By Karen Middleton
ATHENS — Dr. Lee Cheek Jr., who was recently named associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Athens State University, says there was nothing wrong with his position as vice president for College Advancement at Brewton-Parker College in South Georgia, but he longed to plant his feet on more rolling land.
Beginning Dec. 1, Cheek, who also serves as a professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Brewton-Parker, will assist Vice President for Academic Affairs Denver Betts to develop and revise policies, procedures, guidelines, and other documents pertaining to the academic structure of the institution.
A native of Pinnacle, N.C., and raised in the foothills of a mountain range, Cheek, said the flatlands 90 miles inland from Savannah, where he has been for many years, are really not to his liking.
While the Tennessee Valley cannot be exactly described as “rolling,” Athens is near the foothills of the Appalachians, and that’s good enough for Cheek.
“I was born in the same county where Andy Griffith was born, so I always say I am from Mayberry,” he said.
A youthful looking 48 years, Cheek jokingly says his appearance is a result of “clean living.”
“I feel a lot older and the clean living is probably not up to my mother’s and grandmother’s standards,” he said.
“I’ve been in South Georgia for many years and I’m looking forward to some hill country and a strong academic environment,” said Cheek. “Not that Brewton-Parker is not strong academically, but I wanted something new.”
Cheek is married to Kathy B. Cheek, a dance instructor and choreographer who currently serves as the executive director of Ohoopee Regional Council for the Arts.
“She has owned a dance studio for 25 years,” said Cheek. “She is really very good and has danced with Gregory Hines. She hopes to remain strong in the arts.”
ASU President Dr. Robert Glenn said he was pleased that Cheek agreed to come to Athens.
“Dr. Cheek brings a myriad of experiences to the table that is needed to sustain a broad view for Academic Affairs for the years ahead,” said Glenn.
“Dr. Cheek’s experience as both a professor and an administrator make him a choice candidate for the position,” stated Betts. “After our national search, we were extremely excited to be able to offer him the position and are thrilled he accepted.”
Cheek received his doctorate in Political Studies from The Catholic University of America in 1998, and he holds masters degrees from Western Carolina and Duke Universities. His responsibilities at Brewton-Parker included being chief development officer and supervising the staffs of Alumni Relations, Development, and Athletics.
“Athens State’s reputation for academic excellence made the decision for me to join their ranks an easy one,” said Cheek. “I look forward to becoming a member of their faculty, and a part of the Athens community.”
Prior to his position at Brewton-Parker, Cheek was an associate professor of Political Science at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
Cheek has also served as a congressional aide and as a political consultant. Dr. Cheek's books include “Political Philosophy and Cultural Renewal” (Transaction/Rutgers, 2001, with Kathy B. Cheek); “Calhoun and Popular Rule,” published by the University of Missouri Press (2001; paper edition, 2004); “Calhoun: Selected Speeches and Writings” (Regnery, 2003); “Order and Legitimacy” (Transaction/Rutgers, 2004); an edition of Calhoun's “A Disquisition on Government” (St. Augustine's, 2007); and an critical edition of W.H. Mallock’s “The Limits of Pure Democracy” (Transaction/Rutgers, 2007).
He has also published dozens of scholarly articles in publications such as the Journal of Politics, Methodist History, International Social Science Review, and Hebraic Political Studies, and is a regular commentator on American politics. Dr. Cheek’s current research includes completing an intellectual biography of Francis Graham Wilson, a study of the American Founding, and a book on Patrick Henry’s constitutionalism and political theory. Dr. Cheek is also the founder and director of the Wesley Studies Society. He currently serves on the editorial boards of Humanitas, The Political Science Reviewer, and The University Bookman, as a senior fellow of the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, and as a fellow of the Academy of Philosophy and Letters (elected). Cheek has been a fellow of the Wilbur Foundation, the Earhart Foundation, the Center for Judicial Studies, and the Center for International Media Studies.
The couple has one daughter, Angie Apple, an accountant who lives and works in Philadelphia.
“We’ve been assured that we can fly directly to Philadelphia from Huntsville,” said Cheek. “It was always a long-term issue getting to Philadelphia from South Georgia.
“We’re both really looking forward to moving to Athens and becoming involved in civic organizations. We are energetic, highly involved people.”
