Dwight Eisenhower was President on the day I was born in the great state of Mississippi. It was Pearl Harbor Day, 1953.The Korean War had ended. Vice President Richard Nixon visited Iran, causing quite a stir. Major General William F. Dean was on the cover of Time Magazine. It was my Mom’s 25th birthday and my Dad gave her an entire box of Milky Way candy bars to celebrate!

I grew up in a wonderful working class family and was the first to have the opportunity to attend college. My BA and MSS are from Mississippi State University (Hail State!) and my PhD is from Ole Miss (The University of Mississippi)(Hotty Toddy!). My primary area of study is American governmental institutions and my secondary area is political philosophy. I have been in higher education since 1978 and am currently a Professor of Political Science and a dean in a college with about 25,000 traditional and non-traditional students. By rough estimate I’ve corrupted the minds of more than 6,000 students over the years (or they have corrupted mine). For almost 40  years all ideas have been welcome for discussion in my classes unless those ideas are presented in an uncivil manner.

I have been unreasonably happily married to the world’s most patient partner since 1986 and we have three adult children who just so happen to be the coolest kids on the planet. My Mom is 89 years old and still keeps me in line.  My wife and I share our home with two rambunctious, sweet, slobbery Boxers named Rebel and Rigby. Life truly is good.