Whether he is teaching, posting on his blog or observing the world around him, Ted Becker, professor of political science, is one who never settles for society's norms.
"He is the most dedicated professor I have met in 40 years of teaching, and I have an amazing amount of respect for him," said Gerard Gryski, professor of political science.
Becker, a New Jersey native, received undergraduate and law degrees at Rutgers University, but ultimately decided that practicing law was not for him. He said he disliked law school and found it to be boring.
"I did not want the life of an attorney," he said. "I saw my dad do it my whole life, and I decided that I did not want to sell my brain for money."
After earning his doctorate at Northwestern University in pursuit of a career in education, Becker became chair of the political science department at the University of Hawaii, where he taught for 24 years.
During his tenure at Hawaii, Becker left the school for approximately a year and half to be a visiting professor at New York University.
While at NYU he received a call from the University of Hawaii's president asking him to help start a new law school at the college. He agreed and returned to Hawaii to work on the project.
"The group of people that I was with thought the law school that used the old methods was obsolete," Becker said. "We thought lawyers needed to learn other skills that included social science in order to become better policy makers and things of that nature."
Becker said his team immediately received a lot of resistance from the Hawaii Bar Association president.
"He wanted Hawaii to have a law school like all the other ones in the country," Becker said. "He did not want to be a part of an experiment."
The HBA ultimately won out and the idea was abandoned, so Becker went back to teaching political science at Hawaii until he moved to Auburn to head the University's political science department.
"I was beginning to feel trapped on an island that was 3,000 miles away from the mainland," Becker said.
Becker has earned the respect of his colleagues at Auburn.
"He is a very entertaining and intelligent man," said Phillis Hodge, who has worked with Becker at Auburn for 21 years. "He knows a lot about politics and the world."
Becker has taught at Auburn for 24 years and uses his blog, last-lost-empire.com, to teach and explain his views.
"I consider myself a democratic theorist and activist," Becker said. "I believe in democracy and empowering the people."
Becker said there is a common theme around the world now of massive protests against government.
"It seems that the world is on a path of self-destruction and people are clamoring for change," Becker said. "The people do not want to see those in power continue to make decisions without consultation or serious discussion anymore."
Becker also seeks to challenge his students to break away from how they were conditioned to think and listen to other points of view.
"I feel that many students don't take their studies seriously enough," Becker said. "That is why I like to teach and challenge my students."
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