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College Republicans 1

College Republicans

College Republicans

National Chairman Zach Howell

National Co-Chairman Terence Grado

Treasurer Brand Kroeger

Secretary Chandler Harris

Founded 1892

Headquarters Washington, D.C.

Mother party Republican Party

Website [1]
www.crnc.org

The College Republicans is a national organization for college and university students who support the Republican
Party of the United States.[2] The organization is known as an active recruiting tool for the Republican Party and has
produced many prominent Republican and conservative activists and introduced more party members to the
Republican party than any other organization in the nation.[3]
The organizational structure of the College Republicans has changed significantly since its founding in 1892.
Originally founded as an organization for the Republican National Committee and later the Young Republican
National Federation, the College Republicans now operate as an independent 527 group.

Governance

College Republican National Committee


The College Republican National Committee (CRNC), is the national steering organization and oversight body for
all 50 state federations, 1,500 campus chapters, and 250,000 College Republicans in the country.[4] [5] The CRNC
National Chairman and his or her national leadership team, including an executive director, political director, finance
director, national field director, national treasurer, national secretary, and 4 regional vice-presidents, are elected at
the bi-annual College Republican Convention and are assisted by a full-time office staff.[5]

State federations
There are 51 College Republican state federations, each administering the College Republican activities at the state
level and the District of Columbia. The state federation leadership team, which includes a state chairperson and other
officers, serve as the primary link between local university chapters and the national College Republican National
Committee.[4] The state chairman serves as the representative for College Republicans when dealing with the state
Republican Party, local media, and governmental entities. State federations are responsible for organizing and
assisting local chapters with securing proper credentials, recruitment efforts, and campus voter canvasses.[4] It is a
state federation's responsibility to organize and implement activities for state-wide campaigns.[4] Like the national
College Republicans 2

organization, state federations operate as non-profit associations that are not legally affiliated with the Republican
Party.[4]

Campus chapters
The college and university-based chapters of the College
Republicans operate in a dual capacity as student clubs associated
with a particular campus and as members of their state federation
and the College Republican National Committee.[4] Like the state
federations and national committee, the campus chapters are
affiliated with their local Republican Party, but are not official
arms of that organization.[4] The chapter chairperson and
leadership team are responsible for maintaining the campus club's
credentials and constitution, and representing the College
Republicans when dealing with university administration, other
A campus chapter meeting at Ohio State University.
student groups, and in the surrounding community.[4] The campus
chapter leadership team might include many members, with
administrative responsibilities delegated to dormitory and Greek chapter chairpersons.[4]

Notable CRs
Notable College Republicans have included prominent Republican strategist Lee Atwater, Americans for Tax
Reform President Grover Norquist, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, North Carolina
Congressman Patrick McHenry, conservative activist Morton Blackwell, disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, former
Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, McCain Campaign Manager Rick Davis, lobbyist and McCain advisor Charles R.
Black, Jr., Texas Republican Party Chairman Emeritus Tom Pauken, Christian Coalition executive director and
political consultant Ralph E. Reed, Jr., New York political consultant Roger Stone and political consultant Joshua
Workman. California Republican State Chairman Ron Nehring was President of the College Republicans at Boston
University. Former First Lady and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was elected president of her College
Republican chapter at Wellesley College in her freshman year before switching parties due to the war in Vietnam.
President Calvin Coolidge is the only College Republican ever to be elected President of the United States. Karl
Rove, a Senior Bush Advisor and currently a contributor on Fox News Channel is probably one of the most famous
College Republican leaders, having served as executive director, and then national chairman, of the CRNC during
his time in the organization.[6]
College Republicans 3

Activities
The CRNC organizes election-year field representative
programs to send paid staffers to recruit and train
students and chapters nationwide. Former national
chair Jack Abramoff founded the field representative
program in 1981.[3] The program faltered during the
1980s and was revived during the late 1990s.

During the election season, campus chapters are


responsible for organizing and implementing the
campus canvas, running mock elections, managing the
local get-out-the-vote efforts. At other times, the
Recruiting new members at The Ohio State University.
campus chapters will organize issue advocacy and
lobbying efforts, welcome conservative guest speakers
to campus, and organize social events and other recruitment activities.

