100 Years of Political Science PhDs
Last year marked a major milestone in the political science department. 2024 was the 100th Anniversary of the very first Political Science PhD granted from WashU. Over the last year we've been collecting names and information on every Political Science PhD graduated from WashU. Below is a list of the names we've been able to find. Some feature links to biographies, obituaries, and more to show the success and interesting stories our graduates have amassed.
If you or a loved one is on this list, we'd love to hear from you! Every graduate that has passed through our department has contributed something great, and we'd love to note it. At the bottom of the page is a link to a survey you can fill out to provide us with more information. This page is a living document that will be updated as information is received.
John Albert Tillema -- 1924
- Professor of political science at George Washington University (GW) for 30 years
- Name professor emeritus at GW in 1952
- Received bachelor and masters of law from GW and doctor of juridicial science from Harvard
George Angell Andrews -- 1932
Averam Burton Bender -- 1932
George W. Coleman -- 1939
John Samuel Myers -- 1939
Chester Ferrel Heady Jr -- 1940
Walter Otto Forster -- 1942
Carl Anton Dauten -- 1944
Donald Leslie Foley -- 1948
- Dual degree in Sociology and Political Science
William Nisbet Chambers -- 1949
- Progressed from Lecturer to Professor in the WashU Political Science department until 1964
- He then transferred from the Political Science Department to the History Department and served as Department Chair from November 1964 to January 1965, greatly helping develop that department’s graduate program.
- In 1967 he was awarded the Edward Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professorship.
Merle Kling -- 1949
- Joined the WUSTL faculty in 1946 as a lecturer in political science.
- After completing his Ph.D., he was named assistant professor in 1950, associate professor in 1954, and full professor in 1961.
- Served two terms as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (1966–69 and 1973–76), then became the University’s provost in 1976 and its executive vice chancellor in 1980. In 1983, Dr. Kling retired from Washington University.
Walter Ehrlich -- 1950
- Taught history at University City High School and Horton Watkins Ladue High School
- Professor at University of Missouri-St. Louis where he was eventually named Professor Emeritus.
William Clark Breckenridge Lambert -- 1950
Joseph Robert Verby -- 1950
- Taught at Webster Groves High School and WashU
- Became Associate Principal of Webster Groves High School after teaching for 7 years. Retired from Webster Groves High School after 38 years of service.
Thomas Dean Adams -- 1951
Homer Floyd Young -- 1951
Evelyn Candace Cox -- 1954 - First Female PhD
Donald Charles Mundinger -- 1956
- Professor of Political Science at Valparaiso University
- Became Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Valparaiso
- Became President of Illinois College and retired in 1993
Samuel Halperin -- 1956
- Long time leader on education policy in the Johnson presidency
- Assistant U.S. Commissioner of Education for Legislation
- He helped craft the Higher Education Acts of 1963 and 1965
- Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1966
- Served as Executive Director of Washington-based Institute of Educational Leadership from 1974-1981
- Founded the American Youth Policy Forum
Victor Kenneth Heyman -- 1957
- Taught Political Science at Marshall University
- Became Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in 1961
- Became Director of Evaluations for the Health Resources and Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Robert Liedel Rothweiler -- 1960
- Longtime Professor at Colorado State and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Noah Lucatz -- 1961
- Professor at Southern Illinois University
- Research associate at Hebrew University in Jerusalem
Donald Charles Flesche -- 1962
- Professor at Kalamazoo College
- Announcer for Kalamazoo College sports for over 40 years and has been inducted into the Kalamazoo College Athletic Hall of Fame
- Kalamazoo College has honored him with the Donald C. Flesche Lecture Series
Frank Dinka -- 1963
- Long time Professor at Missouri State University
- Started the Missouri State soccer club in 1967 and guided it to Division I status in 1982
- Retired in 1986 and was inducted into the Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame
Joseph Power Kelly -- 1963
- Served as Executive Secretary of Montana's Democratic Party
- Managed several campaigns of Democratic candidates for governor and for U.S. Congress
- Became Vice President and Director of Development at Webster University in 1965
- Moved to Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty before becoming Provost of Webster University
Govind Manik Kulkarni -- 1963
Margaret Ann Soderberg -- 1963
- Assistant Professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University
- Became Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Eastern Illinois and Chair of the Department
- Moved to Vice President of Academic Affairs at North Adams State College (now Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts)
Lattie Finch Coor -- 1964
- Professor at WashU before becoming Vice Chancellor
- Became 21st President of University of Vermont in 1976
