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College Republicans

College Republicans

Overview
The College Republicans is a national organization for college
College
College is a term most often used today to denote degree awarding tertiary educational institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of colleagues, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals...

 and university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 students who support the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...

 of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The organization is known as an active recruiting tool for the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...

 and has produced many prominent Republican and conservative activists and introduced more party members to the Republican party than any other organization in the nation.

The organizational structure
Organizational structure
An organizational structure is a mainly hierarchical concept of subordination of entities that collaborate and contribute to serve one common aim....

 of the College Republicans has changed significantly since its founding in 1892.
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Encyclopedia
The College Republicans is a national organization for college
College
College is a term most often used today to denote degree awarding tertiary educational institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of colleagues, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals...

 and university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 students who support the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...

 of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The organization is known as an active recruiting tool for the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...

 and has produced many prominent Republican and conservative activists and introduced more party members to the Republican party than any other organization in the nation.

The organizational structure
Organizational structure
An organizational structure is a mainly hierarchical concept of subordination of entities that collaborate and contribute to serve one common aim....

 of the College Republicans has changed significantly since its founding in 1892. Originally founded as an auxiliary of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and...

 and later the Young Republican National Federation, the College Republicans now operate as an independent 527 group
527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after a section of the United States tax code, . A 527 group is created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office...

.

College Republican National Committee


The College Republican National Committee (CRNC), is the national steering organization and oversight body for all 50 state federations, 1,800 campus chapters, and 250,000 College Republicans in the country. The CRNC National Chairman and his or her national leadership team, including an executive director
Executive director
An executive director is the senior manager of an organization, company, or corporation. The position is comparable to a chief executive officer or managing director...

, political director, finance director, national field director, national treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization.-Government:The Treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The Treasurer is generally the head of the Treasury, although, in some countries A treasurer is the...

, national secretary
Company secretary
A company secretary is a senior position in a private company or public organisation, normally in the form of a managerial position or above. In the United States it is known as a corporate secretary....

, and 4 regional vice-presidents
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...

, are elected at the bi-annual College Republican Convention and are assisted by a full-time office staff.

State federations


There are 51 College Republican state federations, each administering the College Republican activities at the state level
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...

. The state federation leadership team, which includes a state chairperson
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest office of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...

 and other officers, serve as the primary link between local university chapters and the national College Republican National Committee. The state chairman serves as the representative for College Republicans when dealing with the state Republican Party, local media
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...

, and governmental entities
Political divisions of the United States
The political units and divisions of the United States include:*The 50 states , which are typically divided into counties and sometimes townships, and further divided into incorporated cities, towns, villages, and other types of municipalities, and other autonomous or subordinate public authorities...

. State federations are responsible for organizing and assisting local chapters with securing proper credentials, recruitment efforts, and campus voter canvasses
Canvassing
Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters...

. It is a state federation's responsibility to organize and implement activities for state-wide campaigns. Like the national organization, state federations operate as non-profit associations
Non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization is an organization that does not distribute its surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its goals . Examples of NPOs include charities , trade unions, and public arts organizations...

 that are not officially affiliated with the Republican Party.

Campus chapters



The college and university-based chapters of the College Republicans operate in a dual capacity as student clubs
Student society
A student society or student organization is an organization, operated by students at a university, whose membership normally consists only of students. They are often affiliated with a university's students' union...

 associated with a particular campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...

 and as members of their state federation and the College Republican National Committee. Like the state federations and national committee, the campus chapters are affiliated with their local Republican Party, but are not official arms of that organization. The chapter chairperson and leadership team are responsible for maintaining the campus club's credentials and constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...

, and representing the College Republicans when dealing with university administration
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...

, other student groups, and in the surrounding community. The campus chapter leadership team might include many members, with administrative responsibilities delegated to dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students. In the U.K...

 and Greek chapter
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In English, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in North America, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...

 chairpersons.

Notable CRs


Notable College Republicans have included prominent Republican strategist
Political consulting
Political consulting, beyond the self-evident definition of consulting in political matters, refers to a specific management consulting industry which has grown up around advising and assisting political campaigns. This article deals primarily with the development and nature of political consulting...

 Lee Atwater
Lee Atwater
Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican party. He was an advisor of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Childhood:...

, Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group whose goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...

 President Grover Norquist
Grover Norquist
Grover Glenn Norquist is president of anti-tax lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform.-Early years and career:Norquist, who is of Swedish descent, grew up in Weston, Massachusetts and has a BA and MBA from Harvard University...

, former U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...

 Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John Santorum is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum is a member of the Republican Party and was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the number-three job in the party leadership of the Senate.Santorum is usually considered a social...

, U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...

 Roger Wicker
Roger Wicker
Roger Frederick Wicker is an American politician from the state of Mississippi. A Republican, he has been Mississippi's junior U.S. Senator since December 2007...

, North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry, conservative activist Morton Blackwell
Morton Blackwell
Morton C. Blackwell is an American Republican Party activist. He is president and founder of the Leadership Institute , a 5013 non-profit educational foundation.-Biography:...

, lobbyist Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist, businessman and con man who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. He is currently incarcerated at the satellite prison camp adjacent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland...

, former Virginia Governor
Governor of Virginia
The Governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Democrat Tim Kaine.- Qualifications :...

 Jim Gilmore
Jim Gilmore
James Stuart "Jim" Gilmore III is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the Republican Party...

, McCain Campaign Manager
John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a live...

 Rick Davis
Rick Davis
Richard Dean Davis is a retired American soccer midfielder, and former captain of the U.S. National Team for much of the 1980s...

, lobbyist and McCain advisor
John McCain presidential campaign, 2008
John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona, launched his second candidacy for the presidency of the United States in an unsuccessful bid for the 2008 presidential election. His candidacy, in the works for a number of years, was informally announced on February 28, 2007 during a live...

 Charles R. Black, Jr.
Charles R. Black, Jr.
Charles R. Black, Jr. , is a former chief lobbyist for BKSH & Associates, a lobbying firm associated with Burson-Marsteller. Black also worked for Ronald Reagan's two Presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980 and he was a senior political adviser to the 1992 re-election campaign of George H.W. Bush...

, Texas Republican Party Chairman Emeritus Tom Pauken, New York political consultant Roger Stone
Roger Stone
Roger Stone is an American political consultant and lobbyist who specializes in opposition research for the Republican National Committee in the United States....

 and Canadian political consultant Joshua Workman
Joshua Workman
Joshua Workman is a Canadian political consultant working with Pure Strategy Group . He has ties to the US Republican Party and was elected, at age 19, to attend the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was credited as being one of the youngest delegates in US...

. California Republican State Chairman Ron Nehring
Ron Nehring
Ron Nehring is currently the Chairman for the California Republican Party.-Previous positions:From 1990 to 1992, Ron Nehring served as President of the College Republicans at Stony Brook University, where he received a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science.In July 2001, he was unanimously elected...

 was President of the College Republicans at Stony Brook University. Former First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state. In the United States, it is also used for the spouse of the governor.-Origin:...

 and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was elected president of her College Republican chapter at Wellesley College in her freshman year due before switching parties due to the war in Vietnam. President Calvin Coolidge is the only College Republican ever to be elected President of the United States. Karl Rove, a Senior Bush Advisor and currently a contributor on Fox News is probably one of the most famous College Republicans.

Activities



The CRNC organizes election-year field representative programs to send paid staffers
Political campaign staff
Political campaign staff are the people who formulate and implement the strategy needed to win an election. Many people have made careers out of working full-time for campaigns and groups that support them, but in other campaigns much of the staff might be unpaid volunteers...

 to recruit and train students and chapters nationwide. Former national chair Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist, businessman and con man who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. He is currently incarcerated at the satellite prison camp adjacent to the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland...

 founded the field representative program in 1981. The program faltered during the 1980s and was revived during the late 1990s.

During the election season, campus chapters are responsible for organizing and implementing the campus canvas
Canvassing
Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters...

, running mock election
Mock election
A mock election is an election organized for educational or transformative purposes.- Mock election for educational purposes :...

s, managing the local get-out-the-vote
Get out the vote
"Get out the vote" are terms used to describe two categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections.-Non-partisan contexts :...

 efforts. At other times, the campus chapters will organize issue advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes — including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions — that directly affect people’s current lives...

 and lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the practice of influencing decisions made by government . It includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituents, or organized groups. A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a...

 efforts, welcome conservative guest speakers to campus, and organize social events and other recruitment activities.

