Rhodes alumnus J. S. “Chris” Christie ’81 will be the speaker at this year’s Phi Beta Kappa induction luncheon to be held on campus May 10. Christie was an honors graduate in political science, with a senior thesis on “Release on Recognizance” directed by Professor Michael Kirby.
While at Rhodes, Christie also participated in the Kinney Program as a Big Brother and served on the student government and the social commission. He was the second recipient the college’s highest academic honor—the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize, awarded each year at commencement.
After graduation, Christie completed his law degree at Duke University and served in the Peace Corps in Cameroon. A partner in the Birmingham office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, he has been recognized for his pro bono work on death penalty cases, for which the firm received an Exceptional Service Award from the American Bar Association in 2012.