During the election season, the CRNC focuses on developing a "mass based youth effort" directed toward electing
Republican candidates.[3] The CRNC often sends paid field representatives to individual campuses to assist in
organizing the election efforts. Generally the hired field representative or chapter chair begins the school year with
membership tables on campus for recruitment. Members use door-to-door canvassing and word of mouth to identify
and register as many Republican voters among the student body as possible.[3] These individuals are encouraged to
vote through an absentee ballot and assist the candidates with election day Get Out The Vote efforts. Chapters
occasionally run student mock elections and other special events as a means to gain positive earned media attention
for a candidate.[3] At other times, the campus chapters will organize issue advocacy and lobbying efforts, welcome
conservative guest speakers to campus, and organize social events and other recruitment activities.[4]

History

Founding and early history


"There is no such school for political education as the college and university. What is inculcated here penetrates every corner of the
country where the college man goes. He goes everywhere and where he goes he is a mighty force in making and molding public
sentiment."
[3]
William McKinley at the founding of the American Republican College League in 1892.

The College Republicans were founded as the American Republican College League on May 17, 1892 at the
University of Michigan.[3] The organization was spear-headed by law student James Francis Burke, who would later
serve as a Congressman from Pennsylvania.[3] The inaugural meeting was attended by over 1,000 students from
across the county, from Stanford University in the west to Harvard University in the east. Contemporary politicians
also attended the meeting, including Judge John M. Thurston, Senator Russell A. Alger, Congressman J. Sloat
Fassett, Congressman W. E. Mason, John M. Langston, and Abraham Lincoln's successor in the Illinois State
Legislature, A. J. Lester. Then-Governor of Ohio William McKinley gave a rousing keynote speech.[3]
The College Republicans quickly pursued a strategy of sending college students to vote in their home districts and
registering others to vote where they schooled to swing closely-contested districts.[3] This strategy was successfully
implemented for the 1900 presidential election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan, helping
win Bryan's home state of Nebraska for McKinley.[3]
The College Republicans were financed, at least in part, by the Republican National Committee throughout much of
its history. James Francis Burke received significant funding from the RNC to support the American Republican
College League's founding and to maintain the organization's early offices in New York and Chicago.[3] By 1924, the
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organization was operating directly under the auspices of the RNC as the Associated University Republican Clubs.[3]
The relative dominance of the Democratic party through the 1930s through the 1960s coincided with a precipitous
drop in the membership and effectiveness of the College Republicans.[3] In 1931, the College Republicans were
absorbed as an arm of the Hoover campaign.[7] For the next several years the organization operated alternately under
the auspices of the "Republican National League," "Young Republican National Committee," and the "Division of
Young Republican Activities."[7] In 1935, the College Republicans were merged into the newly created Young
Republican National Federation, encompassing both college students and young professionals.[7] College Republican
operations continued under the Young Republicans until the 1965 founding of the "College Republican National
Committee."[7]

Modern history
In 1967, Morton Blackwell, then a field representative for the CRNC to Kentucky, developed many of the principles
now used by the College Republicans. As the college organizer supporting Louie Nunn's campaign for Governor of
Kentucky, Blackwell organized approximately 5,000 college student volunteers who dropped 93,000 pieces of
literature, posted 20,000 flyers, mailed 15,000 hand-addressed and signed postcards to friends of known student
supporters of Nunn, and processed over 8,000 absentee ballots.[3] On election day, Nunn became the first Republican
Governor of Kentucky in 20 years. The New York Times and Louie Nunn himself credited the efforts of Blackwell's
volunteers.
In 1970, the Young Republican National Federation was permanently spun off from the College Republicans in 1970
to prevent counter-productive infighting among the two groups.[3] In 1972 the Republican National Committee made
the College Republican National Committee an auxiliary arm of the RNC.[3]
In 1973, Karl Rove ran for chair of the College Republicans. He challenged the front-runnerÄs delegates, throwing
the national convention into disarray, after which both he and his opponent, Robert Edgeworth, claimed victory. The
dispute was resolved when Rove was selected through the direct order of the chairman of the Republican National
Committee, who at the time was George H W Bush.[8]
"College Republicans are a vital force in conservative politics. You are the vanguard of the Republican Party. I know that the
strength of young people's support for our Party will ensure the continued success of Republican goals as you begin to assume
leadership roles in the Party and in our Nation."
[3]
Ronald Reagan to the College Republican National Committee, June 2, 1987

