User:Pacificus/Christina Jeffrey

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Christina Jeffrey
Occupation(s)Political Scientist, College Professor, Politician

Christina Jeffrey is an American politician, political scientist, and university professor from South Carolina. She has twice been a candidate for Congress, and previously served as the Historian of the United States House of Representatives.

Early life[edit]

Jeffrey was born in Fort Bliss, TX. Her father, a native of South Carolina and a Citadel graduate, was a career military officer. In 1981, he moved the family back to South Carolina. Christina was one of eight children.

Education[edit]

Jeffrey began her undergraduate college education at Vassar College, but then transferred to the University of Plano in Texas, where she received a Bachelors of Arts in History and Political Science in 1969. She then continued her education at the University of Alabama, where she earned a Masters in Political Science in 1974. She went on to complete her Ph.D. from there, in 1984.

While at the University of Alabama, she served as co-chairman of the student-run Emphasis Committee, and arranged for campus lectures from conservative speakers like Phyllis Schlafly and William F. Buckley. Jeffrey was also elected to state-level offices in the College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom, and was a member of the Intercollegiate Society of Individualists and the Eagle Forum.

Career[edit]

Jeffrey served on the Governor's Commission on the Year of the Child from 1978-80, and on the Alabama Women's Commission from 1987-91.

After teaching at Troy State University, she continued her academic career in the University of Georgia system, and in 1991, earned tenure as an Associate Professor of political science at Kennesaw State University. She then founded several nonprofit organizations, including Operation Integrity in Georgia and the Institute for the Study of Liberty at Coastal Carolina. The professor has served as a lecturer on Constitutional Law and Political Science at several institutions, including Wofford College, Capella University, Furman University, and Lander University.

Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives[edit]

Following the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress, new House Speaker Newt Gingrich named Professor Jeffrey to the position of Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives. However, a controversy arose over statements Dr. Jeffrey had written in 1986, when asked to review a program called "Facing History and Ourselves" for the U.S. Department of Education; the proposed program aimed to teach "values clarification" to middle school students. The professor's review of the grant proposal for this controversial program was officially confidential, but later leaked to the media. In response to a prompt asking for the program to be evaluated for "balance," Jeffrey had written a flip response[1] stating: "The program gives no evidence of balance or objectivity. The Nazi point of view, however unpopular, is still a point of view and is not presented, nor is that of the Ku Klux Klan." Democratic leaders such as Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, and Chuck Schumer expressed outrage at the statement, as did groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Professor Jeffrey stated that the allegations against her were "slanderous and outrageous," and that her remarks had been mischaracterized. Nonetheless, Gingrich dismissed the Congressional Historian just days after she took up the post.

However, Professor Jeffrey's statement had been quoted out of context; she had replied to the grant review prompt by asserting that there is no realistic way to achieve "balance" when dealing with these topics.[2] Dr. Jeffrey had actually been the only one of the 15 volunteers on the review panel to give the program proposal a "passing" grade. The director of "Facing History and Ourselves" also told Jeffrey that her critiques had been useful in improving the program.

Upon meeting with Dr. Jeffrey several months after her dismissal and reviewing the entire case, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, wrote to Jeffrey that the ADL was "satisfied that any characterization of you as anti-Semitic or sympathetic to Nazism is entirely unfounded and unfair."[3]

The ADL had earlier commended the Speaker for his prompt dismissal of Jeffrey, but now changed their position, with Foxman stating that they had no objection if she were to be reinstated. This case has drawn comparisons to the more-recent Shirley Sherrod dismissal.[4]

Speaker Gingrich later issued an apology to Jeffrey for the situation,[5][6] but did not restore her to the position. Gingrich had known about Jeffrey's 1986 grant review commentary before he appointed her, but his refusal to defend his appointment has been viewed as an attempt to preserve his political capital.[2][7][1] The Department of Education had issued an apology to the professor as well, after the controversy over her leaked statement had first arisen. And on September 30, 1996, U.S. Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) issued a "Tribute to Christina Jeffrey"[8] by putting into the Congressional Record documentation to clear up the misunderstanding and restore her reputation.[9]

Despite having been exonerated multiple times, the controversy continued to interfere with Dr. Jeffrey's career and political endeavors.[10]

Politics[edit]

After returning from her brief time in Washington, D.C., Jeffrey continued her academic and political work in Kennesaw, Georgia. In the 1999 special election for U.S. House of Representatives in Georgia's 6th congressional district (the seat had become vacant following Speaker Gingrich's resignation), Jeffrey finished second among seven candidates, with victory going to Johnny Isakson.

