Biography
 |
James Simmons Professor, Political Science Department
Phone: (920) 424-7165 Office: Sage Hall 4632 |
Personal
A native Hoosier, I was born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Most of my extended family worked in that industrial city’s factories or railroads and I was just the second of my many cousins to go to college. My undergraduate tuition was paid for by my work for corporations like GE, Tokheim and National Serve All and I completed my graduate studies with the help of the GI Bill. Over the years I’ve worked as a property title examiner, cartoonist, sports reporter, magazine editor, and JAGC legal assistance officer in the U.S. army during the Viet Nam era. I’ve also managed political campaigns and run for public office. Additionally, I have served as a community organizer, project consultant, and local service contract provider. My free time is usually spent reading books and playing chess, bridge, and GO with my computer.
Education
My early education through high school was provided for by the Ft. Wayne Catholic schools. I began college at Indiana Purdue Ft. Wayne, the regional comprehensive university in my hometown, but I earned my BA, MA and PhD from Indiana University Bloomington. Unlike many of my colleagues, I was never certain just what I should major in or what career I would ultimately pursue—politics, law, teaching, or chess. Despite my eclectic interests, I’ve settled into the position of Political Science professor. Even in this career I have moved around a great deal having taught at six other universities before joining the faculty at UW Oshkosh in 1989 (after directing the Masters of Public Administration Program at Iowa State University for two years).
