Thesis (M.A.)--Oregon State University, 1978. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

The objective of this study is to revisit the American presidential election of 1972 via the interpretive lens of Richard Nixon�s loyal inner circle. It argues that the Watergate scandal that forced Nixon to resign the presidency two years later has minimized the meaning of that watershed event. The massive landslide victory by the Nixon administration at the polls has been lost in the details of the break-in at the Watergate complex. The result is that the connection between Nixon, his loyal White House aides, and the millions of faithful supporters is minimized and even forgotten in the scholarship on the 37^th president. Nixon is too often seen as an isolated and disconnected leader, and consequently, the second greatest margin of victory in American presidential history has been largely neglected as a significant event in the literature. Supported and informed by archival documents, staff memoirs, newspaper accounts, and secondary sources, this study revisits the election through the eyes and actions of the president's men, concluding that his team developed a specific strategy to attract traditional Democratic voters, independents and disaffected voters, forging a post-1960s consensus. This outcome was aided by a strategy to portray Democratic opponent George McGovern as an extremist unpalatable to the American heartland. Nixon�s image as a lonely and isolated figure inside the Oval Office has been misunderstood as it was also part of a specific strategy hatched by his inner circle after the midterm elections of 1970 to have the politician act "presidential" and remain in the White House, above the nasty fight for votes on the campaign trail. Nixon and his loyal aides used these strategies to reach the 'silent majority' of Americans, and thereby secured an overwhelming victory.

The objective of this study is to revisit the American presidential election of 1972 via the interpretive lens of Richard Nixon�s loyal inner circle. It argues that the Watergate scandal that forced Nixon to resign the presidency two years later has minimized the meaning of that watershed event. The massive landslide victory by the Nixon administration at the polls has been lost in the details of the break-in at the Watergate complex. The result is that the connection between Nixon, his loyal White House aides, and the millions of faithful supporters is minimized and even forgotten in the scholarship on the 37^th president. Nixon is too often seen as an isolated and disconnected leader, and consequently, the second greatest margin of victory in American presidential history has been largely neglected as a significant event in the literature. Supported and informed by archival documents, staff memoirs, newspaper accounts, and secondary sources, this study revisits the election through the eyes and actions of the president's men, concluding that his team developed a specific strategy to attract traditional Democratic voters, independents and disaffected voters, forging a post-1960s consensus. This outcome was aided by a strategy to portray Democratic opponent George McGovern as an extremist unpalatable to the American heartland. Nixon�s image as a lonely and isolated figure inside the Oval Office has been misunderstood as it was also part of a specific strategy hatched by his inner circle after the midterm elections of 1970 to have the politician act "presidential" and remain in the White House, above the nasty fight for votes on the campaign trail. Nixon and his loyal aides used these strategies to reach the 'silent majority' of Americans, and thereby secured an overwhelming victory.

The landmark case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, ended segregation in public schools-changing the educational system in the United States forever. With the educational system constantly changing and incorporating new laws such as No Child Left Behind, African-American students struggle to achieve excellence. Many question if our educational system is truly failing our African- American students--contradicting the No Child Left Behind Act as many African- American students are left behind with no way of catching up. The Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) report produced by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) indicated that African-American students scored lower than other ethnicities on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the American College Test (ACT). The lack of achievement by African-American students could possibly change if they were treated equally and if quality educational opportunities were present through instruction. The school system is key in building, as well as lowering the self-image of students. According to Kuykendall (1989), approximately 80% of African-American students have a positive image of oneself when they enter school, 20% still have this image by the time they reach fifth grade, but only 5% have a positive perception of themselves by their senior year in high school. The qualitative case study method was exercised in this study because it allowed the researcher to build a holistic picture of the phenomenon being studied. The participants in this study were four African-American students that have continuously excelled throughout their academic years. The primary instrument for this study was the human form. Emergent themes surfaced throughout the study. The themes included (I) Fear of being perceived as acting white, (II) More African-American educators are needed to act as role models, (III) Teachers' attitudes affect achievement, and (IV) Parental involvement is key. This research provides framework that is essential for African-American students, parents, and educators. It serves as a survival guide to ensure that all African- American children have the opportunity to be successful.

Thesis (MFA)--University of Montana, 2009. / Contents viewed on November 30, 2009. Title from author supplied metadata. Includes bibliographical references.

Issued also as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / Bibliography: p. 266-268.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 287-321). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2009. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. Thesis advisor: Sarah K. Rich.

Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 25). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-100).