Michael Martin Uhlmann (December 29, 1939 – October 8, 2019) was an American political scientist and high-ranking government official. He was Professor of Government in the Department of Politics and Government at
Claremont Graduate University
The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private, all-graduate research university in Claremont, California, United States. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium which includes five undergraduate and two grad ...
and
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and internat ...
. Prior to teaching at Claremont, Uhlmann was a senior fellow at the
Ethics and Public Policy Center
The Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) is a conservative Washington, D.C.–based think tank and advocacy group. Founded in 1976, the group describes itself as "working to apply the riches of the Jewish and Christian traditions to contempora ...
,
Vice President for Public Policy Research at the
Bradley Foundation
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, commonly known as the Bradley Foundation, is an American charitable foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that has been one of the most influential funders of the conservative movement. The foundation ...
in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, and taught at the
Antonin Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School is the law school of George Mason University, Virginia's largest public research university. It is located in Arlington, Virginia, roughly west of Washington, D.C., and east-northeast of George Mason University's ...
.
Early life and education
Uhlmann was born on December 29, 1939, in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
He graduated from
The Hill School in 1958. He received his undergraduate degree from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
, a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
from the
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...
, and a Ph.D. from
Claremont Graduate University
The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private, all-graduate research university in Claremont, California, United States. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium which includes five undergraduate and two grad ...
.
Career
Before beginning his career as an academic, Uhlmann served as Assistant Attorney General for the
Office of Legislative Affairs during the
Ford Administration from 1975 to 1977, and as special assistant to the President during
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
’s first term in office.
He also spent several years as a partner at the
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
office of
Pepper Hamilton., where he specialized in federal antitrust,
administrative, and environmental law. In 1989, Uhlmann discovered that President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
planned to appoint him to the
, and declined the position so that he could prioritize family life.
In 1979, Michael Uhlmann was profiled in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' by
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. for his work as President of the
National Legal Center for the Public Interest. In 2002, Uhlmann became a Professor Government at
Claremont Graduate University
The Claremont Graduate University (CGU) is a private, all-graduate research university in Claremont, California, United States. Founded in 1925, CGU is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium which includes five undergraduate and two grad ...
, where his specialty was the American presidency, congressional-executive relations, and the federal judiciary. Uhlmann was a frequent contributor to the ''
Claremont Review of Books
The ''Claremont Review of Books'' (''CRB'') is a quarterly review of politics and statesmanship published by the conservative Claremont Institute. A typical issue consists of several book reviews and a selection of essays on topics of conserv ...
'' with articles like "The Supreme Court v. the Constitution of the United States of America" and "The Right Stuff", a panegyric of the life, writings, and talent of
William F. Buckley Jr.
William Frank Buckley Jr. (born William Francis Buckley; November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008) was an American conservative writer, public intellectual, political commentator and novelist.
Born in New York City, Buckley spoke Spanish as his ...
Other articles written by Uhlmann appeared in the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', ''
National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief is Rich L ...
'', ''
The American Spectator
''The American Spectator'' is a conservative American magazine covering news and politics, edited by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. and published by the non-profit American Spectator Foundation. It was founded in 1967 by Tyrrell (the current editor-in ...
'', ''
Washington Times
''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout Washington, D. ...
'', ''Crisis'', and ''
The Human Life Review''. His final book was ''Last Rights?: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Debated''. Additionally, his work ''The Electoral College: Proven Constitutional Pillar of Freedom'' includes his 1970 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee defending the propriety of the Electoral College and discussing the central role this provision serves in the constitutional structure of the United States.
Personal life
Uhlmann died on October 8, 2019, in
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...
.
[ He was survived by 5 children and 10 grandchildren. ]
References
2019 deaths
Governmental studies academics
Yale University alumni
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
1939 births
Claremont Graduate University alumni
The Hill School alumni
Claremont Graduate University faculty
American political scientists
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