By 1980, only 20 active College Republican chapters remained. By the US Presidential election in 1980, that number
had increased to 1,000 active clubs, helping Reagan win 98 of 105 mock elections and recruiting thousands of voters.
This success led to $290,000 in financial assistance from the RNC, mainly to implement Jack Abramoff's field
representative program.[3] Abramoff's fund-raising efforts brought in an additional $1,160,000 during the next two
years. By 1983, only 10% of the CRNC's budget came from the RNC.[3]
Prompted by the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, the CRNC officially left the control of the RNC by
reforming as a 527 group, allowing it to operate independently and raise unlimited amount of money for
issue-advocacy work. As a 527 group, the organization is prohibited from coordinating directly with a particular
campaign and its recent focus has turned towards developing volunteers and other support activities rather than
outright campaigning. The shift has allowed the CRNC to vastly expand its fundraising efforts. During its first two
years, the CRNC raised $17.3 million, most going to pay fundraising costs and other administrative costs, while
leaving more than $2 million to expand the field representative program and to improve pay for the full-time
positions.[9]
The CRNC was criticized for its relationship with Response Dynamics, a Virginia-based direct mail company. [10]
The relationship became an issue during the 2005 election for National Chairman, which was won by former CRNC
Treasurer, Paul Gourley, whose signature was on the questionable fundraising letters.[11]
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Morgan Wilkins, a CRNC field representative for election 2006 was placed on probation by the CRNC after
suggesting several controversial events might be held on the University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor Campus, to that
school's student newspaper, the Michigan Daily. The events included, "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and "Fun
with Guns Day," where students were to shoot cardboard cutouts of prominent Democrats.[12] This incident
ultimately became a major news story on several national media outlets.[13] [14] Several sources, including the
Michigan Daily incorrectly identified Ms. Wilkins as an employee of the Republican National Committee, rather
than the CRNC, eliciting an outcry from Democratic National Committee Chairman, Howard Dean.[15] In return,
GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman condemned Wilkins' activities, as well as Governor Dean.[16] Keith Olbermann
named Wilkins his "Worst Person in the World."[17] She was suspended for the incident, and later fired by the CRNC
for later creating a Facebook group in which she promised to make out with individuals who signed up volunteers for
get out the vote efforts.[18]

Gallery

A campus chapter meeting at College Republicans from College Republicans from University of
George Fox University University of North Florida rally Illinois at Springfield with former White
for John McCain in House Press Secretary Tony Snow at CPAC
Jacksonville, Florida 2008 in Washington, D.C.

References
[1] http:/ / www. crnc. org
[2] Schor, Elana (2005-07-06). "With College Republicans, Keg Parties Are Smart Strategy" (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ 5aihZcPFv).
msnbc.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / thehill. com/ old-capital-living/
with-college-republicans-keg-parties-are-smart-strategy-2005-07-06. html) on 2008-09-09. . Retrieved 2008-09-09.
[3] Stewart, Scott (2002-06-24). The College Republicans Ä A Brief History (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20050702072121/ http:/ / www.
crnc. org/ admin/ editpage/ downloads/ CRNChistory. pdf). College Republican National Committee. . Retrieved 2008-09-04.
[4] Stewart, Scott (Fall 2002). College Republicans Chapter Manual (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20040613020411/ www. crnc. org/
resources/ chapter_manual. pdf). College Republican National Committee. . Retrieved 2008-09-27.
[5] "The CRNC Team" (http:/ / www. crnc. org/ team. php). College Republican National Committee. . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
[6] Dedman, Bill (2007-05-09). "Reading Hillary Clinton's hidden thesis" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20070304065006/ http:/ / www.
msnbc. msn. com/ id/ 17388372/ ). msnbc.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. msnbc. msn. com/ id/ 17388372/ ) on 2007-03-04. .
Retrieved 2008-04-16.
[7] Stewart, Scott (2002-06-24). "The National Chairmen of the College Republicans" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20030316084456/ www.
crnc. org/ resources/ CRNCchairmen. pdf) (PDF). College Republican National Committee. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. crnc.
org/ resources/ CRNCchairmen. pdf) on 2003-03-16. . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
[8] Goodman, Amy (2007-08-14). "RoveÄs Science of Dirty Tricks" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071017021158/ http:/ / www. truthdig.
com/ report/ item/ 20070814_roves_science_of_dirty_tricks/ ). Truthdig. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. truthdig. com/ report/ item/
20070814_roves_science_of_dirty_tricks/ ) on 2007-10-17. . Retrieved 2008-09-03.
[9] Edsall, Thomas (2005-06-23). "Money Raises the Stakes For College Republicans" (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ 5axU72iHs). Washington
Post. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. washingtonpost. com/ wp-dyn/ content/ article/ 2005/ 06/ 22/ AR2005062202060_pf. html) on
2008-09-19. . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
[10] O'Donnell, Meghan (2003-09-25). "Young Money: College Republicans show how to play the fund-raising game" (http:/ / projects.
publicintegrity. org/ 527/ report. aspx?aid=10). Center for Public Integrity. . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
[11] Brunner, Jim (2004-11-29). "Some College Republicans regret donors were "misled"" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20041122035749/
http:/ / seattletimes. nwsource. com/ html/ localnews/ 2002096448_republicans20m. html). The Seattle Times. Archived from the original
(http:/ / seattletimes. nwsource. com/ html/ localnews/ 2002096448_republicans20m. html) on 2004-11-22. . Retrieved 2008-04-16.
College Republicans 6

