Dialog, UA Faculty and Staff News

Crimson Spirit Award -- Shirley Jeffcoat
UA Historian Wins Truman Book Award

Crimson Spirit Award -- Shirley Jeffcoat

Shirley Jeffcoat

Shirley Jeffcoat, account clerk in business administration for facilities, works with custodial supervisors to purchase supplies for business administration. According to one of her nominators, Coress Brandon, associate director for facilities, the large volume of materials and chemicals demands that the orders are current. In addition, receiving all the deliveries puts a lot of demands on bookkeeping. "The supervisors and managers appreciate Jeffcoat's 'can-do' attitude," wrote Brandon. "She always approaches the staff with the idea of resolving issues and solving problems, not as an opportunity to assign blame."

DeLane Bailey, assistant director of facilities administration, noted Jeffcoat's positive attitude in learning three new budgets for the area. "We are proud of Shirley and feel she truly exhibits the 'Crimson Spirit' and brings out that spirit in everyone else."

The Crimson Spirit Award recognizes individual staff members who make extraordinary contributions and demonstrate teamwork and a winning spirit. To nominate an employee, who must be a current non-faculty employee, contact UA Human Resources at 348-6690 or Human Resources Development at 348-7125. Crimson Spirit Winners who wish to have their picture taken for Dialog and for office records may come to the photography department in G-5 Rose Administration Building on every third Thursday of the month, anytime between 2 and 4 p.m., to have photos made. No appointment is necessary. For information, contact Jennifer Sanford at 348-8332. Nomination forms are available on the Human Resources Web site at http://bama.ua.edu/~hr/.

UA Historian Wins Truman Book Award

Dr. Kari Frederickson

Dr. Kari Frederickson, assistant professor of history at the University, was named the 2002 Harry S. Truman Book Award winner for her work, The Dixiecrat Revolt and the End of the Solid South, 1932- 1968 (The University of North Carolina Press, 2001).

The Harry S. Truman Book Award of $1,000 recognizes the best book written in a two-year period that deals primarily and substantially with some aspect of the history of the United States between April 12, 1945 and Jan. 20, 1953, or with the public career of Harry S. Truman. The award is given biennially in even-numbered years by the Harry S. Truman Library Institute for National and International Affairs.

"We were impressed with this book on many fronts," said Dr. Jeffrey Gall, chair of the Harry S. Truman Book Award subcommittee and assistant professor of history and M.A.E. director for social science at Truman State University.

"Frederickson is an excellent writer who tells a compelling story. The heart of her book focuses squarely on the Truman era and the pivotal attempt of the Dixiecrats to use a third party campaign to throw the 1948 election into the House of Representatives and thus get a president with whom they would be more satisfied ... it is worth noting that one of our committee members remarked, 'of all the finalists, this is the book that will impact the way I teach period'," Gall said.

Frederickson received her doctorate from Rutgers University; she currently teaches courses on the modern South at UA.