Jeffrey would later return to South Carolina, and serve on commissions related to elections, children and women’s issues, as well as Governor Mark Sanford's Education Task Force. She was elected in 2004 as a Delegate to the Republican National Convention.[11] For the 2006 state primary, she served as campaign manager for Dr. Henry Jordan's race for Lieutenant Governor, and then co-coordinated Karen Floyd's campaign for Superintendent of Education during that year's general election.

In 2008, Jeffrey sought the Republican nomination for South Carolina House of Representatives in the 32nd District. She lost that primary by 123 votes, to Derham Cole, Jr. (son of former State Representative Derham Cole).

Jeffrey then ran for Congress in 2010, challenging Republican incumbent Bob Inglis in the 4th U.S. House District. In the five-candidate GOP primary, Jeffrey finished last.[12]

From 2003 to 2009, Jeffrey served as GOP precinct executive, and as Secretary of the Spartanburg County Republican Party.

Jeffrey is a member of the National Association of Scholars, and currently president of the South Carolina chapter of that organization. She has previously served as chapter president for the American Society for Public Administration. She also serves as the secretary of the National Association for Gun Rights, and has been involved with the local Tea Party movement.

Family[edit]

Jeffrey has five children and eight grandchildren. Her husband is also a professor in the field of political science.

Selected Publications[edit]

  • Explaining Adoption of Foreign-Trade Zones among Sunbelt Cities (Statistical) (dissertation: University of Alabama, 1984).
  • Saving the Economy by Reforming the Safety Net (Monograph/book-length manuscript in progress).
  • Interviews with Prominent Cobb County Political Figures (Tom Scott and Christina Jeffrey; 5 volume series produced by the Oral History Project of the Southern Center for History and Culture, 1998–2002).
  • Torturing History (The Long Term View, Journal of the Massachusetts School of Law. Vol. 4, No. 3, Spring 1999).
  • The 1988 State Conventions (The Georgia Historian, Spring 1999).
  • Rethinking Affirmative Action (Public Productivity and Management Review, Vol. 20, No. 3, March 1997.).
  • Shutting Citizens Up: Thoughts on the Mother's Milk of Politics (Georgia Public Administrator, Vol. 15, No. 2, November 1994.).
  • Controlling Health Care Costs (Georgia Public Administrator, May 1993).
  • Restoring the Balance: Finding a Way Out of the Social Security Crisis (Family in America, February 1992, Vol. 6, No. 2. (Entire Issue)).
  • Family Policy and Social Security (Georgia Public Administrator, November 1991).
  • Getting Atlanta Ready for the Olympics (Georgia Public Administrator, April 1991).
  • Privatizing Housing (Georgia Public Administrator, March 1990).

See also[edit]


References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Steely, Mel (2000). The Gentleman from Georgia: The Biography of Newt Gingrich. Mercer University Press. p. 284. ISBN 0865546711.
  2. ^ a b Simmons, Tracy Lee (May 15, 1995). "Trial by firestorm: the case of Christina Jeffrey teaches a lesson in journalistic ethics - and political loyalty". National Review. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  3. ^ Abraham H. Foxman, National Director (August 22, 1995). "letter to Christina Jeffrey" (Document). Anti-Defamation League. {{cite document}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Clinton Calendar. August 12, 2010.
  5. ^ "Gingrich job-hunts for fired historian." Eugene Register-Guard. November 6, 1995. Accessed Jan. 26, 2012.
  6. ^ "National briefs - Historian seeks apology." Houston Chronicle. October 26, 1995. Section A, Page 4, 3 STAR Edition. Accessed Jan. 26, 2012.
  7. ^ Corley, Matt. "Christina Jeffrey’s Son Writes Letter To The Editor Criticizing Newt." January 29, 2012.
  8. ^ https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRI-1996/html/CRI-1996.htm
  9. ^ "Tribute to Christina Jeffrey." 104th Congress. Congressional Record. Senate - September 30, 1996.
  10. ^ Spencer, Jason. "House Candidate Ready to Defend Record." Spartanburg Herald-Journal. February 6, 2008. Accessed Jan. 26, 2012.
  11. ^ http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/105010/christina-jeffrey
  12. ^ Our Campaigns - SC District 4 - R Primary Race - Jun 08, 2010.

External links[edit]

Category:Living people Category:College Republicans Category:South Carolina Republicans Category:Women in South Carolina politics Category:Employees of the United States House of Representatives Category:University of Alabama alumni Category:University of Georgia faculty Category:Furman University faculty Category:Wofford College faculty Category:American political scientists

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