Scholarships and Giving
On this page
- Dr. Robert H. Swansbrough Endowed Scholarship in Political Science
- Chief Justice Muecke Barker Emerging Leaders Scholarship
- Contributing to PSPS
Swansbrough Scholarship
In Memoriam
The Dr. Robert H. Swansbrough Endowed Scholarship in Political Science is named in honor of a longtime professor of political science and administrator at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dr. Swansbrough joined the UTC faculty in 1971, serving as the head of the Department of Political Science at UTC from 1981-1991 and as the Associate Dean of The College of Arts and Sciences from 1992 until his death in 2011. Dr. Swansbrough received the Ph.D. (Political Science) from the University of California at Santa Barbara, 1972; the M.A. (Political Science) from UCSB, 1967; and the B.A. (History) from California State University at Long Beach, 1961. In 1993, he completed the Harvard University Management Development Program, Graduate School of Education.
His research focused on electoral politics in Tennessee and in the South, American foreign policy, party realignment and realignment in Tennessee, and political psychology as applied to Presidential decision making. Dr. Swansbrough’s book Test by Fire: The War Presidency of George W. Bush was published in 2008 (Palgrave Macmillan). He taught courses on American Government, World Politics, International Relations, The Presidency, American Foreign Policy, Political Leadership, Presidential Personality, and Congress. Dr. Swansbrough was selected as a 2009-2010 Fulbright Scholar to China where he taught an undergraduate course in American Government and a graduate seminar on US Foreign Policy at Sichuan University, a campus with 60,000 students in Chengdu, a city of 12 million in southwest China. He was asked to visit numerous university campuses in China to present Fulbright guest lectures. Additionally, Dr. Swansbrough was asked to be a scholarly participant in a conference organized by the Center for American Studies in Guangzhou entitled “China-US Relations under the Obama Administration: Theory & Policy.”
Beginning in 2006, Dr. Swansbrough was appointed to head a UTC faculty committee to determine the feasibility and academic requirements of re-establishing ROTC and creating a Department of Military Science on campus. ROTC was initially established in 1950. It was selected for closure in 1994 due to national budgetary cuts. By 1997, the ROTC program had been shut down. In 2007, the ROTC unit was activated once again. For his tireless efforts in establishing the UTC Department of Military Science, Dr. Swansbrough was presented the General William E. DePuy Award by the U.S. Army Cadet Command (USACC) at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. The DePuy Award is considered the most prestigious award bestowed by Cadet Command, the parent organization of the Army ROTC program. Dr. Swansbrough was selected from 11 other nominees from around the country. Dr. Swansbrough himself served in the military as a Division Officer, US Navy from 1961 to 1965. He served as a commissioned line officer with management responsibilities on the U.S.S. Brain and U.S.N.S. Sultan. He attended naval Justice School and served as Legal Officer on both vessels.
Dr. Robert Swansbrough was also known for his engagement in applied politics throughout the region. He was often asked to offer his views as a political analyst for Tennessee television stations and print publications. In 1974, Dr. Swansbrough served as 3rd District campaign coordinator for Congresswoman Marilyn Lloyd and then as her administrative assistant from 1975-77. He was a delegate to the 1972 Hamilton County and 3rd District Democratic conventions. He had also served as president of the Hamilton County Young Democrats and worked in local campaigns. Before coming to the Chattanooga area, he worked in the Washington offices of Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris and California Senator John Tunney. He previously served as Legislative Assistant to California State Senator Alvin C. Weingand in Santa Barbara.
About the Scholarship
We honor the memory of Dr. Robert H. Swansbrough each year through the awarding of this scholarship to an undergraduate student who demonstrates commitment to scholarship and community. The Political Science Scholarship Committee will select recipients of this scholarship no later than April 1 of each year. Applicants must be currently enrolled at or admitted to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and demonstrate successful academic performance. The scholarship will be awarded to students in the junior and senior classes who need scholarship assistance to complete their degree. A student holding the Swansbrough Scholarship in one year shall have preference in subsequent years. Financial need (in the broadest sense) may be considered.
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying, please send a copy of your resume, a writing sample, and the names of the political science faculty who know you best to the PSPS Scholarship Committee at [email protected] by March 20. Contact Prof. Horne with any questions.
Chief Justice Muecke Barker Emerging Leaders Scholarship
In Memoriam
The scholarship was established in honor of the Honorable William Muecke Barker (1941-2023), former Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, by his family, friends, and colleagues. Justice Barker graduated from the University of Chattanooga (now UTC) in 1964, served in the U.S. Army for two years, practiced private law 1969-1983, and served as judge in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial District of Tennessee and Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals before being appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1998. Justice Barker served in leadership positions with the Chattanooga Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors of the Chattanooga Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Foundation, Chattanooga Bar Foundation, American Law Institute, Conference of Chief Justices, Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society, the UTC Advisory Board, and the UT System President’s Council. He taught as an adjunct faculty member of the UTC Department of Political Science from 1984 to 2002 and was named Outstanding Adjunct Professor by the SGA in 2000. Justice Barker was awarded Appellate Judge of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, UTC Distinguished Alumnus, University of Cincinnati College of Law Distinguished Alumnus, and the Chattanooga Bar Association’s Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award.
About the Scholarship
The Chief Justice Muecke Barker Emerging Leader Scholarship is awarded to freshman UTC PSPS majors and minors in the amount of $500 per fall and spring semester; freshman awardees may reapply to have the scholarship renewed for their sophomore year. Chief Justice Muecke Barker Emerging Leaders are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75, to make timely progress toward their PSPS majors or minors, to maintain full-time enrollment during fall and spring semesters, and to participate in occasional PSPS departmental events.
How to Apply
Application instructions are available here. Applications are due April 15 for PSPS majors and minors beginning at UTC the following fall semester.
Contributing to PSPS
Contribute to PSPS here. There, you may contribute to the Swansbrough and Barker scholarships or the PSPS and MPA gift funds, which are used to expand educational opportunities for PSPS and MPA students and to provide assistance and recognition to deserving students.