Published on August 29, 2025  
Carol Swain
Carol Swain

Samford University’s Stockham Scholars program welcomed political scientist and legal scholar Carol Swain for dinner and conversation on the first day of the fall semester, giving students the opportunity to hear her personal journey and perspective on American politics, race relations and the state of higher education.

Born into poverty in rural southwest Virginia, Swain left high school before later earning five degrees, including a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Studies in Law from Yale University. She went on to receive early tenure at Princeton University and later became a full professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. Today she is a sought-after cable news contributor, best-selling author, national speaker and entrepreneur.

Jason Wallace, professor of history and director of the program in Samford’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences, said Swain’s visit offered students a valuable opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue.

“She writes and speaks on American politics in a way that elegantly integrates the United States’ unique historical contribution to freedom, personhood and rights,” Wallace said. “She pushes ideas and issues beyond superficial platitudes. Students found her refreshingly honest and greatly enjoyed their conversation with her. Our guests from the Birmingham community were likewise impressed.”

Her distinguished career includes three presidential appointments and service as a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Constitutional Studies with the Texas Public Policy Foundation. She also served on the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the 1776 Commission. In 2025, she received the Frederick Douglass Lifetime Achievement Award for a lifetime of conservative service to the nation.

An award-winning political scientist cited three times by the U.S. Supreme Court, Swain has authored or edited 13 books.

Her commentary has appeared on major networks including BBC News, ABC’s Headline News, CBS, CNN, Fox News and Newsmax. She has also written for publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Epoch Times, Financial Times and USA Today.

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Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.