he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science (American Government and Political Philosophy) from Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Weatherman served as the John D. Trimble Sr. Professor of Political Philosophy at Lyon College from 1983 to 1999. In 1986, Dr. Weatherman received the Lamar Williamson Prize for Excellence in Teaching at Lyon College. In 1988, Dr. Weatherman was a Bradley Resident Scholar at the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC. Among other publications, Dr. Weatherman is the author of the book, Endangered Guardians: Party Reform Within a Constitutional System (Rowman & Littlefield, 1994). Dr. Weatherman retired as President of Lyon College in 2017.
The manuscript written by Dr. Janine Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) and Dr. Jay Barth (Hendrix College), “Political Culture, Public Opinion, and Policy (Non)Diffusion: The Case of Gay and Lesbian-Related Issues in Arkansas,” was published in Social Science Quarterly in 2009.
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2010 – The 37th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 26-27, 2010. Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as President of the ArkPSA in 2009-2010. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Vice-President in 2009-2010. Dr. Haroon A. Khan of Henderson State University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2009-2010. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2009-2010 were Dr. William McLean of ASU-Jonesboro (2008-2010), Dr. Sharon Wrobel of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2008-2010), Andrew Bagley of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (2009-2011), Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas (2009-2011). Dr. William McLean of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as the Program Chair for the 2010 annual meeting. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University and Dr. Donald Gooch of Arkansas Tech University were elected to the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2010-2012).
John Brummett, Arkansas News Bureau, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 26th.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2010 annual meeting: Best Graduate Student Paper – Wade Derden, Kalynn Heald, et al. (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “An Implementation Analysis of the Arkansas System of Care Network”; and Best Undergraduate Student Paper – Carol Verbeek (Centenary College), “The Ties That Bind Are Fraying? An Examination of the New Transatlantic Relations”.
Andrew Bagley (Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas) and the ArkPSA hosted a one-day conference, “The Delta: Poverty, Education, and Economic Development,” at Phillips County Community College of the University of Arkansas in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas on October 10, 2009. Dr. Eric T. Weber of the University of Mississippi presented a research paper, “Democracy, Education, and Economic Growth: Rethinking Causal Relationships in Mississippi,” at the conference.
In Memoriam: Robert Winston Meriwether, a retired professor of American history and political science at Hendrix College, died in Conway on May 8, 2010. Robert W. Meriwether was born to William Winston and Rosalie (Diffey) Meriwether in Memphis, Tennessee on June 17, 1928. He graduated from Paragould High School in 1945 and Hendrix College in 1949. In 1951, Robert W. Meriwether graduated with a M.A. degree from Vanderbilt University, and he served two years in the U.S. Army. During his teaching career starting in 1947, Robert W. Meriwether taught at Lakeside School District, Lafe School District, Greene County Tech High School, Delaplaine School District, Paragould High School, Anna-Jonesboro (Illinois) Community High School, Booker Junior High School in Little Rock, and Greenbrier High School. From 1959 to 1965, Robert W. Meriwether served as Dean of Students at Hendrix College, and he was a professor of American history and political science at Hendrix College until his retirement in 1993. Robert W. Meriwether was elected to the Faulkner County Quorum Court from 1973 to 1980. Robert W. Meriwether served as Interim Executive Director of the Arkansas Ethics Commission in 1993-1994, and he served as Chairman of the Governor’s Task Force on Ethics in 1994. He also served on the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners.
In Memoriam: Walter P. Carr, Jr., a former professor of political science at Arkansas Tech University, died in Orlando, Florida on October 5, 2010. Walter P. Carr, Jr. was born to Walter P. Carr, Sr. and Nelle Marie Fink in Hot Springs, Arkansas on February 24, 1921. After his mother’s death on April 19, 1931, Walter was raised by relatives in Mississippi. Walter married Evelyn, and he graduated from Louisiana State University. After attending Officer Candidate School, First Lt. Walter P. Carr, Jr. served in the U.S. Army (80th Infantry Division) during the Second World War. Lt. Carr was awarded the Silver Star for his valor during the Battle of the Bulge on October 24, 1944. Colonel Walter P. Carr, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army in 1965, when he was hired to teach political science at ATU in Russellville, Arkansas. Evelyn Carr died in 2003, and Walter moved to Orlando, Florida.
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2011 – The 38th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas on March 4-5, 2011. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as President of the ArkPSA in 2010-2011. Dr. William McLean of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 2010-2011. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2010-2011. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2010-2011 were Andrew Bagley of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (2009-2011), Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas (2009-2011), Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University (2010-2012), and Dr. Donald Gooch of ATU (2010-2012). Dr. Joseph Giammo of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as the Program Chair for the 2011 annual meeting. Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Past President ex officio. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Steven Breezeel (Harding University) and Dr. Natasha Washington (Northwest Arkansas Community College) were elected to the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2011-2013).
The Honorable Tim Griffin, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on March 4th. James “Skip” Rutherford, Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on March 5th.
The following individuals were appointed as the Section Chairs for the 2011 annual meeting – Dr. Arthur “Art” English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – American Government & Politics; Professor Ann V. Clemmer (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Andrew Drummond (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Jacek Lubecki (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Political Theory; Dr. Sharon Wrobel (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Rebecca Glazier (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2011 annual meeting: Best Faculty Paper – Dr. Richard Hartwig (Texas A&M University at Kingsville) and Jesus Trevino (Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, Mexico), “Understanding and Coping with Mexican Drug Violence”; and Best Undergraduate Student paper – Elizabeth Whittington (Hendrix College), “Policy Challenges and Recommendations for the Implementation of Health Exchanges in Arkansas.”
Dr. John N. Short, who served as President of the Arkansas Political Science Association in 1991-1992, was selected as Dean and Chief Executive Officer at the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac on July 1, 2010. John Short earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and his master’s degree from State University of New York at Albany. He earned his doctoral degree in government from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Short served as Professor of Political Science, Chair of the Division of Sciences, and Dean of the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Dr. Short also served as Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Millersville University in Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2010.
In Memoriam: Dr. Robert Lynn Savage, a former political science professor at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died on January 26, 2011. Robert L. Savage was born to Henry and Helen Savage in Fort Worth, Texas on February 26, 1939. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1959. Robert earned a B.A. degree in Government from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas in 1963, M.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Houston in 1966, and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1971. Dr. Savage taught political science courses at Auburn University from 1971 to 1974 and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville from 1974 until his retirement in 2001. Dr. Savage served as Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at UA-Fayetteville from 1989 to 1998.
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2012 – The 39th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas on February 24-25, 2012. Dr. William McLean of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as President of the ArkPSA in 2011-2012. Dr. Joseph Giammo of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Vice-President in 2011-2012. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2011-2012. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2011-2012 were Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University (2010-2012), Dr. Donald Gooch of Arkansas Tech University (2010-2012), Dr. Steven Breezeel of Harding University (2011-2013), and Dr. Natasha Washington of Northwest Arkansas Community College (2011-2013). Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas served as Program Chair for the 2012 annual meeting. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Kim Maslin (Hendrix College) and Dr. Chris Housenick (Arkansas Tech University) were elected as At-Large Members of ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2012-2014).
