Last updated on: 12/30/2010 | Author: ProCon.org

Forrest McDonald, PhD Biography

Title:
Former Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Alabama
Position:
Con to the question "Was Bill Clinton a Good President?"
Reasoning:

“[Bill Clinton] was not a strong president; he was a popular one. Ask yourself, what did he get done? Was there any major legislation he was responsible for? Welfare reform came from the Republican Congress. Health care was a disaster. He simply didn’t get much done. He was a comedy of errors. Everyone approves of what he’s doing, but when you ask the question, no one can say anything he did.”

“Soundbite: 18th Century Man,” by Michael W. Lynch, Reason, Apr. 2001
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
Experts
Individuals with PhDs, JDs, or equivalent advanced degrees in fields relevant to US presidential history. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to US presidential history.
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of History, University of Alabama
  • Former Professor, Brown University
  • Former Professor, Wayne State University
  • Recipient, Heritage Foundation, Salvatori Award for Academic Excellence, 1992
  • Recipient, Ingersoll Prize, Richard M. Weaver Award for Scholarly Letters, 1990
  • Recipient, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honorary Degree, SUNY-Geneseo, 1989
  • 16th Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities, National Endowment for the Humanities, 1987
  • Board of Foreign Scholarships (Presidential Appointment), 1985-1987
  • Recipient, Benchmark Book Award, 1986

  • Earhart Fellowships, 1969, 1976, 1984
  • Recipient, Outstanding Scholar Award, University of Alabama, 1980
  • Relm Foundation Fellowship, 1965
  • Volker Fund Fellowship, 1962-1963
  • Guggenheim Fellow, 1962-63
  • Social Science Research Council, Research Training Fellow, 1951-53

    • Education:
  • PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 1955
  • BA, University of Texas at Austin
    • Other:
  • Died Jan. 19, 2016
    • Quoted in:
    Pro & Con Quotes: Was Bill Clinton a Good President?