news ideas

Date: May 5, 2004

news ideas

Fire Shelby · Status: Offline

I second that.

And add that the loss not only affects students, but also the whole community.

Date: May 5, 2004

I "third" that (not to be confused with being on the "third side"). I will be glad to give a quote about how things "used to be" in the HC. I was a student there from 1985-1989, served as the TA for University Forum in 1989-90, and then worked as the Coordinator for General Honors from 1995-2000. I have a lot of experience with USM's Honors College that I'd love to share with the media. You can contact me via email at truth@FireThames.com

Date: May 5, 2004

Other items:

Impact on funding of student scholarships (interview the foundation to find out if some scholarships were not funded this year due to Thames)

Financial analysis of cost of firing Glamser and Stringer

Survey of departed and retired faculty from past two years regarding reasons for departures

Pending lawsuits

Date: May 5, 2004

Media people - please go after the law suit issue. The people involved, the costs involved, and who is paying the bill. Let's be honest with ourselves. Mississippi tends to be conservative and does not like big government. Shelby may bring in a lot of money to the university, but how much is going out because of his mistakes or the mistakes made by the people he has hired. Either way, he is responsible. "The buck stops here."

Why has more not been made of Shelby's extra-curricular relationship in the 80s? This is an angle that hasn't been explored.

How about finding former Polymer Science students and finding out how he was in the classroom, how he treated his students. It is my understanding that after a tirade at undergraduate students (including extreme profanity), he had a heart-attack. It is also my understanding that a former polymer science student had long hair and tatoos. Therefore Shelby would not allow his picture to be in the polymer science brochure. Simply because he did not look like a proper scientist. (This guy is bringing home over 100 grand a year by the way - working as a scientist in charge of a lab/production facility for a major international company)

Date: May 5, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Eagle in Cairo Egypt
"Media people - please go after the law suit issue. The people involved, the costs involved, and who is paying the bill. Let's be honest with ourselves. Mississippi tends to be conservative and does not like big government. Shelby may bring in a lot of money to the university, but how much is going out because of his mistakes or the mistakes made by the people he has hired. Either way, he is responsible. "The buck stops here." Why has more not been made of Shelby's extra-curricular relationship in the 80s? This is an angle that hasn't been explored. How about finding former Polymer Science students and finding out how he was in the classroom, how he treated his students. It is my understanding that after a tirade at undergraduate students (including extreme profanity), he had a heart-attack. It is also my understanding that a former polymer science student had long hair and tatoos. Therefore Shelby would not allow his picture to be in the polymer science brochure. Simply because he did not look like a proper scientist. (This guy is bringing home over 100 grand a year by the way - working as a scientist in charge of a lab/production facility for a major international company)"

I've posted this before (it's on the mostly-defunct message board at my website), but thought I'd re-post here:

Ms. Hewitt,

I received notice of your website from my daughter, a current master's candidate in chemistry at USM. I thought a personal, somewhat anecdotal note might be of interest to you. I received a B.S. in chemistry in 1969, graduating as a charter member of the honor's college with a summa cum laude GPA of 3.87. I went on to pursue the Ph.D. and was enrolled in Dr. Thames advanced organic chemistry class in 1970-71. You hadda been there. The chemistry and polysci schism was underway and Thames and others were heavily recruiting grad students for the new program. I had opted to work for Jack Bedenbaugh, a fine man and professional educator. Well, I cannot relive those tortuous days, but I know my ability was not reflected in my grade of "C", the only one I have ever made. Thames was an egocentric, vindictive individual then, and apparently he still is. I have a postdoc from Mississippi College as a Mississippi Heart Association Fellow, and, since then I have been at Alcorn State University, some twenty-eight years.

Beginning with my deceased mother (graduated 1941), I and my children are all alumni.

Best wishes with your crusade,

Robert E. Leard, III, B.S. '69, Ph.D. '73