HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARS

The most prestigious national award that undergraduate political science students can receive is the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a $30,000 scholarship awarded by the Foundation established by Congress to honor one of the greatest Presidents in our nation's history. Mississippi State University is one of the top fifteen universities in the nation in winning these Truman Scholarships, having won 16. Political science majors account for approximately two-thirds of these awards. Some of our Truman alumni, pictured above, returned to MSU when the Truman Foundation honored us as an Honor Institution. Political scientists in the picture are: (front row, left to right) Brad Sweet, Randall Dong, Shannon Nunnelee, Scott Ross; (back row) Jim Young, Spence Flatgard, and three Scholars from other departments. Our department's Truman Scholars and the year that they won these scholarships follow:

Our most recent Truman Scholar is Aaron Rice, pictured above. Rice, who recently served in the U.S. Marine Corps, suffered the loss of the lower part of his leg when his Humvee hit a land mine. Now active with the use of prosthesis, Rice says the experience "forced me to grow up." He continued: "My military service, my resulting injuries, and the fact that I'm married have given me a more mature outlook." He said that the Truman application process and interview preparation process are rigorous and "you have to be willing to make the commitment." A member of MSU's Shackouls Honors College, Rice has served as Student Association attorney general, and was also among only 30 students selected for the inaugural class of the campus-based Appalachian Leadership Honors Program, which was established by former MSU President, Doc Foglesong.

Our 2nd most recent Truman Scholar is Jennifer Phillips, pictured above. A member of the University Honors Program, the Mississippi Model Security Council, and the Starkville Election Commission, Jennifer participated in a conference of the Institute for International Mediation and Conflict Resolution in The Hague, Netherlands. A leader of MSU's Air Force ROTC program, she was commissioned into the Air Force as a second lieutenant.

Another recent Truman Scholar is Brad Sweet, pictured above with his parents. Active in the MSU Student Association, Brad successfully worked to ensure that all students were fairly represented by the SA, including those who are not members of powerful groups. In his junior year, Brad was not only selected as a Truman Scholar but was also elected President of the Student Association. As President, Brad was successful in extending the hours of the library until 2 AM, in order to better serve the needs of students. He has served as a staff assistant on the Senate Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation, and Federal Services, and studied in graduate school at Georgetown University in the National Security Studies Program.

Jonathan Amacker is another of our Truman Scholars. The executive director of the Truman Foundation told our department's Truman Advisor that Jonathan had really impressed the Selection Committee with his honesty and tremendous potential for growth. Mr. Amacker has served as staff assistant to Congressman Bill Emerson of Missouri, as Special Assistant for Communications and as Deputy Speechwriter for Virginia Governor George Allen, and as Assistant Director of Communications for Virginia Attorney General Mark L. Earley. He is a graduate of the MBA program at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Yet another of our Truman Scholars is Amanda Stamps, pictured above. The daugher of two public school teachers, this Mississippian so impressed the Truman Selection Committee that they awarded her the scholarship after only a 13 minute interview. A straight-A student, Amanda was honored as the 100,000th graduate of MSU. A graduate of the University of Virginia law school, she won the Lile Moot Court Competition. Amanda then became an Associate in the Dallas office of Strasburger & Price, L.L.P. law firm.

Our other Truman Scholars have also become actively involved in public affairs. All participate in a Leadership Week held at the Truman Library, sponsored by the Truman Foundation, where they meet prominent leaders and are recruited by top schools across the nation. In the above picture, Amanda Stamps (extreme right) meets with former President Jimmy Carter.

MSU has been designated as an Honor Institution by the Truman Foundation.

To learn more about the Truman Scholarship, and how you can compete for it, click here.

The Truman program at MSU is administered by the University Honors Program. Students interested in competing for the Truman Scholarship should talk with Dr. Nancy McCarley, Director of Distinguished External Scholarships at MSU. They should also work with political science professors who have experience with the Truman program, such as Professors Shaffer and Travis, among others.

For a partial list of our university's Truman Scholars and Finalists, nearly all of whom are political science students, click here.