Rodney Martin - Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude?

This is the latest photograph of Rodney Martin, from his ana-ann.com website, which is where I got it. Though showing him considerably aged from his previous pictures, Martin said on his Friday, Oct. 3rd radio program that he was 46 years old. He seems to consider this "old" since he blamed his overweight on age, calling it "age-related." 

Forty-six is not old by any measure, but the face looking at us from this picture does look old. It also looks strangely Amerindian to my eyes. Also here. Could it be his mother was not a Scot after all? Although, Rodney is not in the best of health and some people age faster than others.

On the same Oct. 3 radio program (at 67m55s), I heard Martin tell his guest (a double PhD) that he (Martin) graduated from college "summa cum laude" and Phi Beta Kappa, adding that he is not some idiot that just fell off the turnip truck.

The Porterville Recorder interview of 2007 reported that Martin was a graduate of William Jewel University.

The 1993 graduate of William Jewell University was awarded the Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson Congressional Fellowships, and was a congressional intern for Arizona Rep. Ed Pastor during that time.

As far as I know, Martin has never stated directly anywhere that he is a graduate of this institution - only what appeared in this interview ... and he claims they were wrong about so many things. Also there is one William Jewel College in Liberty, MO and another one listed in Ofallon, IL (maybe a branch?).

This explains summa cum laude:

Latin honors typically come in three varieties, representing three primary levels of achievement. Cum laude, which means “with honor,” is the first and most basic distinction; next comes magna cum laude, which translates to “with great honor.” Both are considered quite prestigious and praiseworthy, but neither quite approaches the “summa” distinction in either value or rarity. The highest honor distinction is, in most cases, reserved for those who are truly unmatched in academic pursuits. These students typically graduate at the very top of their classes.

Since each university sets its own standards, and since these standards may vary widely it is possible for the same level of Latin honors conferred by different institutions to represent contrasting levels of academic achievement.

In other words, William Jewel may not have had rigorous standards in order to graduate it's best students with cum laude honors. Since Rodney can't spell or write worth a darn, it's kind of hard to imagine, but it could be true since in the 1980s/90s that was not considered so important. If he got the Truman and Johnson Congressional Fellowships, that could have done it. Plus Rodney was probably very active in extra-curriculars.

Bigger questions regarding Phi Beta Kappa

When it comes to Phi Beta Kappa, it gets more difficult to believe.

Doing a little checking, I discovered that this college, William Jewel in Liberty, MO, was not a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 1993 when Rodney graduated, and is still not a member. It didn't apply for membership until 2007:

Email Newsletter for Alumni and friends    Nov. 2007

http://www2.pursuantgroup.com/williamjewell/enews/1107c.htm (cut and paste link into window)

At its regularly scheduled October meeting, the William Jewell College Board of Trustees approved a strategic plan aimed at charting the course of the college for the next 10 years.

"We have invested two years and involved over 200 stakeholders in the development of this plan," said Dr. David Sallee. "It is designed to take the college to a new level among national liberal arts colleges."

William Jewell plans to move toward membership in the nation's most prestigious national academic organization, Phi Beta Kappa; double its present endowment of $86 million; shift its athletic programs to National Collegiate Athletic Association membership from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; and raise its admission standards to the level of the best liberal arts colleges in the country.

"Being selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa is a long and rigorous process, but one that yields great benefits," according to Sallee. "That process could take the full length of this ten-year plan. However, institutions are often known by the company they keep, and Phi Beta Kappa is the best 'company' in the country."

I looked at all the chapters at a Phi Beta Kappa website and there was no William Jewel College or University listed there. So where did his award come from?

Do you really have one of these, Rodney? If so, maybe you could show it to us, along with the certificate on parchment that probably came with it.

I think it's strange that Martin didn't add the information about his college and his high academic honors on his Metapedia page or in his ANA-ANN biography. Such an oversight. Although maybe he's just making things up again, as when he put Dr. in front of his name on his Metapedia page. Unless it is he doesn't want his alma mater to find out what he's up to these days? There is talk in some circles that he leads a double life.