The following individuals were appointed as the Section Chairs for the 2012 annual meeting – Dr. Donald Gooch (Arkansas Tech University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Price Dooley (University of Central Arkansas) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Kim Maslin (Hendrix College) – Political Theory; Dr. Cathy Reese (ASU-Jonesboro) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Tom McInnis (University of Central Arkansas) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Charles Bullock, the Richard B. Russell Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on February 24th. Preston Scroggin, Faulkner County Judge and 1989 graduate of the UCA Department of Political Science, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on February 25th.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2012 annual meeting: Best Faculty Paper – Dr. Rebecca Anne Glazier (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and Dr. William J. Miller (Southeast Missouri State University), “Whose ‘Clash’? Comparing Anti-Americanism and Anti-Muslim Attitudes”; Best Graduate Student Paper – Daniel Chand, Renee Deshommes, Kuatbay Bektemirov, and Leland McQueen (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Local Enforcement of Federal Immigration Policies: An Analysis of the 287(g) and Secure Communities Programs in Arkansas”; and Best Undergraduate Student Paper – Kelly Reed (University of Arkansas-Monticello), “The Rise of the Opposition: A Theoretical Appraisal of the Recent Arab Spring”.
Dr. Janine Parry, Daniel A. Smith, and Shayne Henry’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “The Impact of Petition Signing on Voter Turnout,” was published in Political Behavior in 2012.
In Memoriam: Dr. Lawrence N. Okere, a professor of political science at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, died in Little Rock on May 10, 2012. Lawrence Okere was born in 1957, and he earned his Ph.D. degree in political science at the University of North Texas. Dr. Okere was survived by his wife Caroline, two daughters Thelma and Michelle, and one granddaughter.
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2013 – The 40th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on March 1-2, 2013. Dr. Joseph Giammo of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock served as President of the ArkPSA in 2012-2013. Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas served as Vice-President in 2012-2013. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2012-2013. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2012-2013 were Dr. Steven Breezeel of Harding University (2011-2013), Dr. Natasha Washington of Northwest Arkansas Community College (2011-2013). Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College (2012-2014), Dr. Christopher Housenick of Arkansas Tech University (2012-2014). Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University served as Program Chair for the 2013 annual meeting. Dr. William P. McLean of ASU-Jonesboro served as Past President ex officio. Dr. John Passe-Smith of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Carol Strong (University of Arkansas-Monticello) and Dr. Daniel Egbe (Philander Smith College) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2013-2015).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2013 annual meeting: Dr. Haroon A. Khan (Henderson State University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Jay Barth (Hendrix College) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Christopher Housenick (Arkansas Tech University) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Steven Thomason (Ouachita Baptist University) – Political Theory; Dr. Joseph Howard (University of Central Arkansas) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Andrew Bagley (Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Ronald Keith Gaddie, Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma, was the guest speaker during the Friday evening dinner on March 1st. Kay Goss, President and CEO, World Disaster Management, was the guest speaker during the Saturday luncheon on March 2nd.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2013 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Student Paper – Jacob Porter (Hendrix College), “Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Innovation in Spain’s Autonomous Communities”; and Best Graduate Student Paper – John C. Davis (University of Missouri), “A Study of U.S. Senators with Presidential Aspirations”.
In Memoriam: Dr. Charles DeWitt Dunn died at his home in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on May 5, 2013. Charles Dunn was born to Charles E. and Lucille (Bailey) Dunn in Magnolia, Arkansas on December 2, 1945. He graduated from McNeil High School in 1963, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Southern Arkansas University in 1967, a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Political Science from the North Texas State University (now University of North Texas) in 1970, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Southern Illinois University in 1973. In 1969, Dr. Dunn began his teaching career at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, teaching in the political science department before moving to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas in 1975. During his more than ten years at the University of Central Arkansas, Dr. Dunn served as a Professor of Political Science, Chair of the Department of Political Science (1976-1982), and the Director of Governmental Relations (1982-1986). Dr. Dunn served as President of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) in 1976-1977. In February 1986, Dr. Dunn was named the 14th President of Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Dr. Dunn retired from the presidency of HSU in 2008 and at twenty-two years in the position, was the longest serving president in the university’s history. He ended his career at Henderson as President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Political Science, teaching courses in the American Presidency, Political Behavior, and State & Local Government. Throughout his career, Dr. Dunn served on numerous boards and commissions at the state, national, and local levels. In 1986, Dr. Dunn was selected by his peers to chair the Arkansas Presidents and Chancellors Association; Governor Bill Clinton appointed him to chair the Commission on Arkansas’s Future from 1989-1993; and he was a member of the Arkansas Community Foundation Board of Directors from 1996-2006, chairing the board from 2002-2003.
In Memoriam: Dr. Calvin R. Ledbetter, Jr., University of Arkansas at Little Rock Emeritus Professor, died at his home in Little Rock, Arkansas on August 10, 2013. Calvin was born to Calvin R. Ledbetter, Sr. and Virginia Campbell Ledbetter in Little Rock on April 29, 1929. Calvin graduated with a B.A. degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and graduated with a J.D. degree from the University of Arkansas Law School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Calvin practiced law in Little Rock, and then joined the U.S. Army as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps. He served with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1955 to 1957. After completing his military service, Calvin earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois in 1961. Calvin was married to Mary Brown “Brownie” Williams Ledbetter on July 26, 1953. Calvin and Brownie had three children (Grainger, Snow, and Jeffery). Dr. Ledbetter joined the faculty of the Department of Political Science at Little Rock University (now the University of Arkansas at Little Rock) in 1960, and he served as Chair of the Department of Political Science from 1961 to 1978. Dr. Ledbetter served in the Arkansas State Legislature from 1967 to 1977. Dr. Ledbetter served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock from 1978 to 1988. Dr. Ledbetter retired from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock as a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science. Dr. Ledbetter served as President of the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA) in 1980-1981, and he was also a member of the National Conference of Academic Deans, the Arkansas History Commission, and the Arkansas Humanities Council. Dr. Ledbetter’s book, Carpenter from Conway: George Washington Donaghey as Governor of Arkansas, 1909–1913, was published by the University of Arkansas Press in 1994. Dr. Ledbetter also co-authored three books, Politics in Arkansas: The Constitutional Experience (Little Rock: Academic Press of Arkansas, 1972), The Arkansas Plan: A Case Study in Public Policy (Little Rock: University of Arkansas-Little Rock, 1979), and Arkansas Becomes a State (Little Rock: University of Arkansas-Little Rock, 1985), and authored more than 30 articles in several academic journals such as the Arkansas Political Science Journal, Arkansas Historical Quarterly, the National Civic Review, the University of Arkansas Law Review, and State Government. Dr. Ledbetter’s wife, Mary Brown “Brownie” Williams Ledbetter died in Little Rock on March 21, 2010.
