Richard Cox

Richard Cox (1925–2015) proudly described himself as a “Professor of Political Philosophy.” He spent most of his life teaching at the University of Buffalo, the largest unit of the State University of New York. Cox’s service as an expert rifleman in World War II qualified him for GI Bill-sponsored study at Northwestern University, where he earned his BA (summa cum laude) and MA degrees.

Cox finished his doctorate in 1955 at the University of Chicago, writing his dissertation on Locke’s theory of international relations. He continued his career at Harvard, teaching there for two years, and at Berkeley, where he remained for six years. In 1963, Cox moved to Buffalo, where he became a founding member of the newly formed department of political science. His teaching focused on ancient and modern political philosophy, the relationship of political philosophy to poetry and history, and American constitutionalism.

His edited publications included Ideology, Politics and Political Theory (1969) and John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government (1982). Cox’s major book, Locke on War and Peace, appeared in 1960. The State in International Relations followed in 1965. In his preface to his edited volume Four Pillars of Constitutionalism, published in 1998, Cox examined what he called the founding “laws” of America. (These included the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance, and the Constitution.) He placed them in historical context, examined the leaders who introduced them, and discussed how and why these documents were given such an important place in the US Code. His 1979 speech honoring Millard Fillmore’s birthday lauded the 13th president whose rise to eminence “rested on sturdy familial moral education, personal talent, hard work, and not least, upon chance.” Fillmore was guided, Cox continued, “so far as was humanly possible, by a noble sense of seeking to effect the public good.”

Cox received several honors for his work. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, received a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship for study at Oxford, and a Fulbright scholarship for study in Lyon, France. Cox taught at the Naval War College twice, in 1967 and in 1987. He also took active roles in many community groups, including the Buffalo-Niagara Concert Band, First Presbyterian Church, and Parkside Lutheran Church.

His graduate students lauded his contributions to their learning. Professor Mary Bellhouse of Providence College praised his personal outreach and intellectual mentoring. “Richard and Margaret were always very kind to me, and I often recall their kindness. They had me to their homes for meals and company in Buffalo, Maine, and Newport, welcoming me as if I were one of the family. I’ve always thought that in some ways he taught me how to read…that is, to read at a very slow pace and notice all aspects of the bark on the trees, so to speak. I remember being shocked at first by how little reading he assigned in a graduate seminar…not yet understanding what can be accomplished by reading less. Oddly, I’ve never been able to restrain myself to that extent in designing my own courses.”

Stephen Krason of the Franciscan University of Steubenville offered similar thoughts. “My graduate studies under Richard Cox, which began forty years ago, motivated me to fundamentally rethink my understanding of politics and deepened my commitment to the high calling of the liberal arts of seeking truth. It is not an exaggeration to say that it had a profound effect in shaping my life—professionally, to be sure, but even personally—in the years afterwards. Richard was an outstanding teacher, very solicitous of his students, and as a man of integrity and faith an excellent personal example to them. I was truly privileged and am deeply grateful to have had him as a mentor.”

Gunnar Palsson, former Ambassador of Iceland to the United Nations, praised Cox’s mentoring. “Having read extensively in international relations, I thought of [joining Iceland’s foreign service] as an opportunity to get my hands dirty in the world of practical affairs, hopefully to return to the groves of academia a couple of years later. For better or for worse, this was not how things unfolded. Unlike the academic world, where one would seize upon a subject and ride it to the end, the world of diplomacy proved to be something of a whirlpool, where one ended up being thrown around from one area of speciality to the next. As a result one had better learn a little bit about many things, instead of delving too deeply into any one subject.”

Family solidarity was important to Cox. Once public school classes ended, he packed his wife, three sons, and two cats into a station wagon for the two-day drive to Maine and their summer home on Cranberry Island. The house remained in the family’s possession for 46 years.

Cox’s wife, the former Margaret Deems, died in 2002. Their three sons, Jonathan, Jeremy, and Richard as well as five of Cox’s six grandchildren, continue to live in the Buffalo area.

