Two MSU ‘fellows’ bound for Capitol Hill
November 25, 2003
Two senior engineering majors at Mississippi State will serve this fall in the Washington, D.C., offices of Mississippi Senators Thad Cochran and Trent Lott.
Otho Barnes of Bassfield and Walter L. Williamson of Jackson have been named Dorman Blaine Congressional Fellows by the university’s Bagley College of Engineering. Both are scheduled to graduate next summer.
Barnes, a chemical engineering major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Otho Barnes, will work in Cochran’s office. He is a 1999 Bassfield High School graduate.
Williamson, an industrial engineering major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Williamson joins Lott’s staff. He is a 1999 Murrah High School graduate.
The fellowship program is made possible through a 1999 endowment established by Blaine, a 1961 MSU civil engineering graduate now residing in Knoxville, Tenn. The endowment helps defray costs for accommodations, travel, meals and other expenses.
Blaine Fellows are chosen by a committee of MSU engineering faculty members. To be selected, students must have demonstrated leadership skills in the classroom, participation in campus activities, strong oral and written communication skills, and a desire to understand the political process and to serve others.
While in Washington, Barnes and Williamson will be involved in legislative research, constituent communication and the monitoring of congressional committee hearings, among other duties.