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2014 – The 41st Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held at the American Heritage Center at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas on February 28-March 1, 2014. Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 2013-2014. Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University served as Vice-President in 2013-2014. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2013-2014. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2013-2014 were Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College (2012-2014), Dr. Christopher Housenick of Arkansas Tech University (2012-2014), Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello (2013-2015), and Dr. Daniel Egbe of Philander Smith College (2013-2015). Dr. Steven Breezeel of Harding University served as Program Chair for the 2014 annual meeting. Dr. Joseph Giammo of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Joseph Howard of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Chris Housenick (Arkansas Tech University) and Dr. Andrew Dowdle (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2014-2016).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2014 annual meeting: Dr. Natasha Washington (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Lori Klein (Harding University) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Mark Elrod (Harding University) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Tom Howard (Harding University) – Political Theory; Dr. Catherine Reese (ASU-Jonesboro) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Carol Strong (University of Arkansas-Monticello) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Shawn Fisher, Professor of History at Harding University, gave the keynote address, “The Battle of Little Rock” (1957 Little Rock Desegregation Crisis), during the Friday evening dinner on February 28th. The Honorable Ann V. Clemmer, Arkansas House of Representatives, addressed the conference participants during the Saturday luncheon on March 1st.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2014 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Student Paper – Erika Bowsher (University of Arkansas-Little Rock), “Twenty Years of International Justice: An Evaluation of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia”; Best Graduate Student Paper – John C. Davis (University of Missouri), “The Natural State in a Time of Change: A Survey-Based Analysis of State Party Organizations in Arkansas, 1999-2013″; and Best Faculty Paper – Dr. Mike Yawn (Sam Houston State University), “Teaching Local: Civic Engagement & Local Government.”
Dr. Janine Parry and Craig M. Burnett’s (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) manuscript, “Gubernatorial Endorsements and Ballot Measure Approval,” was published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly in 2014.
In Memoriam: Dr. David Emory England, a former professor of political science at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, died following a long battle with lung cancer at his home near Pensacola, Florida on August 10, 2014. David E. England was born on September 12, 1942. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Marquette University in 1964. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam during the 1960s, earning a Purple Heart. He worked as Coordinator of Social Services with the Department of Offender Rehabilitation in Atlanta, Georgia and as a Warden of a Maximum Security Prison in Alto, Georgia from 1972 to 1979. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Georgia in 1983. After teaching for a year at the University of Mississippi, Dr. England began teaching political science at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro beginning in Fall 1984. In 2000, Dr. England was presented the “Teacher of the Year” award at ASU-Jonesboro.
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2015 – The 42nd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas on February 27-28, 2015. Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University served as President of the ArkPSA in 2014-2015. Dr. Steven Breezeel of Harding University served as Vice-President in 2014-2015. Dr. Mark Mullenbach of the University of Central Arkansas served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2014-2015. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2014-2015 were Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello (2013-2015), Dr. Daniel Egbe of Philander Smith University (2013-2015), Dr. Christopher Housenick of Arkansas Tech University (2014-2016), and Dr. Andrew Dowdle of UA-Fayetteville (2014-2016). Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College served as Program Chair for the 2015 annual meeting. Dr. Kim Hoffman of the University of Central Arkansas served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Joseph Howard of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Gregory Shufeldt (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and Dr. Hans Hacker (ASU-Jonesboro) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2015-2017).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2015 annual meeting: Dr. Joseph Giammo (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Jay Barth (Hendrix College) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan (University of Central Arkansas) – Political Theory; Dr. Clay Arnold (University of Central Arkansas) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Peter Gess (Hendrix College) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Randy LeBlanc of the University of Texas at Tyler gave the keynote address, “Speaking Peace to Enmity: Edward Said, Judith Butler, and the End of Criticism in the Discourse on Palestine/Israel,” during the Friday evening dinner on February 27th. Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College spoke on the topic, “The Challenges and Opportunities of an Academic in Public Life,” during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on February 28th.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2015 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Student Paper – Austin Nelson (Hendrix College), “Race and Redistricting: How Racial Gerrymandering Benefits Black Voters and Republicans”; and Best Graduate Student Paper – John C. Davis (University of Missouri), “The Nature and Effects of Political Party Culture on Political Careers”.
In Memoriam: William “Bill” Carl Nolan, a former professor of political science at Southern Arkansas University, died in Silver City, New Mexico on March 6, 2015. William Nolan was born to Carl and Helen (Fowler) Nolan in Las Vegas, New Mexico on January 28, 1922. William served in the U.S. Airforce during the Second World War and Korean War. William earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Western New Mexico University and master’s degree in political science at the University of New Mexico. William taught political science courses at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas from 1962 to 1987. William and his wife Naoma retired to Silver City, New Mexico.
In Memoriam: Dr. Charles D. Chastain, Professor Emeritus at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, died in Little Rock on June 2, 2015. Charles was born in Oxnard, Ventura County, California on September 13, 1941. In 1944, the family moved to a farm near Branch, Franklin County, Arkansas. Charles earned a bachelor’s degree in history and sociology and a minor in political science from Arkansas Polytechnic College. Charles earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, and he earned a Ph.D. in political science from Southern Illinois University. Dr. Chastain pursued his academic career at Southeast Missouri State College and, later, at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. As a member of the Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Dr. Chastain founded the criminal justice program and the Department of Criminal Justice. Dr. Chastain served as coordinator of criminal justice and as department chair at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock from 1975 to 1997. Dr. Chastain served on the State of Arkansas Parole Board from 1993 to 2003, and he also served on the Board of the Law Enforcement Training Academy and Governor Bill Clinton’s Task Force on Crime and Justice. Dr. Chastain retired from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock in 2011.
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2016 – The 43rd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of the University of Arkansas-Monticello in Monticello, Arkansas on February 26-27, 2016. Dr. Steven Breezeel of Harding University served as President of the ArkPSA in 2015-2016. Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College served as Vice-President in 2015-2016. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2015-2016. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2015-2016 were Dr. Christopher Housenick of Arkansas Tech University (2014-2016), Dr. Andrew Dowdle of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2014-2016), Dr. Gregory Shufeldt of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2015-2017), and Dr. Hans Hacker of ASU-Jonesboro (2015-2017). Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello served as Program Chair for the 2016 annual meeting. Dr. Kevin Brennan (Ouachita Baptist University) served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Joseph Howard (University of Central Arkansas) served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Karen Sebold (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan (University of Central Arkansas) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-years terms (2016-2018).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2016 annual meeting: Dr. Matthew Gross (Henderson State University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Janine Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Mark Elrod (University of Central Arkansas) – Comparative Politics & International Relations; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – Political Theory; Dr. Brendan Toner (Arkansas Tech University) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. John Davis (University of Arkansas-Monticello) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Christopher Massingill, Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, spoke during the Friday evening dinner on February 26th. Dr. Hal Bass (Ouachita Baptist University) and Dr. Art English (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) were presented the Association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the Friday evening dinner. Dr. John Kyle Day, Associate Professor of History at the University of Arkansaas-Monticello, spoke during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on February 27th.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2016 annual meeting: Best Faculty Paper – Dr. Gregory Shufeldt (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and Paul A. Crutcher, “The ‘Nativ’ Citizen: Political Attitudes, Outcomes, and State Pride”; Best Graduate Student Paper – Mark Nabor (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Most Other People and Me: A Case Study of Opinions about Same-Sex Marriage Among United Methodist Parishioners in Washington County”; and Best Undergraduate Student Paper – Caylin Craig (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “Investing in an Imprisoned America: Private Prison PAC Campaign Contributions in the U.S. House and Senate Elections”.