Stacey Hunter-Hecht

Stacey Hunter-Hecht passed away at forty-seven years of age on December 9, 2015, after a courageous struggle with cancer that lasted almost a year. She left behind a husband, a daughter, friends, colleagues, and many television viewers in Minnesota who will deeply miss her presence. Originally from western Pennsylvania, she earned an undergraduate honors degree in political science at Pennsylvania State University. She went on to complete a PhD in political science in 2001 under the supervision of Virginia Gray at the University of Minnesota. Her areas of specialization were American politics and political theory, and her dissertation was on social policy innovation in the United States.

While working on her PhD in 1997, Stacey was invited to teach as an adjunct at nearby Bethel University in St. Paul, a Christian liberal arts university. Recognizing her talent as an excellent teacher and colleague, the political science department hired her to teach full time, where she continued until her death. Teaching students about political science and helping them find their academic and career paths were her primary professional interests. She taught regular sections of American government as well as upper-level classes in the field.

Stacey quickly became a recognized leader at Bethel University. She was elected chair of the Faculty Senate in 2006–2007 and served well on numerous committees. She also effectively served as chair of the political science department at Bethel for about the last 10 years. Bethel University dean Barrett Fisher praised Stacey as an energetic and visionary leader of the department. She worked hard at maintaining relationships with alumni and other networks of people, out of which many internships and professional opportunities arose for students.

Stacey also ventured outside of her main field of teaching and had a strong commitment to cross cultural academic experiences. For instance, she hosted international students in her home, joined colleagues in leading study abroad trips to the Netherlands and to China, and hosted foreign students on the campus of Bethel University. Her interest in China grew out of personal experience in adopting a daughter from China in 2003. Stacey wanted her daughter to have the opportunity to know and enjoy Chinese culture and so introduced her to Chinese dance and became deeply involved in the local Chinese community. Eventually Stacey became actively involved in the Chinese American Association of Minnesota and its Chinese Dance Theater, serving as an advisory board member. She also devoted herself to learning the Chinese language.

Stacey had a deep commitment to mentoring students, often spending long hours with them in her office. One of her former students recently wrote that Stacey encouraged her to declare a political science major and was a big reason for why she was working in Congress today. Many other students have reported similar experiences in the wake of her passing. For example, another alumnus, Chris LaTondresse, also recently praised Stacey for her wise and helpful mentoring. He recently wrote that Stacey helped him see the connections between his faith and the common good and the “biblical call to social justice.” Thanks in large part to Stacey’s mentoring, LaTondresse went on to work with progressive evangelical leader Jim Wallis at Sojourners, and then later at USAID, after graduating from Bethel.

Stacey’s work with students went beyond the classroom in other ways as well. For instance, she helped students to establish a chapter of the Pi Sigma Alpha political science honors club on campus. Additionally she served as the pre-law advisor for students who were planning to attend law school after graduation. She took great pride in helping them make good decisions and prepare themselves.

One of her longtime colleagues, Bethel Professor Emeritus G. William Carlson, remembered her for her strong commitment to civil discourse. She showed this by organizing diverse panels on various topics as well as incorporating diverse perspectives into the classroom.

Although Stacey’s primary love was teaching and mentoring, she was also an active scholar, writing on religion and politics, social policy, and state politics. She wrote book reviews, contributed to edited book collections, acted as a peer reviewer, gave conference presentations, and contributed to ASPA sponsored events. In particular she really appreciated the several APSA Teaching and Learning Conferences in which she participated over the years, often incorporating ideas from them into her teaching. She took responsibility for writing one of the reports from a 2013 working group, published in PS: Political Science & Politics.

