Dr. Elston Roady Collection

Born April 9, 1920 in Kane, Illinois, Dr. Elston Roady is a nationally known and respected educator and political scientist.  Prior to joining Florida State University in 1947 as a professor in the Political Science Department, he received his B.S. in Social Science and Speech from Illinois State University in 1942, his M.A. in 1947 and PhD in 1951 from the University of Illinois.

At Florida State University, he served as Instructor in Political Science (1947-1949), Assistant Professor (1951-1954),  Associate Professor (1954-1958), and Professor from 1959-1984. He retired in 1983, and is now Professor Emeritus. Roady returned to Illinois State University in the summer of 1958 as a Visiting Associate Professor of Social Science and was awarded the Pi Sigma Alpha Outstanding Professor Award in 1981. In 1986, the Illinois State University Alumni Association awarded him its Distinguished Alumni Award.

In addition to establishing himself as a highly respected instructor, Roady is also recognized for his expertise in political campaign finance and elections on the local, state, and national levels.  He has served as a consultant to numerous state governments and helped draft new election laws for 15 states and several foreign countries. He has provided post-election analyses for Time, U.S. News and World Report, and Newsweek magazines, National Public Radio, CBS, and ABC television.  Several political candidates have sought his assistance in writing speeches, analyzing campaign strategies, and developing political platforms. He has also served as an advisor to two Presidential Commissions on elections.

Roady is the author of Florida's New Campaign Expense Law and the 1952 Democratic Gubernatorial Primaries (1954); Florida Votes, 1920-1962; Selected Election Statistics (co-authored with Annie Hartsfield, 1963); Florida Votes, 1920-1970 (co-authored with Mary Hartsfield, 1972); Republican Campaign Financing in Florida, 1963-1967(1969); Model State Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Law (1959), and Party Regularity in the 63rd Congress (1952).