From ‘Receiver‘ to ‘Quarterback’

Truman Scholarship recipient now hands out awards
as head of prestigious foundation

by Edwin Smith

Law alumnus Frederich G. Slabach has gone from the first Mississippian to receive a Truman Scholarship to executive secretary of the Truman Scholarship Foundation.

You might say that Frederick G. Slabach (JD 82), the first Mississippian to receive the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, has come full circle.

Thirty years later after receiving his Truman Scholarship, Slabach is serving as the Truman Scholarship Foundation’s executive secretary.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, president of the foundation’s board of directors, announced Slabach’s appointment in December 2005. He formerly served as dean of the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.

“When she called to let me know the search committee would recommend me to the board, I was speechless,” Slabach said. “The Truman Scholarship changed my life when I received it, and I am delighted to be able to continue my involvement with the foundation in this new role.”

As executive secretary, Slabach is the chief executive officer of the foundation, and he said he has seen the Truman scholars develop into a real community.

“Imagine the opportunity to get to know people like ABC News journalist and former presidential adviser George Stephanopoulos, CNN legal affairs correspondent Jeffrey Toobin, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Margot Rogers of the Gates Foundation and Judge Neil Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit,” he said. “The scholars tell us that the network of 2,500 Truman Scholars around the country and around the world is as beneficial as the direct financial support.”

Prior to assuming his current duties, Slabach earned several awards for his service to the foundation and to the field of public interest law. In addition to a distinguished career as a scholar, teacher and administrator, Slabach’s resume includes an appointment as U.S. assistant secretary of agriculture by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and a stint as legislative counsel for former U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis.

Slabach fondly remembers his days as a student at Ole Miss.

“I met my Melany Neilson on the first day of law school orientation in August 1979. That was definitely the most memorable moment of my law school career,” he said. “I had to chase her for another five years, but she finally said ‘yes’ and married me on May 18, 1985.”

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1975 as the only federal memorial to the country’s 33rd President. The foundation annually awards 60-65 scholarships of up to $30,000 to college juniors who plan to attend graduate school in preparation for careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Candidates are nominated by their colleges or universities and are selected through a nationwide competition. Along with the Rhodes, the Truman Scholarship has become one of the most prestigious scholarships in higher education. In 2004, the University of Mississippi received the Truman Scholarship Honor Institution Award in recognition of exemplary success in the Truman Scholarship program.

Neilson has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Ole Miss and is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated author. Slabach and his wife have three children: twins Nicholas and Noel, 9, and Amelia, 3.

Among the many wonderful Ole Miss professors Slabach studied under, two stand out.

“The person who had the biggest impact was Professor [now Provost] Carolyn Ellis Staton. I took her for Wills and Trusts, and she hired me as one of her research assistants for her book on Mississippi evidence,” he said. “Being Carolyn’s research assistant was like being in a capstone course at the end of law school. She really taught me how to pull together all the information we had learned and the skills we had developed earlier and apply it. She really cared about us—in law school and afterwards. We could talk to her about anything and everything. She is a great example of what makes the Ole Miss law school such a special place for students.”

The young law student made an impression on his professor as well. Staton remembers Slabach as someone who was determined to help others.

“Fred has a genuine desire to help people reach their potential,” she said. “He did so as a law student, a law professor, a law dean and now in his new role as director of the Truman Foundation. His combination of intelligence, concern for others and willingness to serve has affected hundreds and hundreds of

individuals.”

Staton was not the only professor to make an impression on Slabach.

“I’ll also never forget the sight of Professor George Cochran leaning back against the chalkboard, shirttail out, hand gesturing to imaginary words on the blackboard, chewing rubber bands to help him quit smoking and shouting, ‘got a case?!’ at some poor soul melting into a pool of Jell-O before our eyes,” he said. “Maybe that’s why I decided to teach Con Law.”

Dean Samuel M. Davis said Slabach exemplifies both the success and diversity of experience that is typical of the law school’s alumni.

“Our law school not only prepares our graduates for the practice of law but also enjoys a time-honored tradition as a training ground for leaders,” he said. “I am extremely proud of Fred and his many accomplishments, especially for his leadership of the Truman Foundation.”

Edwin Smith is a communications specialist in the Office of Media and Public Relations.

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