Stacey was a regular participant in a Twin Cities Public Television program called Almanac. She was a frequent contributor to a panel of political scientists providing commentary on national and state politics. As reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune the producer of the show, Brendan Henehan, said that she was always professional, thoughtful, non-partisan, and could be depended upon for her insights into American evangelicalism. Other panelists remarked that her comments and observations “kept them honest,” making them support their claims or opinions. As a result of her Almanac appearances Stacey became well-known and loved by many in the Minnesota television viewing area. Stacey was always humbled but pleased by the many people who would come up to her at places such as the grocery store and tell her that they recognized her and appreciated her insights. Finally, Stacey’s ability to explain political events also led her to participate in a local political theater project where political experts explained the election and improv actors performed their explanations!

Through her appearances on Almanac she became good friends with David Schultz, a professor of political science at Hamline University in St. Paul. They often arrived early to the show so that they could talk and share a range of ideas about politics, political science, current events, and their families. Their joint appearances on Almanac and friendship eventually lead them to collaborate on a book on presidential politics Presidential Swing States: Why Only Ten Matter (Lexington Books, 2015). They began working on the book before Stacey was ill, but even once she started cancer treatment she insisted on carrying her weight and working on the book. Even while ill, she read chapters and communicated with David and the book’s contributors. The book was completed and published, coming out only a few weeks before she died. Presidential Swing States was her first book, but it began a new chapter in Stacey’s career that would have marked her as a serious and developing scholar on presidential politics that drew both upon her insights about real politics she developed as a television commentator and her previous political science research and teaching.

Stacey was actively involved in the Twin Cities community in many other ways. In addition to her involvement with the Chinese community, she was an active member of Como Park Lutheran Church. She grew up in the Presbyterian tradition, but it was important to her to belong to a local neighborhood church community, and so happily joined the Lutherans.

Stacey’s demonstration of her faith commitment was always kind, charitable, and inclusive. It was also central to how she viewed politics: a realm of life affected by the darkness in our world, but also an important means for achieving the common good and protecting the vulnerable. At her funeral service, a dear friend and former student of Stacey’s, who graduated in 2002, Katie Keller Koch described how Stacey also believed deliberate acts of kindness and hospitality could make this world a better place. Indeed, Stacey practiced this hospitality both personally and professionally. Those of us who knew and worked with her will miss her greatly.

Michael J. Mitchell

It is with sadness that the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University (ASU) reports the death of Michael J. Mitchell an expert in Afro-Latino and Afro-Brazilian politics and culture, who died on October 27, 2015. He leaves a legacy of more than four decades of teaching and research.

Michael attended Fordham after graduating from Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx. A summer internship at the State Department led to a year abroad at Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago. The experiences of that year are reflected in his degree choice: a BA in inter-American studies awarded in 1965. Following graduation, he and his wife served in the Peace Corps in Hualpencillo, Chile. On their return Michael completed his MA in Latin American studies and his PhD in political science at Indiana University. Prior to arriving at ASU in 1989, he taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, and SUNY-Albany.

We especially remember him for his dedication to his students. His commitment to teaching was first recognized in 1990, when he was honored with the Outstanding Teaching Award in Political Science; he received the award again in 2001. In 1993, the Devils Advocates commended him for his outstanding contribution to the university community, and the following year the Associated Students of Arizona State University and the Sun Devil Club recognized his outstanding service and dedication to students with an award. The Graduate and Professional Student Association at ASU named him outstanding faculty mentor in 1996. And he received the Distinguished Teaching award from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1993, 2002, and again in 2007. He was a much admired and respected teacher who helped his students develop analytic and critical skills. He took great pains with students, and he took great pleasure in working with them.

As a scholar, Michael sought to understand the role of race in Brazilian politics and culture. His dissertation, “Racial Consciousness and Political Attitudes and Behavior of Blacks in Sao Paulo Brazil,” was required reading for every advanced student of the subject. David Covin, his long-time collaborator, notes that Michael “introduced four generations of scholars to the study of Afro-Brazilian politics.” He writes that Michael pioneered a research area thought impossible “before his dissertation and his landmark early articles.” This work was, according to Covin, “not only path-breaking, it was path-opening, revealing vistas for other scholars to explore and providing a sound base on which to do it.” Brazilian activists and scholars agreed; Eduardo de Oliveira, president of the National Afro-Brazilian Congress, wrote that Michael Mitchell “put together the greatest quality of work on the Black Movement in Brazil.”