Dr. Harold “Hal” F. Bass, Jr., a Professor of Political Science and former Dean of the School of Social Sciences, retired from full-time teaching at Ouachita Baptist University in May 2016. Hal Bass earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Baylor University in 1971, and then he earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. degree in political science from Vanderbilt University in 1974 and 1978, respectively. He taught political science as an instructor at OBU from 1976 to 1978, before starting a tenure-track Assistant Professor position at OBU in 1978. Dr. Bass was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor at OBU in 1983 and Full Professor at OBU in 1989. Dr. Bass served as the chair of the Division of Social Sciences from 1990 to 2002, and then he served as Dean of the School of Social Sciences from 2002 to 2011. Dr. Bass authored and co-authored numerous chapters in edited books and articles in scholarly journals, including the Arkansas Political Science Journal, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and Midsouth Political Science Journal. He also authored the book, Historical Dictionary of United States Political Parties (Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MD), in 2000 (2nd edition, 2009). For four decades, Dr. Bass has been active in the Arkansas Political Science Association (ArkPSA), including serving as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board (1985-1987), Program Chair for the 1988 Annual Meeting, Vice President (1989), and President (1990). Dr. Bass was presented the association’s Distinguished Scholar Award in February 2016.
(Photo courtesy of Katie Jo Henley, The Signal, May 10, 2016)
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2017 – The 44th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of Arkansas Tech University and Lake Point Conference Center in Russellville, Arkansas on March 3-4, 2017. Dr. Kim Maslin of Hendrix College served as President of the ArkPSA in 2016-2017. Dr. Carol Strong of the UA-Monticello served as Vice-President in 2016-2017. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Secretary-Treasurer in 2016-2017. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2016-2017 were Dr. Gregory Shufeldt of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2015-2017), Dr. Hans Hacker of ASU-Jonesboro (2015-2017), Dr. Karen Sebold of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2016-2018), and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas (2016-2018). Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as Program Chair for the 2017 annual meeting. Dr. Steven Breezeel (Harding University) served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Joseph Howard (University of Central Arkansas) served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Lori Klein (Harding University) and Dr. Matthew Gross (Henderson State University) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-years terms (2017-2019).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2017 annual meeting: Dr. Heather Yates (University of Central Arkansas) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Michael Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – Arkansas Government & Politics; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Steven Thomason (Ouachita Baptist University) – Political Theory; Dr. Brendan Toner (Arkansas Tech University) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Jaeyun Sung (Lyon College) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Michael Malbin, Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York, spoke during the Friday evening dinner on March 3rd. Dr. Haroon Khan (Henderson State University) and Dr. Gary Wekkin (University of Central Arkansas) were presented the Association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the Friday evening dinner. Congressman Steve Womack, 3rd Congressional District of Arkansas, spoke during the Saturday noon luncheon on March 4th.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2017 annual meeting: Best Faculty Paper — Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm (University of Arkansas at Little Rock), “The Syrian Civil War and Diaspora Transnational Justice Mobilization”; Best Graduate Student Paper — Eric Button and Dr. William D. Schreckhise (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville), “The Diffusion of Veterans Treatment Courts: A Prediction of Future Adoption for the Late Majority and Laggard States”; and Best Undergraduate Student Paper — Brian Gregory (University of Arkansas at Little Rock), “Faith in Action: A Look into Little Rock’s Religious Mobilization”.
In Memoriam: Dr. Steven Neuse, a former political science professor at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died on May 26, 2017. Steven was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1941 and he grew up in New Braunfels, Texas. He earned a Ph.D. degree in political science from the University of Texas-Austin in 1976. Dr. Neuse taught political science at the University of Texas-El Paso, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (1981-2001). Dr. Neuse served as Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville from 1998 to 2001.
In Memoriam: Dr. Robert Edward Johnston, a former political science professor at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and former Arkansas state legislator, died in Little Rock on September 20, 2017. Robert Johnston was born to Ezekiel Bennett and Kathleen (Connelly) Johnston in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on September 11, 1940. He graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1958. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rice University, where he was an all-Southwest Conference football player. In 1973, Robert was inducted into the Rice University Athletics Hall of Fame. After graduating from Rice University, Robert received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University, where he earned another B.A. degree and M.A. degree. He served three years in the U.S. Army as a Ranger and paratrooper. He earned a Ph.D. in political science and economics from Columbia University. Dr. Johnston taught political science at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. He served in the Arkansas House of Representative for eight years before he was appointed by Governor Bill Clinton as Chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission. He served as chairman of the PSC for six years. Dr. Robert Johnston was survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Jay and Christy Johnston, and two grandchildren, Lena and Duncan.
In Memoriam: Walter Harris Nunn died on October 2, 2017. Walter Nunn was born in Monticello, Arkansas on February 17, 1942, and he graduated from Hendrix College in Conway in 1964. While attending Hendrix College, Walter served as the editor of the Hendrix “College Profile” newspaper in 1961 and 1962. He earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Kansas in 1966 and a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Arkansas in 1992. He served as the director of the Arkansas’ Institute of Politics and Government from 1978-1981. For more than 30 years, he served as the director of the Arkansas International Center, a Little Rock-based non-profit organization that sponsored more than 10,000 international visitors to the state of Arkansas. For more than 20 years, he taught political science courses at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He was the founding owner of Rose Publishing Company, which published books about Arkansas, including its politics, history and government. Known as an expert on Arkansas Constitution, he published over 70 books about the state of Arkansas, including a history of the state titled “Arkansas Odyssey.” He served as Vice President of the Little Rock Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission in the early 2000s. Walter H. Nunn was survived by Gale Stewart, an attorney, farmer, and expert gardener, as well as his two children: Robert Nunn and Dr. Amy Nunn.
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2018 – The 45th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas on March 2-3, 2018. Dr. Carol Strong of University of Arkansas-Monticello served as President of the ArkPSA in 2017-2018. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as Vice-President in 2017-2018. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer in 2017-2018. Dr. Matthew Evans of Northwest Arkansas Community College served as the Secretary in 2017-2018. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2017-2018 were Dr. Karen Sebold of UA-Fayetteville (2016-2018), Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas (2016-2018), Dr. Lori Klein of Harding University (2017-2019), and Dr. Matthew Gross of Henderson State University (2017-2019). Dr. Hans Hacker of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Program Chair for the 2018 annual meeting. Dr. Kim Maslin (Hendrix College) as Past President ex officio. Dr. Joseph Howard of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. John Davis (University of Arkansas-Monticello) and Dr. Williams Yamkam (University of Arkansas-Fort Smith) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2018-2020).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2018 annual meeting: Dr. Donald Gooch (Stephen F. Austin State University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Michael Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – Arkansas & State Politics; Dr. Haroon Khan (Henderson State University) and Dr. Jacob Ausderan (ASU-Jonesboro) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – Political Theory; Dr. David Harding (ASU-Jonesboro); and Dr. Amy Buzby (ASU-Jonesboro) – Undergraduate & Graduate Student Research.
