FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Fulbright College Interim Dean Donald Bobbitt has named Todd Shields, associate professor and chair of the political science department, as director of the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society. The Center, established in 2000, is dedicated to fostering political scholarship, public service, and the study of Southern politics, history and culture.

Shields came to the U of A in 1994 after earning his doctorate at the University of Kentucky. The author of over 35 publications, he co-authored the book Money Matters: Campaign Finance Reform in Congressional Elections and is in the process of completing another book examining the tendency of contemporary citizens, and Southern voters in particular, to choose divided government. In spring 2000, Dr. Shields proposed creating the Center in honor of Blair’s 30 years as professor of political science at the University and her myriad contributions to research, teaching, and public service. The Center was funded through a special Congressional appropriation in 2001.

Blair was widely known for her commitment to public service and citizen participation in government. She often said that "interest groups now perform many of the functions political parties once did, at a great cost to democracy" and insisted that "government is very much worth our attention, participation and understanding." Blair died June 26, 2000, at her home in Fayetteville.

"Dr. Shields has done an admirable job this past year as interim director, putting together a conference that was enthusiastically received by scholars and the public. I have no doubt he will be able to bring the center to greater prominence through outreach and research programs," said Interim Dean Bobbitt.

Shields organized "Vantage Points," the inaugural Blair conference held in spring 2002, which brought renowned scholars, journalists, and writers from across the U.S. to discuss the Clinton presidency. Proceedings from the conference are being edited into a volume to be published soon. The Center also offers graduate fellowships for students studying Southern literature and history.

"I want the Center to be modeled on Diane’s love of teaching and her zeal for examining Southern politics as well as the role of women and minorities in government," Shields said. "She brought her many years of experience with campaigns and government service into the classroom, enlivening the discussions and instilling in countless students an excitement about politics and the workings of government."

As Director, Dr. Shields will organize the annual Blair Conference on Southern Politics and Society, as well as administer the various graduate fellowships funded by the program. One of his priorities will also be to work with the Fulbright College Development Office to raise over $5 million in additional private support to enhance the Center’s valuable "Arkansas Poll" and the Arkansas Center for Oral and Visual History.

Three times, students named Blair "Outstanding Faculty Member," and she was the first recipient of the Master Teacher Award in Fulbright College. She was nominated twice by President Bill Clinton, and confirmed by the United States Senate, to the board of the U.S. Corporation for Public Broadcasting. She was appointed by Governor Dale Bumpers in 1971 as Chair of the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women, by Governor David Pryor in 1976 to chair a commission on Public Employee Rights, and by Governor Bill Clinton in 1980 as commissioner of the Arkansas Educational Television Network.

She wrote two books and dozens of articles and book chapters. The Southern Political Science Association now has an annual award given in her name to a political science professor successfully combining research and involvement in politics. In 1992, she served as senior researcher with the Clinton presidential campaign, and in 1996, as senior advisor to the Clinton-Gore reelection campaign. In the spring of 1993, she was a Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution. On May 13, 2000, the University awarded Blair an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

"Diane was truly one of the great treasures of our time, an inspiration to all who knew her," said former Senator David Pryor. "I feel confident that Todd Shields will help the Center become a vital source for astute political insights and creative scholarship, much as Diane was throughout her life."