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Samuel L. Braddock, director of the new Troy University Polygraph Center (http://atlanta.troy.edu/contentpage.cfm?whatpage=Polygraph%20Center) in Atlanta, Georgia appears to be the latest in a series of polygraph "professionals" to have held themselves out to the public as possessing a Ph.D. degree despite never having earned such from a regionally accredited university. (Other faux Ph.D.s we've exposed include prominent polygraph operators Ed Gelb (https://antipolygraph.org/articles/article-036.shtml), Michael Martin (https://antipolygraph.org/articles/article-047.shtml), and James Allan Matte (https://antipolygraph.org/articles/article-046.shtml).)

Until recently, Braddock was the director of the now defunct Skyhawk Polygraph Institute, an American Polygraph Association "accredited" school associated with Sauk Valley Community College (http://www.svcc.edu) in Dixon, Illinois. While at Skyhawk Polygraph Institute, Braddock described himself thus in his on-line biography, as cached by Internet Archive's WayBack Machine in 2005:

Quotehttp://web.archive.org/web/20051204013707/www.svcc.edu/polygraph/director.html

About the Director

Samuel L. Braddock, Ph.D., MS, MA, BS

Dr. Braddock has over 30 years in law enforcement/counterintelligence with over 20 years experience in the field of forensic psychophysiology (polygraph Science). He is retired from the U.S. Army and early deferred retirement from civil services. Dr. Braddock has worked for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Office of Special Investigation (OSI), National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI), and the National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO). In the private sector, he has been a polygraph school curriculum coordinator and Director.

Similarly, a page from the Axciton International Academy archived in 2000 also describes Braddock as a Ph.D.:

Quotehttp://web.archive.org/web/20000830072005/http://www.axciton.com/Training,+AIA.htm

Dr. Samuel Braddock (Instructor) has a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Management, M.S. in Polygraph Science (Forensic Psychophysiology), M.A. in Administration of Criminal Justice and a B.S. in Behavior Science. He is a retired Army Officer having served with The Special Forces and the Criminal Investigation Command. He served with the Office of Special Investigation, US Air Force, National Security Agency, Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. He has 26 years experience in Criminal and Counterintelligence investigations. He was an instructor at DoDPI for eight years and has lectured to various State, DoDPI, Federal and International Agencies. Dr. Braddock has been involved in numerous research projects and has developed advanced training programs in the field of polygraph. He is a member of the American Polygraph Association and numerous other professional associations.

The website of the Illinois Polygraph Society still describes Braddock as a Ph.D. in its list of directors for 2006:

Quotehttp://www.illinoispolygraphsociety.org/directors.htm

2006 Elected Directors and Board Members

President      Roy Derby
Vice President      Michael Kelmer
Secretary      Deanne Theodore
Treasurer      Chuck Holm
Board Member      Thomas Ivey
Board Member      William Straughn
Board Member      Dr. Sam Braddock
Board Member      Michael Campise
Consul      Sergio Parisi

However, a search of ProQuest's authoritative list of doctoral dissertations awarded by accredited degree-granting institutions in the United States includes no dissertation by a Samuel Braddock.

Perhaps tellingly, it appears that Braddock has ceased describing himself as a Ph.D., at least on the Troy University website, where his official biography reads:

Quotehttp://atlanta.troy.edu/miscfiles/faculty_bios.cfm#braddock

MR. SAMUEL L. BRADDOCK

Mr. Braddock (M.S., M.A., B.S.) has over 35 years in law enforcement/counterintelligence with over 28 years involved in the field of forensic psychophysiology (polygraph science). He is retired from the U.S. Army (Special Forces/CID) and early deferred retirement from civil service. Mr. Braddock has worked for the U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID); Office of Special Investigation (OSI), U. S. Air Force; National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI); and the National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO). In the private sector, he has been a polygraph school curriculum coordinator and school director. Mr. Braddock retired as a Professor of Criminal Justice from Sauk Valley Community College and now is the Program Coordinator/Lecturer at Troy University - Atlanta.

Nonetheless, a person who would for years fraudulently pass himself off as a Ph.D. has no business assessing the honesty and integrity of others, or pretending to teach others how to do so.

It is also worth noting that although the Troy University Polygraph Center website states that it "offers a 400 hour basic polygraph program with the established standards required by the American Polygraph Association," the school is not currently included on the American Polygraph Association's list of accredited schools (http://www.polygraph.org/schools.cfm).

UPDATE: PolygraphPlace.com indicates in its list of "Polygraph Schools and Lie Detection Institutions" (http://www.polygraphplace.com/docs/schools.htm) that the Troy University Polygraph Center is "APA Accredited."

UPDATE: A PDF file containing web pages cited above is now attached.

Considering the doubtful nature of Sam Braddock's claim to be a Ph.D., I wonder whether any of our readers might be in a position to verify his continuing claim to have been Special Forces (http://www.bragg.army.mil/specialforces/)?