Dr. Ronald Keith Gaddie, Presidential Professor and Executive Faculty Fellow at University of Oklahoma, gave a speech titled “Putting the Fix on Gerrymandering” during the Friday evening dinner on March 2nd. The Honorable Rick Crawford, U.S. Representative for the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, spoke after the Saturday afternoon luncheon on March 3rd.
Dr. Jay Barth of Hendrix College and Dr. Charles Hartwig of ASU-Jonesboro were presented the Association’s Distinguished Scholar Awards during the Friday evening dinner on March 2nd.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2018 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Paper — C. Taylor Summerville, Arkansas Tech University, “Pakistan-India Territorial Disputes: Why do the Tensions Persist?; Regan Williams, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Elitism in Feminist Scholarship: A Stronghold for Sexism in American Society; Best Graduate Paper — Eric D. Button, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Trends in Voting Behavior of Active Duty Military Spouses: A Study of Sophistication, Access, and Participation, with Anne B. Diallo; and Best Faculty Paper — Dr. Patrick Stewart, Elaine Terrell, Alex M. Kareev, Blake Tylar Ellison, and Charini I. Urteaga, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, “Gamifying Online American National Government: Lessons learned from developing Citizenship Quest”.
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2019 – The 46th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 8-9, 2019. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as President in 2018-2019. Dr. Hans Hacker of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as Vice-President in 2018-2019. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer. Dr. Matthew Evans of Northwest Arkansas Community College served as the Secretary. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2018-2019 were Dr. Lori Klein of Harding University (2017-2019), Dr. Matthew Gross of Henderson State University (2017-2019), Dr. John Davis of the University of Arkansas-Monticello (2018-2020), and Dr. Williams Yamkam of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (2018-2020). Dr. Karen Sebold and Dr. Andrew Dowdle of University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Program Co-Chairs for the 2019 annual meeting. Dr. Joseph Howard (University of Central Arkansas) served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Amber Overholser (Southern Arkansas University) and Dr. Heather Yates (University of Central Arkansas) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2019-2021).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2019 annual meeting: Dr. Heather Yates (University of Central Arkansas) – American Government & Politics; Dr. John Davis (University of Arkansas -Monticello) – Arkansas & State Politics; Dr. Kevin Brennan (Ouachita Baptist University) – Comparative Politics & International Relations; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – Political Theory; Dr. Joshua Mitchell (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Xavier Medina Vidal (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Graduate & Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Janine Parry, Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas, spoke during the Friday evening dinner on March 8th. The Honorable Vivian Flowers, Arkansas State Representative for the 17th District, spoke during the Saturday luncheon on March 9th.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2019 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Paper — Hannah Burdette (Hendrix College), “Her Rights, Everyone’s Benefit: An Examination of Women’s Rights in the Global Economy”; Best Graduate Paper — Alexandra Johnson (University of Arkansas Fayetteville), ” Sex, Stress, and the Supreme Court: Verbal and Nonverbal Analysis of Supreme Court Nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh During his Senate Confirmation Hearings”; and Best Faculty Paper — Dr. Kisha Hardwick (University of Central Arkansas), “Bureaucratic Information Environments and Institutional Arrangements: The Influence of Power, Professionalism, and Polarization on State Agency Head Interactions”.
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2020 – The 47th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was held on the campus of Henderson State University (HSU) in Arkadelphia, Arkansas on March 6-7, 2020. Dr. Hans Hacker of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro served as President of the ArkPSA in 2019-2020. Dr. Karen Sebold of University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Vice-President in 2019-2020. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2019-2020. Dr. Matthew Evans of Northwest Arkansas Community College served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2019-2020. Dr. Matthew Gross of Henderson State University served as Program Chair for the 2020 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2019-2020 were Dr. John Davis of UA-Monticello (2018-2020), Dr. Williams Yamkam of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (2018-2020), Dr. Amber Overholser of Southern Arkansas University (2019-2021), and Dr. Heather Yates of the University of Central Arkansas (2019-2021). Dr. Chris Housenick (Arkansas Tech University) served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Joseph Howard (University of Central Arkansas) served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University and Dr. Melanie Liann Gallagher of Harding University were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board (2020-2022).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2020 annual meeting: Dr. Joe Giammo (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – American Government & Politics; Dr. John Davis (University of Arkansas-Monticello) – Arkansas & State Politics; Dr. Chris Housenick (Arkansas Tech University) – Comparative Politics & International Relations; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – Political Theory; Dr. Will McLean (Arkansas State University-Jonesboro) – Public Administration & Public Policy; and Dr. Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. John Ishiyama, Distinguished Research Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas, gave the keynote speech during the Friday evening dinner on March 6th. Dr. Ishiyama is the former Editor-in-Chief of the American Political Science Review (APSR) and founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Political Science Education. State Senator Bruce Maloch, representing District 12, spoke during the Saturday afternoon luncheon on Saturday, March 7th. Senator Maloch previously served three terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives and ten years as a Justice of the Peace in Columbia County.
Dr. Janine Parry of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville was presented the association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the dinner on Friday, March 6th. Dr. Parry is the founding director of The Arkansas Poll at the University of Arkansas, and she is the author of several published books, book chapters, and scholarly articles in the fields of American and Arkansas government and politics. Dr. Parry served as Program Chair for the Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA in 2008, and she served as President of the ArkPSA in 2009-2010.
The following individuals were presented awards for papers presented during the 2020 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Paper – Bailey Brya (Hendrix College), “NGO-Driven Environmental Awareness and Citizen Participation: The Case of the Yangtze River Watchers in China”; and Best Graduate Paper: Murat Abus (ASU-Jonesboro), ” Reflections in the Mirror: Authoritarian Values and Political Identities in Turkey”.
In Memoriam: Dolph Beadle Moore, Jr., a former professor of political science at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, died in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 3, 2020. D. Beadle Moore, Jr. was born to Dolph Beadle Moore, Sr. and Marta (Wolff) Moore in Mobile, Alabama on October 5, 1941. D. Beadle Moore, Jr. grew up in Opelousas, Louisiana and Tyler, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in political science at East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, and he completed additional graduate studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona from 1969 to 1973. Professor D. Beadle Moore, Jr. taught political science courses at Arkansas A&M (now University of Arkansas-Monticello) from 1966 to 1969 and at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock from 1973 to 1990. D. Beadle Moore, Jr. later worked for the Arkansas-Louisiana Gas Company.
In Memoriam: Dr. William James Megginson III, a former political science professor at Garland County Community College, died on April 29, 2020. William was born to Captain William Megginson II and Ina Smith Megginson in Clemson, South Carolina on September 30, 1943. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College. He earned an M.A. degree and Ph.D. degree in political science from George Washington University in Washington DC. Dr. Megginson taught political science at Garland County Community College and Arkansas State University. His book, African American Life in South Carolina’s Upper Piedmont, 1780-1900, was published in 2006.