Michael made a lasting impression in Brazil. Vanderli Salatiel, an Afro-Brazilian activist and professor of history, spoke at a memorial service in Tempe remembering Michael as “the great student and scholar of race relations in Brazil, with particular reference to the Black movement, beginning from the decade of the 1970s.” Luiza Bairros, who served in President Dilma Rousseff’s cabinet (and was the only Afro-Brazilian cabinet member), expressed her sorrow for this great loss. Joao Carlos Nogueira, Executive Coordinator of Afro-Brazilian Entrepreneurs, wrote that “it is with heavy hearts that we accept this news.” Unified Black Movement founder Milton Barbosa, said, “Our great brother died.”

Michael was also “the intellectual leader of the Race and Democracy in the Americas Project” conceiving its title. The project, which is focused on Brazil, has engaged scholars and activists throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.

Over his career he presented dozens of scholarly papers at professional conferences sponsored by groups as diverse as the American Political Science Association, the National Congress of Afro-Brazilian Researchers, the Universidade Federal da Bahia and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, and the Network of Brazilian Legal Professionals to Combat Racial Discrimination. Consistent with his efforts to be a “citizen of the world” these conferences and his research took him to places as diverse as Recife, Salvador, and Florianópolis in Brazil as well as Baton Rouge, Louisiana; San Francisco, California; and Washington, DC.

Michael had just completed six years of service as co-editor of the National Political Science Review. The journal is a refereed publication of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. David Covin, his co-editor, notes that Michael Mitchell was “meticulous about his work, and the NPSR was part of that body. He went to great lengths checking footnotes, references, quotes, and publication dates. It was not unusual for contributors … to get a note from Michael asking for specific corrections. He was … inventive, … advocated interdisciplinary approaches, … welcomed and encouraged guest editors, [and] launched a vigorous book review section.”

Michael was still very much engaged in his teaching and scholarship at the time of his death. In fact, we only now know the full extent of his role as a mentor as students learn of his passing and share their stories of how he kept them in school and turned their lives around. Our advisors have shared that they routinely sent troubled students to him knowing that he would take them under his wing. Michael served in this role quietly and without fanfare because it was the right thing to do. The faculty has therefore chosen to honor him by renaming the school’s faculty teaching award in his honor.

Those who knew Michael knew that he possessed a devilish sense of humor and an infectious joie de vivre. He reveled in opera, devoured political news, and loved riding his bike. He was a fan of the New York Giants, the Knicks, and the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers. He cherished the life of the mind. A steadfast friend to many, a mentor to many more, he gave freely of himself, always fighting for justice and for the underdog. Michael is survived by his wife of 50 years, a son, daughter and her husband and two granddaughters as well as cousins, a host of nieces, nephews and friends, and former students around the world.

Donald R. Songer

Political science and the law and courts community lost a prominent scholar, caring mentor, and esteemed friend. Donald R. Songer (Don) passed away on November 29, 2015, after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. A memorial service celebrating his life was held on December 3, 2015 at Ashland United Methodist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. Don is survived by his wife of 41 years, Valerie Marlow Songer; children Michael Johnson Songer (Erica) of Washington, DC; and Julie Songer Belman (Travis) of Winnsboro, South Carolina. He is also survived by his grandson, James Glenn Belman; brother, Richard Noble Songer (Carol); and numerous nieces and nephews.

Don was born in Miami, Florida, on March 20, 1945. He was a graduate and salutatorian of Miami High; was Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Florida, where he received his BA and MA in political science; and received his PhD in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He taught at Macon Junior College, Meredith College, and Oklahoma Baptist University before arriving to the University of South Carolina in 1986.