- Moved to President of Arizona State University in 1989 until his retirement in 2002
- Stayed on at Arizona State as professor and Ernest W. McFarland Chair in Leadership and Public Policy
- Co-Founded Center for the Future of Arizona
Charles William Wiggins -- 1964
- Professor at Iowa State University
- While a professor, became Intergovernmental Relations Specialist in the EPA office in Kansas City
- Became Professor and head of Master of Public Administration program at Texas A&M until he retired in 1999
John Joseph Grotpeter -- 1965
- Professor of Politics and History for 31 years at St. Louis College of Pharmacy
- Directed the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Theater program and is credited with establishing the program
- Also taught courses at St. Louis University and Webster
Huey Carl Camp -- 1965
- Professor at University of Nebraska-Omaha and became chair of the department
- Co-founded the Third World Studies Conference (later named the Global Studies Conference)
- Four-time President of University Faculty Senate at UNO
Bryan Trevor Downes -- 1966
- Professor at San Francisco State, Michigan State, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and University of Oregon-Eugene
- Became Department Head at University of Oregon-Eugene
Roger Wayne Benjamin -- 1967
- Professor at University of Minnesota
- Became Associate Dean of College of Liberal Arts at University of Minnesota
- Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost at University of Pittsburgh
- Transferred back to University of Minnesota to be Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost while being professor
- Retired and became Director of RAND Education and a Senior Research Scientist at RAND
- Then President and CEO of Council for Aid to Education
Donald Denis Searing -- 1967
- Distinguished Professor of Political Science at University of North Carolina
- Honorary Professor at University of London and University of Glasgow
Alvin Rabushka -- 1968
- Served on Ronald Reagan's Tax Policy Task Force in 1980
- David and Joan Traitel Senior Fellow, Emeritus at Hoover Institution
- In 2007 became a Distinguished Alumnus of Arts & Sciences at WashU
Charles Spencer Bullock III -- 1968
- Richard B. Russell Professor of Political Science and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor at University of Georgia
Howard Ray Childers -- 1970
Daniel Aram Mazmanian -- 1970
- Professor at University of Michigan
- Became Dean of the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan
- Then became Professor of Policy, Planning and Development, L. Piper Dean, and Professor Emeritus at University of Southern California - Price
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation since 1994
William Paul Browne -- 1971
- Longtime Professor at Central Michigan University
Shirley Jo Verschleiser Holtzman -- 1971
Carl Douglas Tubbesing -- 1971
- Professor in the Government and Public Affairs Department at Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville from 1969 to 1975
- Joined staff at the National Conference of State Legislatures eventually becoming Deputy Executive Director until his retirement in 2010.
Jane Elizabeth Decker -- 1971
- Founding faculty member of University of North Florida
- Established the Center for Local Government to provide professional development for local government officials in the northeast Florida region
- She also founded Venture Theatre and directed UNF's first dramatic productions
- Relocated to University of Washington-Bothell in 1990 to become a founding faculty member
- She held many important academic roles as the first Program Director of Liberal Studies, Professor in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences undergraduate program (formerly Liberal Studies), and in the Master of Arts in Policy Studies program.
- She also became Associate Dean for Academic Planning, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Acting Dean, and Acting Director of the Nursing Program
Albert Raymond Trost Jr. -- 1971
- Longtime Professor at Valparaiso University
- Became department chair and then Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences before retiring in 2006
Richard Edward DeLeon -- 1972
- Longtime Professor at San Francisco State University
- Established the Public Research Institute at San Francisco State University
- Became a popular progressive scholar on the West Coast
Virginia Sue Hickman Gray -- 1972
- Began as Assistant Professor at University of Kentucky in 1972
- Moved to University of Minnesota in 1973 where she started as Assistant Professor and moved to full Professor (1983) and then Professor Emeritus (2001)
- Became Robert Watson Winston Distinguished Professor of Political Science at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (2001)
- Visiting Professor at University of British Columbia, Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Nankai University (China), and University of Oslo
Ruth Leonora Horowitz -- 1972
- Longtime Professor at University of Washington until retirement in 2001
Joan Garstens Franklin -- 1972
Karl Theodore Kurtz -- 1972
- Faculty member at University of Georgia
- Joined National Conference of State Legislatures in 1975 and worked there until his retirement in 2014
- Was Director of the Trust for Representative Democracy for National Conference of State Legislatures
- Became Principal of Legis Matters, a consulting firm focused on strengthening democratic institutions at home and abroad