In Memoriam: Dr. Conrad Peter Waligorski, a professor emeritus of political science (political theory and normative political economy) at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died in Fayetteville, Arkansas on October 18, 2020. Conrad Waligorski was born to Barney and Josephine Waligorski of Chicago, Illinois on September 22, 1942. Conrad earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Loyola, and he earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Waligorski wrote three books on the political thinking of major economic theorists, including Political Theory of Conservative Economists, Liberal Economics and Democracy, and John Kenneth Galbraith: The Economist as Political Theorist.
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2021 – The 48th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was hosted virtually by the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on February 25-26, 2021. Dr. Karen Sebold of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville served as President of the ArkPSA in 2020-2021. Dr. Matthew Gross of Henderson State University served as Vice-President of the ArkPSA in 2020-2021. Dr. Michael Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2020-2021. Dr. Matthew Evans of Northwest Arkansas Community College served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2020-2021. Dr. Williams Yamkam of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith was Program Chair for the 2021 annual meeting. The At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board in 2020-2021 were Dr. Amber Overholser of Southern Arkansas University (2019-2021), Dr. Heather Yates of the University of Central Arkansas (2019-2021), Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University (2020-2022), and Dr. Melanie Liann Gallagher of Harding University (2020-2022). Dr. Hans Hacker (ASU-Jonesboro) served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan (University of Central Arkansas) served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Jordan Butcher (ASU-Jonesboro) and Dr. Jaeyun Sung (Lyon College) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2021-2023).
Mayor George McGill of the City of Fort Smith, Arkansas. was the guest speaker on Friday, February 26th. A U.S. Army veteran, George McGill became the first African American mayor of the city when he was elected in August 2018. Previously, George McGill represented District 78 for three terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives, including serving as Chair of the Aging, Children, Youth Legislative, & Military Affairs Committee and Deputy Speaker Pro-Tempore. Mayor McGill earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Education and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2021 annual meeting: Dr. Donald Gooch (Stephen F. Austin State University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Janine Parry (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Arkansas Politics & State Politics; Dr. Mark Elrod (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Steven Thomason (Ouachita Baptist University) – Political Theory; Dr. David Harding (ASU-Jonesboro) – Public Administration & Public Policy; Dr. Amy Buzby (ASU-Jonesboro) – Undergraduate Student Research.
The following individuals were recognized for their papers presented during the 2021 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Paper – Taylor Fitterling (Lyon College), “Vote-Switching: Independent Voter Volatility in U.S. Presidential Elections”; Best Graduate Paper – Murat Abus (ASU-Jonesboro), “Election Administration and UOCAVA Voting: The State and New Metrics”; and Best Faculty Paper – Dr. Kimberly Maslin (Hendrix College), “Why Rahel Matters? Hannah Arendt and German Romanticism”.
In Memoriam: Dr. Mary Susan Power, a former professor of political science at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro, died on August 9, 2021. Mary Susan Power was born to Younger L. and Cleo (Boock) Power in Hazelton, Pennsylvania on July 5, 1935. Her father served as mayor of Ilion, New York for three terms. She earned a B.A. degree from Wells College, M.A. degree from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois. After teaching at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Dr. Power taught political science at ASU-Jonesboro from 1968 to 2000. She was active in the Craighead County Republican Party, and she served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1972, 1976, and 1988. Dr. Power was survived by her daughter, Catherine, and three grandchildren.
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2022 – The 49th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was hosted virtually by Southern Arkansas University on March 3-4, 2022. Dr. Matthew Gross of Henderson State University served as President of the ArkPSA in 2021-2022. Dr. Williams Yamkam of the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith served as Vice-President of the ArkPSA in 2021-2022. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2021-2022. Dr. Matthew Evans of Northwest Arkansas Community College served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2021-2022. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board were Dr. Kevin Brennan of Ouachita Baptist University (2020-2022), Dr. Melanie Liann Gallagher of Harding University (2020-2022), Dr. Jordan Butcher of ASU-Jonesboro (2021-2023), and Dr. Jaeyun Sung of Lyon College (2021-2023). Dr. Amber Overholser and Dr. James McQuiston of Southern Arkansas University served as Program Co-Chairs for the 2022 annual meeting. Dr. Karen Sebold of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan (University of Central Arkansas) served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Joshua Mitchell (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) and Dr. Delphia Shanks (Hendrix College) were elected as At-Large Members of the ArkPSA Executive Board for two-year terms (2022-2024).
The speaker on Thursday evening, March 3rd was Adam Jentleson, who served as Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada from 2010 to 2016. Adam Jentlesson is the author of the book, Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy (2021). The speaker on Friday, March 4th was Governor Asa Hutchinson, the 46th Governor of the State of Arkansas. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Asa Hutchinson was appointed by President George W. Bush as Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2001 and as Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Asa Hutchinson was elected to the first of two terms as governor of Arkansas in 2014.
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2022 annual meeting: Dr. Karen Sebold (UA-Fayetteville) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Mike Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – Arkansas Politics & State Politics; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Paul Babbitt (Southern Arkansas University) – Political Theory; Dr. Brendan Toner (Arkansas Tech University) – Public Administration & Public Policy; Dr. John Davis (University of Arkansas-Monticello) – Undergraduate Student Research.
The following individuals were recognized for their papers presented during the 2022 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Paper – Logan Hubberd (Lyon College), “Civic Engagement and Academic Success”; Best Graduate Paper – Adil Yildiz (University of Mississippi), “Explaining the Intensity of Nonviolent Resistance”; and Best Faculty Paper – Dr. Michael Rogers (Arkansas Tech University), “Appointed in a Very Odd Manner’: Anti-Federalist Critiques of Presidential Selection During the Ratification Debates”.
