SK2 US Navy World War ll∼CORNWELL, ELMER E. JR., 86, of Little Compton, RI, died Friday, March 25, 2011 at the Village House Convalescent Home in Newport, RI. He was the husband of Laura J. "Penny" (Snell) Walker. Born July 6, 1924, in Holyoke, MA, son of the late Elmer E. and Eloise (Leining) Cornwell, he attended Holyoke public schools and graduated from High School as Valedictorian in 1942. He was then admitted to Williams College where he attended his freshman year, 1942-43 and then was drafted into the Navy Seabees in June of 1943 being discharged in 1946. Upon completion of his military service he returned to Williams College in 1946, and did three semesters per year, graduating Magna Cum Laude in June of 1948. Mr. Cornwell remained at Williams College as an Instructor in Political Science until entering the graduate program in Government at Harvard University in September of 1949, where he was awarded a Masters degree in Political Science in 1951 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Government in 1953. In 1953 he was appointed instructor in Politics at Princeton University and taught there until 1955 when he became an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Brown University. In 1960 he was promoted to Associate Professor and then Full Professor in 1964 while serving as Chair of the Political Science Department at Brown from 1962-71 and 1973-74. He remained at Brown on the faculty until his retirement in 2005. Mr. Cornwell was active on state and local levels of Rhode Island Government where he served as Parliamentarian of the RI House of Representatives from 1977-1994. He was an Aide to the Speaker of the RI House of Representatives from 1994-2004. He became a recognized specialist and consultant on Home Rule charters that are currently in effect, including that for Providence (with an associate consultant). He also served as consultant to charter revision commissions in a number of cities and towns. Mr. Cornwell served as elected Town Moderator in Little Compton from 1984-2004 and as Research Director at the Constitutional Conventions of 1964-1968 and 1973. He was an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1960 and 1964. He received a research grant from Eagleton Institute of Politics in 1960 to study local party organizations and a grant of $100,000 as principle researcher by Carnegie Corp., of New York to study state constitutional conventions in 1967 which was conducted jointly with the National Municipal League. Mr. Cornwell was awarded the Frank Luther Mott Prize for his book, Presidential Leadership of Public Opinion. In 1961 he received the Howard Foundation Fellowship for sabbatical research from Brown University. Mr. Cornwell was an author of books and numerous articles on the American Presidency, political parties and Rhode Island politics. In 2008 he established the Elmer E. Cornwell, Jr. Fellowship Fund at Brown University. He was a member of and served as deacon and moderator at the United Congregational Church of Little Compton. In addition to his wife he is survived by 2 daughters: Joan Bohl and Leila Cornwell; 3 step-children: Jamie Greene and spouse Theodore, Dawn Nickerson and spouse Chris Douris and Robert Walker and partner Olivia Iglesias; 4 grandchildren: Courtney Bohl, Melissa Fontaine, Paige Greene and Kyle Greene. He was the father of the late Alison Cornwell. A celebration of life to which family and friends are invited to attend will be Saturday, May 21, 2011at 2:00 P.M. at United Congregational Church, On the Commons, Little Compton, RI. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Elmer E. Cornwell, Jr. Fellowship Fund, Brown University, P.O. Box 1893, Providence, RI 02912. Arrangements are under the direction of Potter Funeral Home, 81 Reed Road, Westport, MA.