During the election season, the CRNC focuses on developing a "mass based youth effort" directed toward electing Republican candidates. The CRNC often sends paid field representatives to individual campuses to assist in organizing the election efforts. Generally the hired field representative or chapter chair begins the school year with membership tables on campus for recruitment. Members use door-to-door canvassing
Canvassing
Canvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters...

 and word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth is a reference to the passing of information from person to person. Originally the term referred specifically to oral communication , but now includes any type of human communication, such as face to face, telephone, email, and text messaging.-History of word of mouth marketing:One of...

 to identify and register
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...

 as many Republican voters among the student body as possible. These individuals are encouraged to vote through an absentee ballot
Absentee ballot
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station. Numerous methods have been devised to facilitate this...

 and assist the candidates with election day Get Out The Vote
Get out the vote
"Get out the vote" are terms used to describe two categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections.-Non-partisan contexts :...

 efforts. Chapters occasionally run student mock election
Mock election
A mock election is an election organized for educational or transformative purposes.- Mock election for educational purposes :...

s and other special events as a means to gain positive earned media attention
Earned media
Earned media refers to favorable publicity gained through promotional efforts other than advertising, as opposed to paid media, which refers to publicity gained through advertising...

 for a candidate. At other times, the campus chapters will organize issue advocacy and lobbying efforts, welcome conservative guest speakers to campus, and organize social events and other recruitment activities.

Founding and early history



The College Republicans were founded as the American Republican College League on May 17, 1892 at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public research university located in the state of Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university, the flagship campus of the University of Michigan, and one of the top public universities in the world...

. The organization was spear-headed by law student James Francis Burke, who would later serve as a Congressman from Pennsylvania. The inaugural meeting was attended by over 1,000 students from across the county, from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States...

 in the west to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and currently comprises ten separate academic units...

 in the east. Contemporary politicians also attended the meeting, including Judge John M. Thurston, Senator Russell A. Alger
Russell A. Alger
Russell Alexander Alger was a Governor and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley...

, Congressman J. Sloat Fassett, Congressman W. E. Mason, John M. Langston, and Abraham Lincoln's successor in the Illinois State Legislature, A. J. Lester. Then-Governor of Ohio William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley Jr. was the 25th President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected to the office....

 gave a rousing keynote speech.

The College Republicans quickly pursued a strategy of sending college students to vote in their home districts and registering others to vote where they schooled to swing closely-contested districts. This strategy was successfully implemented for the 1900 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1900
The United States presidential election of 1900 was held on November 6, 1900. It was a rematch of the 1896 race between Republican President William McKinley and his Democratic challenger, William Jennings Bryan. The return of economic prosperity and recent victory in the Spanish-American War...

 between William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley Jr. was the 25th President of the United States, and the last veteran of the American Civil War to be elected to the office....

 and William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was the Democratic Party nominee for President of the United States in 1896, 1900 and 1908, a lawyer, and the 41st United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wilson. One of the most popular speakers in American history, he was noted for a deep, commanding voice...

, helping win Bryan's home state of Nebraska for McKinley.

The College Republicans were financed, at least in part, by the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and...

 throughout much of its history. James Francis Burke received significant funding from the RNC to support the American Republican College League's founding and to maintain the organization's early offices in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...

. By 1924, the organization was operating directly under the auspices of the RNC as the Associated University Republican Clubs.

The relative dominance of the Democratic party through the 1930s through the 1960s coincided with a precipitous drop in the membership and effectiveness of the College Republicans. In 1931, the College Republicans were absorbed as an arm of the Hoover campaign
United States presidential election, 1932
The United States presidential election of 1932 took place as the effects of the 1929 Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression were being felt intensely across the country. President Herbert Hoover's popularity was falling as voters felt he was unable to reverse the economic collapse, or deal...

. For the next several years the organization operated alternately under the auspices of the "Republican National League," "Young Republican National Committee," and the "Division of Young Republican Activities." In 1935, the College Republicans were merged into the newly created Young Republican National Federation, encompassing both college students and young professionals. College Republican operations continued under the Young Republicans until the 1965 founding of the "College Republican National Committee."

Modern history


In 1967, Morton Blackwell
Morton Blackwell
Morton C. Blackwell is an American Republican Party activist. He is president and founder of the Leadership Institute , a 5013 non-profit educational foundation.-Biography:...

, then a field representative for the CRNC to Kentucky, developed many of the principles now used by the College Republicans. As the college organizer supporting Louie Nunn's campaign for Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of the U.S. state of Kentucky, and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's army, navy, and militia forces...

, Blackwell organized approximately 5,000 college student volunteers who dropped 93,000 pieces of literature, posted 20,000 flyers, mailed 15,000 hand-addressed and signed postcards to friends of known student supporters of Nunn, and processed over 8,000 absentee ballots. On election day, Nunn became the first Republican Governor of Kentucky. The New York Times and Louie Nunn himself credited the efforts of Blackwell's volunteers.