In Memoriam: Dr. Daniel Ross Grant, former president of Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) in Arkadelphia, died on May 25, 2022. Daniel Grant was born to Dr. James R. and Grace (Sowers) Grant in Little Rock, Arkansas on August 18, 1923. His father, Dr. James R. Grant served as the 8th president of OBU. Daniel Grant earned a B.A. degree from Ouachita Baptist University in 1945, an M.A. degree from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in political science from Northwestern University in 1948. Dr. Daniel Grant taught political science at Vanderbilt University from 1948 to 1969, during which he served as the founding director of the Urban and Regional Development Center. Dr. Grant authored several publications, including the textbook, State and Local Government in America. In 1958-1959, Dr. Grant taught municipal government and planning at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. In 1970, Dr. Grant became the 12th president of OBU. During his tenure as president of OBU, the university endowment grew and several new buildings on campus were constructed, including the Riley-Hickingbotham Library and the Mabee Fine Arts Center. Dr. Daniel Grant was named as President Emeritus of OBU upon his retirement in 1988. Dr. Grant also served as the voluntary leader of the Consortium for Global Education (CGE), whose membership grew to include 48 Baptist colleges and universities. Dr. Grant was also appointed by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee to serve on the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Dr. Daniel Grant was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Betty Jo (Oliver) Grant. After his retirement as president in 1988, the Daniel and Betty Jo Grant Center for International Education was named in their honor at OBU. Dr. Daniel Grant was survived by his daughters, Carolyn (Grant) Walton and Shirley (Grant) Hardin, son, Daniel Ross Grant, Jr., five grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
In Memoriam: Dr. Donald Carl Leavitt, a former professor of political science at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, died October 1,2022. Donald was born in Bloomfield, Indiana to Joseph Arbuth and Violet Irene (Johnson) Leavitt on December 14, 1932. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1957. Donald earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Purdue University and Roosevelt University, and he earned a Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University. Dr. Leavitt taught political science courses at Wayne State University, University of Minnesota-Morris, and University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He later worked as a statistician for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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2023 – The 50th Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was hosted by the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas on March 3-4, 2023. Dr. Williams Yamkam served as President of the ArkPSA in 2022-2023. Dr. Amber Overholser of Southern Arkansas University (SAU) served as Vice-President of the ArkPSA in 2022-2023. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2022-2023. Dr. James Mc of SAU served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2022-2023. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board were Dr. Jordan Butcher of ASU-Jonesboro (2021-2023), Dr. Jaeyun Sung of Lyon College (2021-2023), Dr. Joshua Mitchell of UA-Fayetteville (2022-2024), and Dr. Dephia Shanks of Hendrix College (2022-2024). Dr. Heather Yates and Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas served as Co-Program Chairs for the 2023 annual meeting. Dr. Matthew Gross of Henderson State University served as Past President ex officio. Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Hans Hacker (ASU-Jonesboro) and Dr. Mark Elrod (University of Central Arkansas) were elected as At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2023-2025).
The speaker for the dinner on Friday, March 3rd was Dr. Sara Wallace Goodman, Professor of Political Science at the University of California-Irvine. Dr. Goodman, whose research examines citizenship and the shaping of political identity through immigration integration, is the author of the book, Citizenship in Hard Times: How Ordinary People Respond to Democratic Threat (2022). The speaker for the luncheon on Saturday, March 4th was Benjamin Hovland, who has been a member of the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission in Washington DC since being confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 2, 2019. Benjamin, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Arkansas in 2000, previously served as Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he was involved in the U.S. Congress appropriating $380 million in HAVA funds to enhance election security to the states in 2018.
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2023 annual meeting: Dr. Brendan Toner (Arkansas Tech University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Jordan Butcher (ASU-Jonesboro) – Arkansas & State Politics; Dr. Mark Mullenbach (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Kim Maslin (Hendrix College) – Political Theory; Dr. Kisha Hardwick (University of Central Arkansas) – Public Administration & Public Policy; Dr. Karen Sebold (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Andrew Dowdle, Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, and Dr. John Passe-Smith, Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Arkansas, were presented the association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the dinner on Friday, March 3rd. Dr. Dowdle serves as the Director of Legal Studies and Pre-Law Advisor at UA-Fayetteville, and he previously served as the Vice-Chair and Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Political Science at UA-Fayetteville from 2008 to 2016. Dr. Dowdle is the coauthor of two books, The Political Geography of Campaign Finance: Fundraising and Contribution Patterns in Presidential Elections, 2004-2012 (2015) and The Invisible Hand of Political Parties in Presidential Elections: Party Activists and Political Aggregation, 2004-2012 (2013). Dr. Passe-Smith, who served as the Director of the International Studies Program in the UCA Department of Political Science from 2008 to 2011, was the co-editor of five editions of the book, Development and Underdevelopment: The Political Economy of Global Inequality, between 1993 and 2014. Dr. Passe-Smith served as Program Chair for the Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA in 2003, and he served as President of the ArkPSA from 2004 to 2006.
The following individuals were recognized for their papers presented during the 2023 annual meeting: Best Undergraduate Paper – Kiera Boop (Hendrix College), “What Factors Impact the Speed of Crisis Response? Insights from COVID-19”; Best Graduate Paper — Kennedy Hill (UA-Fayetteville), “Representative Government: An Evaluation of Single-Party Dominance in Arkansas”; and Best Faculty Paper — Dr. Clay Arnold (University of Central Arkansas), “Machiavelli’s Deceptions”.
In Memoriam: Hoyt Hughes Pervis, a professor of journalism and international relations at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died in Fayetteville on May 26, 2023. Hoyt Purvis was born to Hoyt Somervell Purvis and Jane (Hughes) Purvis in Jonesboro, Arkansas on November 7, 1939. He earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Texas-Austin in 1961 and 1963, respectively. Hoyt worked as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle for two years. Hoyt worked on the staff of Senator J. William Fulbright as press secretary and special assistant from 1967 to 1974. In 1975 and 1976, Hoyt served as director of publications and a lecturer at the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) School of Public Affairs. He also worked on the successful presidential campaign of Jimmy Carter. Hoyt served as a foreign and defense policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd and as deputy staff director for the Senate Democratic Policy Committee from 1977 to 1980. At the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Professor Purvis taught journalism, foreign policy, political science, Asian studies, Latin American studies, and European studies courses beginning in 1982. Professor Purvis served as the founding director of the Fulbright Institute of International Relations at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Professor Purvis to serve on the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, on which he served for 10 years, including three as chairman. Professor Purvis co-authored several academic books, including Legislating Foreign Policy (1984), Interdependence: Old Myths and New Realities in United States-Soviet Relations (1990), and Seoul and Washington: New Governments, New Leadership, New Objectives (1993). Following his retirement in 2016, the university created the Hoyt Purvis Award to recognize contributions to and advocacy for international education.
In Memoriam: Dr. Kurt Tweraser, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died on October 1, 2023. Kurt Tweraser was born in Viechtwang, Austria in 1930. After immigrating from Austria in 1962, Tweraser earned his Ph.D. at the American University School of International Service in 1971. During his 26-years at the University of Arkansas, Dr. Tweraser taught courses on American politics, European politics, and international relations. He was an expert on American foreign policy and the foreign policies of German-speaking countries. He also authored a book and several papers on the experiences of Sen. J. William Fulbright. After his retirement in 1992, he became a very respected historian of the city Linz in his native Austria, receiving the city’s Distinguished Scholarly Medal in 2001. In 2019, the Kurt K. Tweraser Scholarship Award was established by one of his former students, Glenn Newkirk, to support and honor outstanding political science undergraduates who are interested in studying the politics, law and organizations in the realm of international relations.
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2024 – The 51st Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was hosted by the University of Arkansas-Monticello in Monticello, Arkansas on March 8-9, 2024. Dr. Amber Overholser (Southern Arkansas University) served as President of the ArkPSA in 2023-2024. Dr. Heather Yates (University of Central Arkansas) served as Vice-President of the ArkPSA in 2023-2024. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2023-2024. Dr. James Mc of Southern Arkansas University served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2023-2024. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board were Dr. Joshua Mitchell of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2022-2024), Dr. Delphia Shanks of Hendrix College (2022-2024), Dr. Hans Hacker of ASU-Jonesboro (2023-2025), and Dr. Mark Elrod of the University of Central Arkansas (2023-2025). Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello served as Program Chair for the 2024 annual meeting. Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Brendan Connell of Lyon College was elected to serve as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board for a two-year term (2024-2026).
