[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15625]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  TRIBUTE TO DR. MARY E. STUCKEY, THE 1999 ELSIE M. HOOD OUTSTANDING 
                                TEACHER

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I pay tribute 
to The University of Mississippi's 1999 Outstanding Teacher of the 
Year, Dr. Mary E. Stuckey.
  Each year my alma mater The University of Mississippi, known as Ole 
Miss, recognizes excellence in the classroom with the Elsie M. Hood 
Outstanding Teacher Award during its Honors Day Convocation. 
Nominations for this honor are accepted from students, alumni, and 
faculty. A committee of former recipients then selects the faculty 
member who best demonstrates enthusiasm and engages students 
intellectually.
  Dr. Mary E. Stuckey is an Associate Professor of Political Science. 
An 11-year veteran of the Ole Miss Political Science Department, Dr. 
Stuckey's teaching interests include the Presidency and political 
communications as well as American Indian politics. Her research 
focuses on Presidential rhetoric, media coverage of the President, and 
institutional aspects of Presidential communication. Dr. Stuckey is 
also working on several projects regarding depictions of American 
Indians in the media and in national politics. In addition to these 
areas of interest, she also teaches in the McDonnell-Barksdale Honors 
College.
  Dr. Stuckey's research has earned her several prestigious grants. 
These include the President Gerald R. Ford Library, the C-SPAN in the 
Classroom Faculty Development, a National Endowment for the Humanities 
Fellowship, and the Canadian Studies Faculty Research. She has also 
published several studies such as ``The President as Interpreter-in-
Chief'' and ``Strategic Failures in the Modern Presidency.''
  A native of southern California, Dr. Stuckey earned a bachelor's 
degree in political science from the University of California at Davis. 
She then completed her graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame 
and joined the Ole Miss faculty in 1987.
  Now, Mr. President, let me tell you that Dr. Stuckey and I probably 
will not agree on much when it comes to political issues. But three 
members of my current staff, Steven Wall, Beth Miller, and Brian 
Wilson, tell me she is outstanding in the classroom. They all agree 
that she is an equal opportunity challenger, regardless of political 
views, when it comes to the study of politics. She requires her 
students to use logic rather than emotions when advocating any 
viewpoint. Dr. Stuckey does not penalize her students when they don't 
share her views; rather she rewards academic scholarship.
  The study of political science is essential to any society. And I 
believe it is even more incumbent on us, as Americans, to do so. Thomas 
Jefferson once said, ``Self-government is not possible unless the 
citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise 
oversight.'' He was right. Universities are an important institution to 
help instill in each generation an appreciation for the unique and 
honorable character required for our democratic republic. Americans 
want to learn from their past mistakes so they can strive to build a 
better society for their children and grandchildren. Dedicated and 
inspiring teachers, such as Dr. Mary E. Stuckey, this year's Elsie M. 
Hood Award recipient, are key to ensuring that our next generation of 
political leaders will have the necessary knowledge and character to 
make America strong.

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