History
ISU and the Political Science Department: A Brief History
Idaho State University was originally chartered on March 11, 1901 under the signature of Governor Frank W. Hunt as the Academy of Idaho. The Academy was divided into two schools: the Technical School and the College Preparatory School. In 1915 its name changed to Idaho Technical College until 1927 when it was renamed The University of Idaho Southern Branch. It was to be renamed Borah Sate College in 1937 for Idaho’s United States Senator, William E. Borah. This proposal, an attempt to free the school from the charges of state sectionalism, died in the State Legislature.
Two years after the end of World War II the State Legislature voted to upgrade the Southern Branch from a two-year junior college to a full four-year Baccalaureate granting institution. Its name changed to Idaho State College (ISC). Although Political Science had been part of the school’s offerings from the turn of the century when Jesse E. Retherford (A.B. Indiana University) taught the subject at the Academy, it was not until 1947 that a B.A. was granted specifically in Political Science within the Division of Social Science. In 1959 the degree’s name was changed to that of a B.A. in Government.
The College of Arts and Sciences was originally the Division of Letters and Science of the new University of Idaho Southern Branch (1927). It became the College of Liberal Arts in 1947 and the College of Arts and Sciences in 1963 when Idaho State gained university status and became Idaho State University (ISU).
Under direction of Hobert P. Sturm, Idaho State College established an Institute of Government in March 1949. Designed “for citizens of Idaho and their public officials as a clearing house for public discussion of current problems of government,” it ran for almost twenty years bringing local and national civil servants, elected officials, and academics to the Idaho State campus.
In 1962 a separate Department of Government was formed, with Columbia graduate Dr. Joseph A. Hearst named as its first Chair. He was followed by Dr. Eugene O. Dial and Dr. R. John Eyre (1967-1977). It was during Eyre’s chairmanship that the department established its Masters (1969), Doctorate of Arts (1970), and Masters of Public Administration (1974) graduate degree programs.
Dr. Victor (“Butch”) Hjelm was the Department of Political Science’s fourth chair, leading the department from 1977-1980 and 1981-1984. He then became Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1984 and served until his retirement in 2001. Dr. Richard (“Rick”) H. Foster, who served as Chair from 1980-1981 and from 1984-2005, has had the longest tenure as department chair.
Since 1970s the Department has been home to the student-run International Affairs Council and the annual Frank Church Symposium on International Affairs, with Dr. Foster as its major advisor as well as program director for the International Studies program. The Frank Church Symposium, named after the late Idaho Senator Frank Church, brings foreign and American diplomats, academics, and political leaders to Idaho State University every year to discuss topics in world politics.
It was in 1985 that Dr. Richard L. Bowen became the President of ISU, following Dr. Myron L. Coulter (1976-1985) and Dr. William E. Davis (1965-1975). President Bowen would have the longest tenure of any ISU President (1985-2005) and under his leadership the university grew significantly to its present size and status as a major regional teaching and research university with a 13,000 student enrollment including 2,000 graduate students. Dr. Michael Gallagher, former Academic Vice President for ISU in the 1990s, served as Interim President from 2005-06. In July of 2006 Dr. Arthur Vailas, formerly of the University of Houston where he served as vice chancellor and vice president for research, became ISU’s current president.
The Department of Political Science moved to the top floor of the north wing of Graveley Hall in August of 2003. It currently is the fourth largest undergraduate and second largest graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences. We now have nine full-time faculty, seven adjunct faculty, over 170 undergraduate majors, and over 65 graduate students. We continue to offer the BA, BS, MA, MPA, and DA degrees. Our student organizations include the Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society, the Law Club, and the ACLU Club. Our department and our programs are actively involved with the International Studies, American Studies, Women’s Studies, and Secondary Education programs. Every semester over 1200 students are enrolled in political science courses at ISU.
As we move into the 21st century, ISU and the Department of Political Science continue to be dedicated to our missions. ISU is a broad-based regional public doctoral university committed to providing accessible, high quality education and a full range of academic programs in the liberal arts and professional fields. ISU and the Department of Political Science remain dedicated to excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching, to sustained, significant research and scholarship, and to professional and public service.
This ISU and departmental history was donated to the Department of Political Science by Pi Sigma Alpha President, Char Miller (19888-89), and updated by current Department Chair Dr. Wayne Gabardi (2006).