[12] Grossman, Andrew (2006-09-12). "College Dems, Republicans gear up for election season" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/
20080123215653/ http:/ / media. www. michigandaily. com/ media/ storage/ paper851/ news/ 2006/ 09/ 12/ CampusLife/ College. Dems.
Republicans. Gear. Up. For. Election. Season-2267212. shtml). Michigan Daily. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. michigandaily.
com/ content/ college-dems-republicans-gear-election-season) on 2008-01-23. . Retrieved 2008-04-16.
[13] "Dems Blast 'Catch an Illegal Immigrant' Campaign on College Campus" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20061209194541/ http:/ / www.
foxnews. com/ story/ 0,2933,213406,00. html). FOXNews.com. 2006-09-12. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. foxnews. com/ story/
0,2933,213406,00. html) on 2006-12-09. . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
[14] Domsic, Melissa (2006-11-01). "'Catch an immigrant' game fires up debate on campuses" (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ 5ay6XLlX1).
CNN.com. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. cnn. com/ 2006/ POLITICS/ 10/ 23/ CNNU. msu. immigrant/ index.
html?iref=newssearch) on 2008-09-19. . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
[15] Democratic National Committee (2006-09-12). "Governor Dean Writes a Letter" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071211042424/ http:/ /
www. democrats. org/ a/ 2006/ 09/ governor_dean_w. php). Press release. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. democrats. org/ a/ 2006/
09/ governor_dean_w. php) on 2007-12-11. . Retrieved 2008-04-16.
[16] Republican National Chairman (2006-09-12). "RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman Responds To DNC Chairman Howard DeanÄs Letter" (http:/ /
web. archive. org/ web/ 20061129155646/ http:/ / www. gop. com/ News/ Read. aspx?ID=6557). Press release. Archived from the original
(http:/ / www. gop. com/ News/ Read. aspx?ID=6557) on 2006-11-29. . Retrieved 2008-04-16.
[17] Olbermann, Keith (2006-09-14). "World's Worst:Fun with Guns?" (http:/ / video. msn. com/ video. aspx?mkt=en-US& brand=msnbc&
vid=012f9b2e-4d22-46f9-89a3-c32bf18da21d). msnbc.com. . Retrieved 2008-04-16.
[18] Grossman, Andrew (2006-09-25). "Confessions of a Young Conservative" (http:/ / www. michigandaily. com/ content/
confessions-young-conservative). The Michigan Daily. . Retrieved 2008-04-16.

External links
Ä College Republican National Committee (http://www.crnc.org/) - official website
Ä College Republican National Committee's IRS Filing Forms (http://forms.irs.gov/politicalOrgsSearch/search/
gotoSearchDrillDown.action?pacId='7343'&criteriaName='College+Republican+National+Committee,+Inc.')
Article Sources and Contributors 7

Article Sources and Contributors


College Republicans ÅSource: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=406887442 ÅContributors: 2Snazzy, Abenton, AlexiusHoratius, AmeriCan, Apterygial, Bcspro, BlackberryHacks,
Blue387, Bonewah, Bwilkins, Caltas, Catapult, Cdogsimmons, Choster, Collegerepublicans, Common Man, Complexi, Csmith87, Dadude3320, Dhadsb, Disavian, Doulos Christos, Download,
Dreid1987, Dudeman5685, Eloil, Emerybob, Erianna, Eshatologist, Etherice, Everyking, FCYTravis, Freakofnurture, FutureNJGov, GoingBatty, Green caterpillar, Gscshoyru, Happyme22,
Impmope, Inks.LWC, Itssweeney, JavierMC, JayJasper, Jcmiller, Jeff G., Jeick, Jeremydhagen, Jersyko, Jgkantor, Jiang, John Broughton, Jreferee, Kane5187, Keilana, Kiteinthewind,
LadyMontresor, Liface, Lightmouse, Master Jay, Meelar, Minesweeper, Minion of Gozer, Mjwhite3, NCurse, Nelliebellie, Neutrality, Nfutvol, Nihiltres, Nywalton, Ovid5188, Pacificus, Paladin
R.T., Propol, RedShiftPA, Rhobite, Rjwilmsi, Schneiderwm, Seawolf81st, SevernSevern, SiobhanHansa, SpaceFlight89, Stillnotelf, SueNaustin, That Guy, From That Show!, Thomastedder, Tim
Long, Toussaint, Trikker E, Vayne1, Virginia Bell, Walton One, Wiki Master 1776, Wisconsincheddar1985, XeroxKleenex, Zacharyleahan, 189 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors


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