Release Date: February 9, 2007

MONMOUTH, Ill. — Monmouth College political science professor Tobias Gibson presented a paper last month at a conference celebrating the 30th anniversary of Jimmy Carter’s inauguration as president.

“The Carter Presidency: Lessons for the 21st Century” was held Jan. 19-21 in Athens, Ga., and roundtable panels at the event featured many leading public figures, including Walter Mondale, Howard Baker and Madeleine Albright, as well as NBC’s Brian Williams and Chris Matthews.

Gibson’s paper, which was a sub-unit of his dissertation, was titled “The Office of Legal Counsel in the Carter Administration: Executive Orders During the Iran Hostage Crisis.”

“The basis of my dissertation is that the Office of Legal Counsel decides if executive orders can even be issued to begin with and decides upon their legality,” explained Gibson, who earned his Ph.D. in political science at Washington University in St. Louis.

In his dissertation and paper, Gibson posits that because the Office of Legal Counsel determines the legality of the proposed executive order, according to constitutional and legislative bounds, the president need not fear reprisal.

University of Georgia faculty member Susan Haire chaired the legal affairs panel that heard Gibson’s paper, and the discussant was Terrence Adamson, former special assistant to the attorney general and former chief spokesman for the Department of Justice.

Months earlier, Gibson had applied to be a presenter at the conference and was required to send in a proposal of his paper, which ultimately was well-received. He hopes it is chosen to appear in an upcoming book that will publish some of the top papers from the event.

Besides presenting, other highlights of the conference for Gibson included the opportunity to hear a “really amazing student panel” of 20-25 honor students from the University of Georgia. “They discussed things Carter had done pretty well, things he had dropped the ball on and lessons to apply to the 21st century,” he said. “They were very impressive in their analysis.”

There was also an up-close-and-personal moment for Gibson during a break between panels. A Secret Service agent asked him to back up to clear some room, and a moment later, Carter walked by. Spotting Gibson, Carter said, “I like your beard.”

Gibson said his trademark facial hair also led to a discussion with a different Secret Service agent, and the Monmouth professor learned that some of the martial arts he practices are also used by the president’s protectors.

For more information on the event, go to www.uga.edu/carterconference.

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