The speaker for the dinner on Friday, March 8th was Dr. Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, Dean of the William J. Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. The Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service since January 2022, Dr. DeFrancesco Soto previously served as Assistant Dean of Civic Engagement at The LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin. The speaker for the luncheon on Saturday, March 9th was Dr. Reagan Bijou, an alumna of UAM and Associate Research Director at YouGov’s Scientific Research Group. Dr. Bijou has been involved in several projects, including the Cooperative Election Study (CES), the Collaborative Midterm Survey (CMS), and the American National Election Studies (ANES).
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2024 annual meeting: Dr. Donald Gooch (Stephen F. Austin State University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Najja Baptist (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Arkansas Politics & State Politics; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Mike Rogers (Arkansas Tech University) – Political Theory; Dr. Amber Overholser (Southern Arkansas University) – Public Administration & Public Policy; Dr. Williams Yamkam (University of Arkansas-Fort Smith) – Graduate Student Research; and Dr. Brendan Connell (Lyon College) – Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Mark A. Elrod, Lecturer of Political Science in the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies at the University of Central Arkansas, was presented the association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the dinner on Friday, March 9th. Dr. Elrod, who earned a BA Degree in Political Science at Lipscomb University in 1984 and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University in 1995, was a member of the political science faculty at Harding University from 1987 to 2014 and has been a member of the political science faculty at the University of Central Arkansas since 2014. Dr. Elrod served as Program Chair for the Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA in 2001, and he served as President of the ArkPSA in 2002-2003.
In Memoriam: Dr. Thomas J. Bellows, a former professor of political science and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, died in Boerne, Texas on May 11, 2024. Thomas Bellows was born to Charles Everett and Dorothy (Morrison) Bellows in Chicago, Illinois on August 15, 1935. Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in 1957, master’s degrees from the University of Florida (1958) and Yale University (1960), and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University in 1968. Thomas Bellows taught political science courses at West Georgia College in Carrolton, Georgia from 1962 to 1966 and the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville from 1967 to 1981. Dr. Bellows served as department chair at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville from 1971 to 1978. After departing the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, Dr. Bellows served as the Director of the Social & Policy Sciences Division and a professor of political science at the University of Texas-San Antonio from 1981 to 1988. Dr. Bellows served as an editor for the American Journal of Chinese Studies, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Chinese Studies.
In Memoriam: Dr. Rapheal Osbourne Lewis, a former Professor of Political Science Professor at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, Arkansas, died in Miami, Florida on November 30, 2024. Raphael was born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 9, 1935. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Philander Smith College in 1962. After completing graduated studies at American University in Washington DC, Dr. Lewis taught political science and history courses at Philander Smith University from 1966 to 2018. He also served as Chair of the Social Sciences Division and Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Philander Smith University.
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2025 – The 52nd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was hosted by Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas on March 7-8, 2025. Dr. Heather Yates of the University of Central Arkansas served as President of the ArkPSA in 2024-2025. Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello served as Vice-President of the ArkPSA in 2024-2025. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2024-2025. Dr. James Mc of Southern Arkansas University served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2024-2025. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board were Dr. Hans Hacker of ASU-Jonesboro (2023-2025), Dr. Mark Elrod of the University of Central Arkansas (2023-2025), and Dr. Brendan Connell of Lyon College (2024-2026). Dr. Mike Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Program Chair for the 2025 annual meeting. Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Eric Button (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) and Dr. Mark Elrod (University of Central Arkansas) were elected to serve as an At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2025-2027).
The speaker for the dinner on Friday, March 7th was Dr. George C. Edwards III, University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies Emeritus at Texas A&M University. Dr. Edwards’ talk was titled, “Faulty Premises: The Flawed Foundations of the Electoral College.” The speaker for the luncheon on Saturday, March 8th was Senator Breanne Davis of Russellville. Senator Davis, whose District 25 includes most of Pope and Conway countries, is Chair of the Senate Rules, Resolutions, and Memorials Committee and is a member of the Senate Education Committee.
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2025 annual meeting: Dr. Donald Gooch (Stephen F. Austin State University) – American Government & Politics; Dr. John Davis (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) – Arkansas Politics & State Politics; Dr. Christopher Housenick (Arkansas Tech University) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – Political Theory; Dr. Kisha Hardwick (University of Central Arkansas) – Public Administration & Public Policy; Dr. Hans Hacker (ASU-Jonesboro) – Graduate Student Research; and Dr. Brendan Toner (Arkansas Tech University) – Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. Clay Arnold, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies at the University of Central Arkansas, was presented the association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the dinner on Friday, March 7th.
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2026 – The 53rd Annual Meeting of the ArkPSA was hosted by Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas on March 6-7, 2026. Dr. Carol Strong of the University of Arkansas-Monticello served as President of the ArkPSA in 2025-2026. Dr. Mike Rogers of Arkansas Tech University served as Vice-President of the ArkPSA in 2025-2026. Dr. Chris Housenick of Arkansas Tech University served as the Treasurer of the ArkPSA in 2025-2026. Dr. James Mc of Southern Arkansas University served as the Secretary of the ArkPSA in 2025-2026. The At-Large Members of the Executive Board were Dr. Brendan Connell of Lyon College (2024-2026), Dr. Eric Button of the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (2025-2027), and Dr. Mark Elrod of the University of Central Arkansas (2025-2027). Dr. Brendan Connell of Lyon College served as Program Chair for the 2025 annual meeting. Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan of the University of Central Arkansas served as Editor of the Midsouth Political Science Review (MPSR). Dr. Christopher Tyler Burkes (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) and Camille Gilmore (University of Arkansas-Fayetteville) were elected to serve as an At-Large Members of the Executive Board for two-year terms (2026-2028).
The speaker for the dinner on Friday evening, March 6th was Dr. David H. Bearce, Professor and Head of the International Affairs Department in the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Dr. Bearce’s talk was titled, “Social Spending, Immigration Openness, and Immigrant Rights: Political Tradeoffs within an Embedded Liberal Migration Policy.” The speaker for the luncheon on Saturday, March 7th was James L. “Skip” Rutherford III, Dean Emeritus of the William J. Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock. Dean Rutherford, who was born in Memphis and grew up in Batesville, served as Dean of the Clinton School of Public Service from 2006 to 2021.
The following individuals were appointed as Section Chairs for the 2026 annual meeting: Dr. Joseph Giammo (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – American Government & Politics; Dr. Christopher Tyler Burks (University of Arkansas-Little Rock) – Arkansas Politics & State Politics; Dr. Hyo-Won Shin (University of Central Arkansas) – International Relations & Comparative Politics; Dr. Matthew Evans (Northwest Arkansas Community College) – Political Theory; Dr. Amber Overholser (Southern Arkansas University) – Public Administration & Public Policy; Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh (University of Central Arkansas) – Graduate Student Research; and Dr. Jaeyun Sung (Lyon College) – Undergraduate Student Research.
Dr. John C. Davis, Executive Director of the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History and Teaching Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, was presented the association’s Distinguished Scholar Award during the dinner on Friday, March 6th.
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