10 Well-Known Politicians Who’ve Worked in Academia

Politicians, even though many of them seem incredibly dumb, actually have a lot to offer. Once they've reached the pinnacle of their careers and their ambition and thirst for power has subsided, many choose to settle into fulfilling careers in academia, where they can share their immense knowledge of the world to young, captive audiences on a regular basis. Of course, because they still maintain busy schedules, not all of them are in the classroom every semester, hence the phrasing "who've worked in academia." Nevertheless, each of the former politicians listed below is either currently teaching or has recently taught, continuing their missions to change the world.

1. Jimmy Carter, former president — Emory: A year after he left the presidency, Carter founded the aptly named Carter Center at Emory University, becoming a University Distinguished Professor. According to its website, it's "guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering," seeking "to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health." Most notably, the Center has been credited with eliminating more than 99 percent of cases of Guinea Worm Disease and monitoring elections in 33 countries since 1989. For his post-presidential work, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
2. Al Gore, former vice president — Middle Tennessee State, Columbia, UCLA, Fisk: Since the result of the 2000 election, Gore has occupied his unwanted free time by working at four universities. At Middle Tennessee State, home of The Gore Research Center, he's taught the interdisciplinary course "Community Building: A Comprehensive Family Centered Approach." At Columbia, he taught the non-credit seminar "Covering National Affairs in the Information Age" in the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, designed for students studying national affairs reporting. He's also lectured at UCLA and Fisk, the latter of which experienced a significant increase in freshman enrollment the year after he joined the faculty.
3. Madeline Albright, former secretary of state — Georgetown: Before she became the first female secretary of state and thus, at the time, the highest ranking woman in U.S. history, Albright studied Eastern European studies, cultivating her interest in world cultures and politics. Born in Prague, she had a strong interest in issues relating to Eastern Europe, which is why she played an essential role in American policy during the Kosovo War and Bosnian War. After the Clinton administration ended its two-term run in 2001, she returned to her alma mater as Mortara Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy, a position perfectly suited for her.
4. Alberto Gonzalez, former attorney general — Texas Tech, Angelo State, Houston: The first Hispanic attorney general in U.S. history, appointed during the Bush administration, returned to his home state in 2009 to work in Texas Tech's Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, with the purpose of recruiting underrepresented and first-generation students. Using an abundance of knowledge collected from his own experiences, he teaches "Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch" in the Department of Political Science. A graduate of Rice University in political science and Harvard Law School, the native Houstonian served as adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center before joining Governor George Bush's staff in the '90s.
5. Julian Bond, former chairman of the NAACP — Virginia, American, Drexel, Harvard: One of the nation's most accomplished civil rights leaders, Bond began serving as a Georgia congressman after the passage of major civil rights legislation in the mid-'60s. He eventually elevated to chairman of the NAACP in 1998 after spending much of the '80s and '90s teaching at the University of Virginia, American University, Drexel University and Harvard University. Naturally, given his advocacy of issues that have long affected the African-American community, he's extensively written about the history of the civil rights movement and African-American culture, subjects he teaches at the University of Virginia.
6. Arlen Specter, former senator (Pennsylvania) — Penn Law: With a 30-year Senate career under his belt, the longest in Pennsylvania history, Specter will be venturing back into the field of law at 80 years of age. In fall 2011, he'll begin serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, teaching "a course on the relationship between Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, focusing on separation of powers and the confirmation process," according to the Penn Law website. The Yale Law School graduate operated his own law practice, Specter & Katz, before running for senate in 1965.
7. Bob Kerrey, former governor and senator (Nebraska) — The New School: Kerrey's long, distinguished resume includes a Medal of Honor from the Vietnam War, operating several businesses, and serving as the 35th governor of Nebraska and two terms as a senator from Nebraska. Since he left politics in 2001, he's been entrenched in academia, serving as The New School's seventh president from 2001 to 2010, during which he increased enrollment almost 50 percent, doubled the faculty and raised more than $110 million. His effective leadership has earned him the title of President Emeritus, a distinction bestowed upon him by the board of trustees in January 2011.
8. David Boren, former governor (Oklahoma) — Oklahoma: Excluding head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, Boren has pretty much occupied every significant position in the state, including governor, senator and currently, president of the University of Oklahoma. Always one to value education, he graduated from Yale in the top one percent of his class, was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, and earned a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Under his leadership, OU has completed or begun $1 billion in on-campus construction projects and has initiated 20 new programs, including the establishment of an honors college — credentials that are difficult to beat by anyone in academia.
9. Major Owens, former congressman (Brooklyn) — CUNY: As a representative of central Brooklyn from 1983 to 2007, Owens advocated issues important to progressives and the middle class. Unlike your typical stodgy politician, he never hesitated to express himself in an unorthodox manner, even composing rap songs in order to connect with younger, more urban demographics. It hasn't been documented whether or not he has used that communication method during lectures for the DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy at The City University of New York, but, as you might imagine, it would be a welcome change from the average sleep-inducing classroom environment.
10. Jose Maria Aznar, former prime minister of Spain — Georgetown: From the time he left office in 2004 to May 2011, Aznar served the role of Distinguished Scholar in the Practice of Global Leadership at Georgetown, teaching a course on political leadership and two seminars per semester in contemporary European politics and trans-Atlantic relationships. During his two terms as prime minister of Spain, the country's economy grew rapidly after the Euro was introduced, and he maintained a close relationship with the U.S., controversially supporting Bush's invasion of Iraq.

Taken From Online Certificate Programs