Legacy Scholarship Revived to Honor UI's 'Man Who Wore Many Hats'
Wednesday, May 25 2005
May 25, 2005 MOSCOW/BOISE -- Four Idaho leaders -- Cecil D. Andrus, Dirk A. Kempthorne, Larry E. Craig and James A. McClure -- have joined forces to revitalize the H. Sydney Duncombe Scholarship Fund for Excellence in Political Science. They wish to honor the late Professor Syd Duncombe, who died Sept. 29, 2004, for teaching ethical government at the University of Idaho to thousands of students. He began teaching courses in public administration at UI in 1962, and, after 25 years, 200 classes, and literally thousands of students, the H. Sydney Duncombe Excellence in Political Science Scholarship Fund was established. The first Syd Duncombe Excellence in Political Science Scholarship was awarded in 1988 to Christina Hendricks, who now has become an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia. Today's goal is to provide 10 awards in Duncombe’s honor each year to support students preparing for careers in public service. The Idaho leaders invite others to extend Duncombe's legacy by contributing to the scholarship fund via UI Gift Receipting, c/o H. Sydney Duncombe Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 443147, Moscow, Idaho 83844-3147. Best known for his abilities to evoke thoughtful discussion and debate, the professor often performed the "multiple-hat teaching technique" and role-playing scenarios. He would illustrate a point by arguing all sides of an issue and force students to gain deeper understanding of the issues. He also put them through simulation games, including the computer-based presidential election game and the Idaho Tomorrow game. Duncombe also worked in government a few months every few years to keep abreast of new developments in the field. He served on such state committees as the Governor’s Task Force on Local Government, the Idaho Citizens Committee on the State Legislature and as a consultant to the governor and to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. He even served as acting budget director of Idaho for four months from 1970-1971, and as director of the Bureau of Public Affairs Research for 16 years. His remarkable service inspired other such awards as the H. Sydney Duncombe Service Award given by the Idaho City Clerks and Finance Officers Association, and the H. Sydney Duncombe Award for Excellence in County Government of the Idaho Association of Counties. Prof. Duncombe also received awards for teaching, including the ASUI Outstanding Faculty Award in 1987. He was chair of the political science department from 1972-77, and led the UI chapters of Phi Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi academic honoraries. Born in New York in 1926, Duncombe served in Burma during World War II, and graduated from Yale in 1948. Before teaching, he worked in state budgeting for 12 years, along the way earning an MPA from Syracuse University in 1955 and a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1963. Contacts: Marc Skinner, mskinner@uidaho.edu, (208) 885-7573; Jennie Hall, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences development coordinator, jenniej@uidaho.edu, (208) 885-5302; or Nancy Hilliard, University Communications, hilliard@uidaho.edu, (208) 885-6567 -30- NH-05/25/05-CLASS
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