Quotehttp://web.archive.org/web/20000830072005/http://www.axciton.com/Training,+AIA.htm

Dr. Samuel Braddock (Instructor) has a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Management, M.S. in Polygraph Science (Forensic Psychophysiology), M.A. in Administration of Criminal Justice and a B.S. in Behavior Science. He is a retired Army Officer having served with The Special Forces and the Criminal Investigation Command. He served with the Office of Special Investigation, US Air Force, National Security Agency, Department of Defense Polygraph Institute, and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. He has 26 years experience in Criminal and Counterintelligence investigations. He was an instructor at DoDPI for eight years and has lectured to various State, DoDPI, Federal and International Agencies. Dr. Braddock has been involved in numerous research projects and has developed advanced training programs in the field of polygraph. He is a member of the American Polygraph Association and numerous other professional associations.

Quotehttp://atlanta.troy.edu/miscfiles/faculty_bios.cfm#braddock

MR. SAMUEL L. BRADDOCK

Mr. Braddock (M.S., M.A., B.S.) has over 35 years in law enforcement/counterintelligence with over 28 years involved in the field of forensic psychophysiology (polygraph science). He is retired from the U.S. Army (Special Forces/CID) and early deferred retirement from civil service. Mr. Braddock has worked for the U. S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID); Office of Special Investigation (OSI), U. S. Air Force; National Security Agency (NSA), Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI); and the National Reconnaissance Organization (NRO). In the private sector, he has been a polygraph school curriculum coordinator and school director. Mr. Braddock retired as a Professor of Criminal Justice from Sauk Valley Community College and now is the Program Coordinator/Lecturer at Troy University - Atlanta.

George,

You've disregarded a very important member of the Ph.D club.

*** Dr G Baker Ph.D ***
   'Baker International'

BTW: Ph. D = Phony Doctorate

E. Gary Baker has been addressed here (https://antipolygraph.org/forum/index.php?topic=2365.msg16684#msg16684). This thread concerns only Mr. Braddock. But at some point, we'll have to compile a master list. ;)

Quote from: George W. Maschke on Sep 14, 2007, 12:22 AMConsidering the doubtful nature of Sam Braddock's claim to be a Ph.D., I wonder whether any of our readers might be in a position to verify his continuing claim to have been Special Forces (http://www.bragg.army.mil/specialforces/)?

George, I believe that information would be available to a member of the general public who files a FOIA request.  Per the website for the National Personnel Records Center:

QuoteThe public has access to certain military service information without the veteran's authorization (or that of the next-of-kin of deceased veterans).  Examples of information which may be available from Official Military Personnel Files without an unwarranted invasion of privacy include:

   * Name
   * Service Number
   * Dates of Service
   * Branch of Service
   * Rank and Date of Rank
   * Salary *
   * Assignments and Geographical Locations
   * Source of Commission *
   * Military Education
   * Promotion Sequence Number *
   * Awards and decorations (Eligibility only, not actual medals)
   * Duty Status
   * Photograph
   * Transcript of Court-Martial Trial
   * Place of entrance and separation

So, yeah.  If this bastard wasn't in the special forces, that information should be easily obtainable.

Oh, and I highly recommend compiling all of the fake credentials information into one place; that will amplify the effect and make it apparent that the problem is systematic with these animals that we're dealing with.  In fact, I suggested this in another thread (https://antipolygraph.org/forum/index.php?topic=3655.msg25437#msg25437).  Great minds think alike, eh George?

Wow,

Calling the guy a bastard is ballsy.
hope your daddy got money when
old Sammy comes for you.

Quote from: 1904 on Sep 20, 2007, 03:50 AMWow,
Calling the guy a bastard is ballsy.
hope your daddy got money when
old Sammy comes for you.

Calling someone a bastard is hardly a federal offense.  Anyway, I'm not afraid of the government, they should be afraid of me (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff169586.html).

tell me if going to Troy University to get a polygraph certification is the wrong thing to do. I'm signed up to go in the Spring and work with Sam Braddock. :

Kaykay,

Sounds like a fine idea.  

Don't listen to the cry babies on this board.  They just want to make the world safe for child molesters and terrorists!

Are you interested in government or private work?

TC

Sam's course is not an easy one.  He's a hard instructor, but truly wants you to know all the information you need to understand the basic fundamentals or Polygraph.  The first half of the course is the toughest; once you get past that, things get very interesting.  

There will be times when you may think Sam is being difficult or a nitpicker, he is.  This is really to your benefit.  He is not only teaching you about polygraph he is toughing you up to deal with a backstabbing cutthroat industry.  Looking at things 20/20 I can see that now.

Listen to everything he says, pay attention to the other instructors, and ask questions.  You'll leave with a lot of useful information that you will utilize in the field.    

If you have a sponsor, spend time with him/her in the office.  Listen to what is going on around you and you will go to school with a leg up.  

People can say what they want about Sam.  I wasn't a fan of Sam when I was there, but after a few years I noticed that I was prepared for almost anything an examinee could throw at me.  I don't know about his PhD nor honestly do I care.  I do know that I wouldn't have traded my experiences (other than the cold weather) in Dixon for anything in the world.  Sam was talking about moving back down south during my course and it looks like he was able to do that.  He's a very decent guy when you talk to him one on one and he has quality guest instructors.  Knowing what I know now after a few years in the field, there are only three people in the industry that I would run into a burning building for; my sponsor, Backster, and Sam.  There are about three I would think about it.  The rest of them can wait until I am done toasting my marshmallows. Pay particular attention to the guy I heard he brings in for the analog class, the man is a walking history book.  