In 1970, the Young Republican National Federation was permanently spun off from the College Republicans in 1970 to prevent counter-productive infighting among the two groups. In 1972 the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and...

 made the College Republican National Committee an auxiliary arm of the RNC.

In 1973, Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until his resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...

 ran for chair of the College Republicans. He challenged the front-runner’s delegates, throwing the national convention into disarray, after which both he and his opponent, Robert Edgeworth, claimed victory. The dispute was resolved when Rove was selected through the direct order of the chairman of the Republican National Committee, who at the time was George H W Bush.
By 1980, only 250 active College Republican chapters remained. By the US Presidential election in 1980, that number had increased to 1,000 active clubs, helping Reagan win 98 of 105 mock elections and recruiting thousands of voters. This success led to $290,000 in financial assistance from the RNC, mainly to implement Jack Abramoff's field representative program. Abramoff's fund-raising efforts brought in an additional $1,160,000 during the next two years. By 1983, only 10% of the CRNC's budget came from the RNC.

Prompted by the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 is United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. Its chief sponsors were Senators Russell Feingold and John McCain...

, the CRNC officially left the control of the RNC by reforming as a 527 group
527 group
A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after a section of the United States tax code, . A 527 group is created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office...

, allowing it to operate independently and raise unlimited amount of money for issue-advocacy work. As a 527 group, the organization is prohibited from coordinating directly with a particular campaign and its recent focus has turned towards developing volunteers and other support activities rather than outright campaigning. The shift has allowed the CRNC to vastly expand its fundraising efforts. During its first two years, the CRNC raised $17.3 million, most going to pay fundraising costs and other administrative costs, while leaving more than $2 million to expand the field representative program and to improve pay for the full-time positions.

The CRNC was criticized for its relationship with Response Dynamics, a Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...

-based direct mail
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...

 company.
The relationship became an issue during the 2005 election for National Chairman, which was won by former CRNC Treasurer, Paul Gourley
Paul Gourley
Paul Gourley is former National Chairman of the College Republican National Committee in the United States.Gourley, a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was elected Chair of the College Republican National Committee in 2005. He won the chairmanship following a contested campaign against former...

, whose signature was on the questionable fundraising letters.

Morgan Wilkins, a CRNC field representative for election 2006 was placed on probation by the CRNC after suggesting several controversial events might be held on the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public research university located in the state of Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university, the flagship campus of the University of Michigan, and one of the top public universities in the world...

 -- Ann Arbor Campus, to that school's student newspaper, the Michigan Daily
Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. It was founded to establish a counterweight to the university's fraternity culture...

.
The events included, "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and "Fun with Guns Day," where students were to shoot cardboard cutouts of prominent Democrats. This incident ultimately became a major news story on several national media outlets. Several sources, including the Michigan Daily incorrectly identified Ms. Wilkins as an employee of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and...

, rather than the CRNC, eliciting an outcry from Democratic National Committee
DNC
The acronym DNC can mean:*Delaware North Companies*Democratic National Committee, the principal campaign and fund-raising organization affiliated with the United States Democratic Party*Democratic National Convention...

 Chairman, Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from the U.S. state of Vermont. He served six terms as Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination...

. In return, GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman
Ken Mehlman
Kenneth Brian Mehlman is an American attorney and political figure. Currently Managing Director and head of Global Public Affairs for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, he previously served as a partner at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.Mehlman has been a longtime figure in the Republican...

 condemned Wilkins' activities, as well as Governor Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from the U.S. state of Vermont. He served six terms as Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination...

. Keith Olbermann
Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American news anchor, sportscaster, writer, and political commentator. He hosts Countdown with Keith Olbermann, an hour-long nightly news and commentary program on MSNBC...

 named Wilkins his "Worst Person in the World." She was suspended for the incident, and later fired by the CRNC for later creating a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a global social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and...

 group in which she promised to make out with individuals who signed up volunteers for get out the vote efforts.

See also

  • List of Chairpersons of the College Republicans
  • William and Mary College Republicans
  • Republican National Committee
    Republican National Committee
    The Republican National Committee provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is also responsible for organizing and...

  • Young Republicans
    Young Republicans
    The Young Republicans is an organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization and chapters in individual states....

  • Teenage Republicans
    Teenage Republicans
    Teen Age Republicans or "TARS" are members of the organization National Teen Age Republicans. The TARS are an official auxiliary organization of the Republican Party. There are various TARS clubs throughout the country, at the county and state level...

  • College Democrats
    College Democrats
    The College Democrats of America is an organization of college and university students that support the Democratic Party.-History:The College Democrats of America organization was founded in 1932 to help the election campaign of presidential nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt...


External links