In many ways, Don Songer was a pioneer in the field of law and courts. At a time when most scholars conducted research exclusively on the US Supreme Court, he focused his attention on the US Courts of Appeals and encouraged others to follow his lead. He collected, and made public, the “US Courts of Appeals Database” that inspired a generation of scholars to examine how this institution affects judicial behavior. Not content to rest here, Songer then turned his attention to the blossoming field of comparative judicial politics and began conducting research on other common law courts, most specifically the Supreme Court of Canada. He, along with Stacia Haynie, Reginald Sheehan, and the late Neal Tate, produced the “High Courts Judicial Database” with case-level information for approximately 12 countries. His example helped other scholars broaden their research horizons beyond the United States in order to address fundamental questions about the rule of law in society.

Over the course of his 36-year career, Songer produced several books, including Decisions on the US Courts of Appeals (with Ashland Kuersten), Continuity and Change on the United States Courts of Appeals (with Reginald Sheehan and Susan Haire), The Transformation of the Supreme Court of Canada, Law, Ideology and Collegiality: Judicial Behavior in the Supreme Court of Canada (with Susan Johnson, C.L. Ostberg, and Matthew Wetstein), and The View from Bench and Chambers: Examining Judicial Process and Decision Making on the US Courts of Appeals (with Jennifer Barnes Bowie and John Szmer). Additionally, he published over 75 peer reviewed articles in journals such as the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Law & Society Review, the Justice System Journal, and the Journal of Law and Courts. To help support this research, Songer received almost $2 million in grants from institutions such as the National Science Foundation and the Canadian Embassy. Many of these articles are considered seminal pieces in the literature and have been cited by thousands scholars since their publication.

Don mentored several graduate students at the University of South Carolina, chairing or co-chairing 19 dissertation committees and serving on countless others. Many of these students now hold faculty positions at prominent colleges and universities across the United States. Because of Don’s dedication to graduate education, the public law program at USC has been repeatedly ranked as one of the top five programs in the country. He also cared about undergraduate education, directing 13 honor’s college theses and serving on countless other committees as well as offering over 40 independent studies classes.

As a result of his prolific scholarship and dedicated mentoring, Don Songer received countless awards. The most notable of which is the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association. In his nomination packet for this award, one of his former students said, “Don is passionate about science. He is intrigued by puzzles and enjoys the process of science. I suspect he sees himself as a student first and it was by looking at him that I learned academia was not about reaching a destination, but that it is about entering into a constant discourse. His curiosity is contagious and he cultivates his students’ curiosity by involving them in his research right away.” In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, Don earned numerous awards from USC, including the Mortar Board Excellence in Teaching Award (1993, 2003, 2008, and 2014), the Michael A. Hill Honors College Outstanding Faculty Award, and the USC Educational Foundation Award for Research in the Social Sciences and Humanities.

With all of these accomplishments, one could easily conclude that Don Songer spent his life consumed by political science. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. He was active in the community and loved to travel, visiting all 50 states and hiking through most of the national parks in the United States. Don spent numerous nights repeatedly serving as a coach for his son’s various athletic teams, especially soccer and basketball. He also started participating in local community theater in order to spend more time with his daughter. This passion for acting continued long after she graduated high school and he appeared in over 30 shows. His favorite roles were Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond, Father in Cheaper by the Dozen, and Pirate in Peter Pan.

In Volume 37:1 of the Justice System Journal (2016), editor Mark Hurwitz of Western Michigan University writes the following in his Editor’s Notes for an issue dedicated to Don Songer. “Even though Don was not my advisor, I considered him as a mentor, as he was always willing to provide advice, encouragement, data, and more. Furthermore, I know I am not the only one to feel this way. Don was a towering figure in the field, having published seminal and numerous scholarship on the federal courts, particularly the US Courts of Appeals as well as comparative courts.”

Don Songer was a scholar, a teacher, a mentor, a colleague, a friend, and to many (especially his graduate students) a second father. The world is a little darker without his light to shine the way, but he is in a better place where there is no pain. Meanwhile his passion for science and teaching, his generosity and warmth, and his remarkable “Songer Smile” are greatly missed by all who knew him.