Good luck in your studies and beware Black Mondays.  

One more word of advice, when you get back from school pay attention to what your sponsor has to teach out too.  Polygraph school teaches you about polygraph.  In the real world after school, your sponsor will teach you to be a polygraph examiner.

You picked a great school.

Listen, learn and leave.

Quote from: George_Maschke on Aug 18, 2008, 05:51 PM
Listen to everything he says, pay attention to the other instructors, and ask questions.  You'll leave with a lot of useful information that you will utilize in the field.    

What's the use of asking a polygrapher questions?  All you'll get back is lies--at best.  They'll say stuff like "That's a good question.  But you could never understand the answer, so stop bothering me."  Or "That's a good question.  I'm not going to answer it, even though I know the answer, but if you keep doing research that doesn't involve asking people who know the answer, maybe you'll eventually figure it out, but hopefully not."  

So, here are some questions for polygraphers:

• If the polygraph's accuracy is not effected by what an examinee knows or thinks about the polygraph, why do polygraphers go to such lengths to control what examinees know and think about the polygraph?
  
• Why don't government agencies reveal what percentage of applicants and current employees pass their polygraph exams?
  
• Why do polygraphers flat out lie about how accurate the polygraph is? (See also first question above)
  
• Why haven't polygraphers demonstrated their claimed ability to be able to reliably detect countermeasures?
  
• If polygraphers really can detect countermeasures so easily, as they claim they can, why are they so worried about people learning about them?

There are some questions for you.  I'd suggest this common polygrapher "answer": "It's not my job to answer your questions.  Go away."  Which raises yet one more question I'd like to put to you:

• Why doesn't any polygrapher--even just one in the whole world--answer any of the above questions?  Why isn't there just one website on the whole internet where polygraphers can point curious people to for real answers?
  

Note that an answer to any of the above must be both <i>true</i> and reasonably complete.  Polygraphers seem to think they've answered a question if they give a straight up lie to it or (more commonly) if they give some half truth that conceals more than it reveals.  They also like to pat themselves on the back if they answer the question they wish they'd been asked instead of the one that they actually were asked.  I guess they figure they're doing the questioner a favor that way.  I think that's how they justify a lot of what they do: we know better than anyone else so we're justified in lying to them.  That's called arrogance.

So, a polygrapher answer questions to someone who doesn't have a vested pecuniary and professional interest in keeping the truth under wraps?  Ha!  It'll be a cold day in the place where every polygrapher belongs before that will happen.

P.S. I still think Sam is a total bastard.

Why does it matter if he does or does not have PH.D? This whole matter is a waste of time. No one is making anyone take a course from Sam Braddock. I know everyone is entitled to his/her opinions but discuss something worth talking about.

Quote from: Peaches on Dec 18, 2008, 12:57 AMWhy does it matter if he does or does not have PH.D?

Perhaps you should ask Sam Braddock. It mattered enough to him that he chose to misrepresent himself as a Ph.D.

QuoteThis whole matter is a waste of time. No one is making anyone take a course from Sam Braddock. I know everyone is entitled to his/her opinions but discuss something worth talking about.

Don't you think anyone choosing to take a course from Sam Braddock might want to know about Braddock's history of claiming unearned academic accomplishments? This is, by the way, precisely the sort of dishonest behavior for which a law enforcement or intelligence agency applicant facing a pre-employment polygraph examination would be disqualified for life.

The way I see it he is not the only one in this situation. I have done a little research on him and he seems to be one of the best in the business. If he was a big fraud he would have been caught, in my opinion. The school he is teaching at in Atlanta is said to be one of the best schools around. I have nothing against the man. He's going to get paid no matter what anyone says on this site.

Dear Patches.

So "he is not the only one in this situation."  He has not only got his hand caught in the cookie jar, he has it caught in an out and out lie concerning a professional credential.  This is not some little mistake.  He proferred a lie to infer that he is an expert in a field in which he is not.  Once one lies about ones factual background, it leads to impeachment about everything that one has sworn or attested to.  He lied.  He has no credibility not based on inference but based on the concrete fact that his facts have been disproven.  This is the type of factual information that a judge and jury will give credence to when presented as such.  

Regards.

His credibility when testifying in court regarding polygraph matters is severly compromised by this.  And, as an extension, if the polygrapher who goes to his school ends up in court, the program can be attacked, and the owner of the school can't very well vouch for the ability of the poligrapher now, can he?  If I were looking for a polygraph school to attend, I would not touch this one with a 10 foot nose...

I find it funny that this person has the same name (not really that far fetched) and "service record" (a little harder to believe) as one Samuel W. Braddock, a former character of the Canadian TV Show Flashpoint. Samuel W was also in Special Forces (Canadian of course) and reached the rank of Master Corporal before he took an early leave. Some of this sound familiar? Is life imitating art or the other way around?  :-/