Donald Irving Ostrom -- 1972
- Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College from 1972-2004
- Elected as a four-term member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (1989-1996)
- Became a Visiting Professor of Political Science at St. Olaf College
Gayle Pendelton White Jackson -- 1972
- Fulbright Scholar
- Assistant Professor at WashU
- Worked as a Market Analyst at Purina
- Became Regional Representative and Secretary of Commerce at the US Department of Commerce in Kansas City
- Was Deputy Chairman of the Federal Reserve in St. Louis
- Held numerous positions in the Energy Sector such as Director of Corporate Planning at Peabody Coal Company, Vice President of Premier Coal Sales Company, Chair of the Board of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement
- Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Women Corporate Directors, St. Louis Chapter
Darlene Leona Boroviak -- 1972
- Longtime Professor at Wheaton College for 43 years until retirement from teaching in 2013
- During her time at Wheaton she served as Dean of the College (1979–1983), Dean of the Faculty (1987–1991), Acting Provost (1990–1991), and Title IX Coordinator (2013–2016)
Mary Alice Owens -- 1972
John Robert Gist -- 1973
- Assistant Professor at University of Illinois-Springfield (1973) and University of Georgia (1974-1978)
- Associate Professor at Virginia Tech (1978-1987)
- Became Senior Analyst, Associate Director, then Senior Advisor Fiscal and Economic Affairs at the AARP Public Policy Institute (1987-2009)
- Transferred to George Washington University to become Research Professor of Public Policy (2009)
George Howard Poteat -- 1973
- Spent several years teaching soldiers in the US Army including as Associate Professor and Academic Program Director at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg
Frederic Teitelbaum -- 1973
- Spent many years in the healthcare field including at Express Scripts where he was Vice President of Research and Planning and Vice President of Outcomes, Research and Cost Management
Louis Pearce Westefield -- 1973
- Longtime Professor at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
John Howard Bing -- 1974
- Assistant Professor at University of Georgia
- Longtime Professor at Heidelberg College
- Special Assistant to the President and Professor of Humanities at American University of Malta
Roger Paul Nye -- 1974
- Completed postdoctoral courses in international trade and finance at the University of Southern California and at New York University
- Lead a team in the International Evaluation department at Atlantic Richfield Company in Los Angeles devoted to global intelligence and strategic planning
- He worked for five years at Moody's Investors Service as a Senior Analyst in the Sovereign Risk Unit
- Founded Global Investment Advisors, Inc., a capital markets consulting firm, in 1991, and served as president
Carolyn Teich Adams -- 1974
- Longtime Professor at Temple University - 30 years
- Held numerous leadership positions at Temple University including chair of the Department of Geography and Urban Studies, President of the University Faculty Senate, and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Karen Smith Dawson -- 1974
Daniel Montzingo Berman -- 1974
- Post-doc at Boston University
- Lecturer at San Francisco State University School of Business
- Served as the Director of the Occupational Health Project at the Medical Committee for Human Rights
- Helped organize Committees on Safety and Health in multiple US cities
- Founder of Asbestos Victims of America
- Staff member for the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Worker's union
Laurily Keir Epstein -- 1974
- Faculty at WashU before moving to Rutgers University
- Spent multiple years at NBC News in New York working on polling and election predictions
Nolan Eugene Jones -- 1975
- Longtime staff member of the National Governors' Association
- Group Director, Human Resources Group, National Governors' Association
- Deputy Director of the Office of Federal Relations, National Governors' Association
Robert Jacob Kerstein -- 1975
- Longtime professor at University of Tampa
Jan Edmund Mabie -- 1975
- Longtime professor at Georgia College & State eventually becoming chair of the Political Science department
- President of the Georgia Political Science Association
Benjamin Lincoln Crosby -- 1976
- Director of MSI and managed the Implementing Policy Change Project at USAID
Kenneth Dan Wald -- 1976
- Distinguished Professor of Political Science Emeritus and the Samuel R. “Bud” Shorstein Professor Emeritus of American Jewish Culture and Society at the University of Florida
- Chair of the Political Science Department at University of Florida
- Director of the Center of Jewish Studies
- 2011 Teacher/Scholar of the Year at University of Florida
- Co-creator and co-editor of the Cambridge Studies in Social Theory, Religion and Politics
Kenneth Francis Cook -- 1976
Carol Weitzl Kohfeld -- 1976
- Longtime professor at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) of public policy analysis and criminal justice policy
- Professor Emeritus at UMSL
Warren Lee Kostroski -- 1976
- Faculty member of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
- Tenured Assistant Professor at Wittenberg University
- Visiting Assistant Professor at University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana