Scholarships
There are scholarships available through the Office of the Dean in the College of Liberal Arts. They are available to any major in the College of Liberal Arts, but there is not an application process.
Steve Guyton Political Science Endowment for Student Development
Steve Guyton grew up in Kosciusko, MS in the 1960’s and even in 10th grade, serving as a page in the Miss. legislature, he was interested in politics, taking an active part in a gubernatorial campaign that same summer. He graduated from UM in 1970 with degrees in political science and journalism and went on to work with countless public officials and on numerous political campaigns in the state. He also served for years mentoring and assisting high school students with their admissions process to the United States military academies.
Recipients will be full-time Junior or Senior Political Science majors who are active in student government and/or other student organizations at the University of Mississippi. First preference will be given to students who attended Boys State, Girls State, or APEX while in high school. Selection made by department scholarship committee based on academic achievement and leadership. Selection will be made in the spring for the next fall.
Interested students should contact the Political Science office.
Howerton and Fortenberry Award
Dr. Robert N. Leavell (1924-2004), native of Oxford, MS. provided funds for the Howerton-Fortenberry Award in the Study of Government. The scholarship recognizes the influence on Leavell of two legendary political science professors at UM – Huey B. Howerton & Charles Nolan Fortenberry. Dr. Huey Blair Howerton (1895-1977) a native of Mississippi, received his B.S. degree from Mississippi State College (now Miss. St. Univ.) and A.M. from UM. He left the state only to complete a doctorate in political science at the University of Texas, and for duty as an infantry lieutenant in Europe during World War I. He joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 1930 where he served until his retirement in 1962. He was the first chair of political science in 1943 and held that position for 15 years. Dr. Charles Nolan Fortenberry (1908-1998) one of 12 children, was raised in a small community in south Mississippi, pursued his educational degrees during the Depression and worked his way through college to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees from UM. He then went to the University of Illinois and completed his Ph.D. in 1937. He served in the US Air Force from 1942-1946, joined the UM faculty afterwards, becoming chair of political science at UM in 1958, a post which he held for a decade.
Recipients will be a full-time student in Political Science that demonstrates academic achievement in the field. Award was founded to help students interested in graduate or law school. Selection made by department scholarship committee in the spring. Amount is $1,000 (subject to available funds).
Interested students should contact the Political Science office.
Howard H. Stone Memorial Award for Freshman Achievement in Political Science
Howard Stone (1984-2004), a sophomore political science major from Martinsville, VA, was one of three students killed in an early morning fire at a fraternity house on the UM campus in August, 2004.
Recipients will be full-time sophomore in Political Science. Selection will be made by department scholarship committee on the basis of demonstrated classroom achievement during the freshman year. Selection is made in the spring. Amount is generally $500 (subject to available funds).
Interested students should contact the Political Science office.
Dorothy Irby Wilson Political Science Scholarship
Dorothy Irby Wilson (1924–1988) ‘faithfully served’ as senior secretary for the Department of Political Science at UM from 1963-1986. This scholarship is given in loving memory by her daughter Kathy Hynes (BS ’83), a fashion designer in Washington, D.C.
Recipients will be full-time freshman or sophomores that are Political Science majors with first preference given to students from Oxford, Mississippi. The merit-based award can be retained for up to eight semesters if they are first selected as a freshman (six semesters if selected as a sophomore) as long as they remain a Political Science major and a minimum GPA of 3.0. Selection will be made by department scholarship committee in the spring. Amount is generally $500 per semester (subject to available funds).
Interested students should contact the Political Science office.
Honorable Brad Dye Political Science Scholarship
A native of Charleston, MS, Brad Dye graduated from UM with a BBA.in 1957 and a law degree in 1959. He had a long and successful career in public service, including serving as State Treasurer (1971-1976) and was the 35th Lt. Governor of the State of Mississippi (1980-1992), the only person in the history of Mississippi to hold that office for twelve consecutive years.
Recipients will be full-time students majoring in Political Science with at least sophomore standing. Selection will be made by department scholarship committee on the basis of outstanding academic record and a strong interest in public service. This scholarship is used primarily to support students interning in Jackson during the legislative session. Selection is made in late Fall for spring internships. Amount is generally $2,000 (subject to available funds).
Interested students should contact the Political Science office.
Tim Ford Public Service Scholarship
Tim Ford (1951- 2015) grew up in Baldwyn, Mississippi. He received his B.A. degree (1973) and his law degree (1977) from UM. In 1980, the eighteenth district of MS elected the young lawyer to the MS House of Representatives, where he remained for the next twenty-four years. In 1988, his peers elected him Speaker of the House, a post he retained until his retirement from public service in 2004. The J.D. Williams Library at UM holds the Tim Ford Collection of correspondence while he served as Speaker of the House (1987-1996).
Recipients will be full-time students majoring in Political Science with at least sophomore standing. Selection will be made by department scholarship committee on the basis of outstanding academic record and a strong interest in public service. This scholarship is used primarily to support students interning in Jackson during the legislative session. Selection is made in late Fall for spring internships. Amount is generally $2,000 (subject to available funds).
Interested students should contact the Political Science office.
Other endowed funds supporting Political Science
James W. Garner Fund
James W. Garner (1871- 1938) a native of Pike County, Mississippi, worked his way through Miss. State College (now Miss. St. Univ.) in1892, and went on to receive his Ph.D. in 1902 (Columbia University). He taught at the Univ. of Illinois, Champaign for more than 30 years, creating the Political Science department there and was author of numerous books including the textbook ‘Introduction to Political Science.’ He was recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on international law, lectured in the world’s most famous universities and in 1910 was decorated by the French Order of the Legion of Honor. In 1939, upon the wishes of Dr. Garner, his widow gave his prized private library to UM.
The Garner Gifts fund is available to help address graduate education support in the department.
J. Holloway Developmental Fund
A Biloxi native, A. J. Holloway (1939-2018) graduated from UM in 1963 with a B.A. in education He excelled as both a student and athlete while enrolled at the University of Mississippi. He was elected mayor of Biloxi in 1993, serving until 2015. During his tenure as mayor, Holloway oversaw some of the most productive and turbulent times in the city’s history — including the advent and growth of the casino gaming industry and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Holloway fund is available to support departmental activities and can potentially support students. Use of this fund is overseen by the Chair of the Department.
John W. Winkle III Fund for Faculty Excellence
John W. Winkle III – a native of Georgia, upon receiving a history degree from Mercer University in 1969, took a job on Capitol Hill and ‘fell in love with politics and law’. He went on to receive his Ph.D. in political science from Duke University and joined the political science department at UM in 1974, retiring after a 39 year career. He was instrumental in the creation of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the honors program at UM, the Lott Leadership Institute, and the Mock Trial program on campus. His teaching style garnered numerous awards while at the university and when asked about his teaching he shared “I challenge my students to think critically. I tell my students that the answer to any question they ask should always prompt another question, for the essence of true learning, I believe, lies in the ability to ask the better question.”
From a former student ‘He didn’t want to be an inspiring teacher, he wanted to be a good teacher, and that is what made him inspiring.”
The Winkle fund is available to support the development of faculty excellence, and may also be used to support students occasionally, especially in ways related to Mock Trial. Use of this fund is overseen by the Chair of the Department.
