Rose Institute 50th Anniversary Stories

Jeff Hudson ’74: Frank Hobbs and I were the first two interns at the Rose Institute, rolling into those roles after Sacramento internships in 1972. READ MORE

Frank D. Hobbs ’74: Classmate and close friend Jeff Hudson and I were the first two student employees of the nascent Rose Institute of State and Local Government (then the Claremont Institute of State and Local Government) beginning in 1972. READ MORE

Frank Moreno ’74: After leaving CMC I worked with Dr. Heslop in the creation of the first ever ‘Latino Atlas” which included information on Latino representatives and influential businesses in California. READ MORE

Douglas Yoakam ’79: https://capitolweekly.net/safe-as-in-their-mothers-arms-confessions-of-a-redistricting-junkie/

Blake Isaacson ’81: I would have been one of the first of what came to be called Student Managers at the Rose Institute. In the late 1970s the Rose was engaged in many projects as it was preparing for a prominent role in the redistricting of the early 1980s. READ MORE

Janelle Blanco ’81 P’17 – I’ll be forever in the debt of Professors Alan Heslop and Fred Balitzer, Florence Adams, George Dunn, and Bob Walters for affording me some amazing opportunities during my time at CMC. READ MORE

David Quintana ’81: While at the Institute, I worked with Tony Quinn and the Republican Reapportionment team in Sacramento to analyze the Legislature’s redistricting plan. I had the rare opportunity to participate in the development of the nation’s first computerized redistricting system.  READ MORE

Stuart Williams ’82: To show how low tech we were when I worked at the Rose Institute in the late 70s, we drew lines (maps) by hand and used White out when we made mistakes.

Cassie Arnold SC’82: One summer a bunch of us stayed in town and worked at Rose. Most of us lived in a house the college owned on 6th. READ MORE

Nohemi Gutierrez Ferguson ’82 P’17: I have such fond memories of my job at the Rose Institute. READ MORE

Ambassador Larry “Chip” Andre ’83: The Rose Institute helped me finance my education through an on-campus job.  I learned a lot about data-driven politics, especially as concerns gerrymandering.  This was 40 years ago.  I have spent the past four decades almost constantly on the move around the world.

Margaret (Heagney) Baker ’83: My two great college loves were political philosophy and practical politics.  Attending Claremont allowed me to indulge both passions.  READ MORE

Henry Olsen III ’83: The Rose Institute simply changed my life… READ MORE

Jeff Langan ’91: The Rose Institute and Dr. Heslop were core to my most memorable times at CMC, especially in researching and writing on state and federal term limits.  READ MORE

Erik Kiefel ’92: My time with the Rose Institute was formative to my time at CMC and has influenced my career in both direct and indirect ways over the years. Most directly, my time at the Rose Institute underscored the importance of hard data in making policy, particularly on issues and subjects thick with emotional or subjective views and opinions. READ MORE

Shannon Kelly ’92: I was lucky to work at the Rose Institute for all my 4 years at CMC. I had interned for a San Diego City Councilwoman in high school, so when I came to CMC, I already had some experience working at a local government. READ MORE

Kristin A. Hawes ’94:  My time as an RA at the Rose concluded with the advent of GIS mapping and readily available, granular demographic data.  The time I spent at the Institute studying redistricting and gerrymandering has resonated throughout both my personal and professional lives and served as an early lesson on the power of new technologies. READ MORE

Nathan Harden ’07 (BA Yale): I look back fondly on my time with the Rose Institute. As a freshman on campus, being a part of the Institute helped me connect with faculty and other ambitious students, gaining research experience and, even more importantly, new friends.

Christopher Jones’11: The Rose has left indelible marks on me since leaving CMC. READ MORE

Ann E. Kaiser ’11: That summer our cohort went to Vegas… READ MORE

Bryn Miller ’19: Working at the Rose was one of the highlights, both socially and academically, of my time at CMC. I learned so much at the Rose – not just tangible lessons about research methods, but also valuable lessons about how to be a good colleague and a good manager. READ MORE

David Meyer ’12: Not only do I owe my career today, 12 years from graduation, to my experience at the Rose Institute, but I still use skills that I began developing at the Rose on a daily basis.  READ MORE

Ben McAnally ’21, Student Manager: I am grateful to the Rose for my strongest community of both friends and professional peers during my time at CMC. Between the hard work to give BOG presentations demonstrating high-quality research to karaoke at our annual Christmas parties, the Rose became my second home. READ MORE

Aditya Venkatraman ’22: Many of my closest CMC friendships started at the Rose. READ MORE

Anna Short PO’24: Some of my favorite Rose memories have taken place outside of Rose project work. READ MORE  

Liann Bielicki ’24: Although the Rose turns 50 this year, I am pleased to report that the atmosphere still feels as fresh as ever. READ MORE

Audrey Donahue ’25: Working at the Rose Institute has been one of the most rewarding activities as a student at Claremont McKenna College. READ MORE

Sanskriti Kumar ’25: The Rose Institute was the first on-campus organization I joined as a freshman at CMC… READ MORE

Chad McElroy ’26: Every time I find myself in the Rose workroom, whether it be a normal Sunday afternoon or a very late weeknight, I am extremely grateful to be working in a program filled with so many bright and fun colleagues. READ MORE