1) Full-time undergraduate enrolled and pursuing a major in the Political Science Department within the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University 2) Have taken or are currently enrolled in and excel academically in the Constitutional Law class, or a future equivalent course if Constitutional Law is no longer offered 3) have the intent to attend law school, as articulated by answering an essay question 4) maintain an overall 3.5 GPA
History
Roy L. Meek was an Oklahoma native and U.S. Navy Veteran. He received his BA degree from the University of Oklahoma and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in 1961. After short faculty member stints at the University of Texas-El Paso and Texas Tech University, Roy joined the Colorado State University Political Science faculty in 1967 as an Assistant Professor. He was later advanced in rank to Associate Professor and then Professor. For several years just prior to leaving to become Dean at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Roy served as Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts. He also served two one-year terms as the faculty representative on the Colorado State University Governing Board.
Roy's impact on his students, colleagues, and our College and University was enormous, and it came in countless political and academic discussions with students and colleagues. Dr. John Straayer, a colleague of Roy's said, "Never in my life had I met someone so generous with his time and expertise, yet so persistent in correcting me, telling me with some frequency that I was "dead wrong," should "read more" or, "no John, that's just not true!" A tough mentor with an extraordinary intellect, a wonderful colleague, and a world-class teacher, that was Professor Meek."
Roy taught a variety of courses, but his forte was Constitutional Law and Civil Rights and Liberties. Anyone who took his courses came to understand quickly that Roy "had a mind like a steel trap." Some of his students, now lawyers, called him "the hanging judge." He was intellectually demanding, somewhat unorthodox in teaching style, earned deep respect from his students, and is remembered with great personal fondness.
One of Roy's student writes "As I approached my final quarter before moving on to law school, Dr. Meek asked if I would like to do a directed reading seminar with him. I agreed and later received the list of about eight books Roy had ordered from the bookstore. For many hours that quarter, I read and then responded to his questions, suffered his pointed challenges to my understanding, as well as my factual and legal analysis, and listened to his thoughtful critique of my efforts. Those hours, as painful as they sometimes seemed, did more to prepare me to understand the judicial process and guide my focus and critical analysis for my law school years, and ultimately shape me as a lawyer, than any group of courses I took during my collegiate career. What an incredible teacher"
The Roy L. Meek Scholarship was created to honor the impact Roy had on his students and colleagues.