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Richard E. Neustadt
Commemoration Page
I placed the following brief statement in U.S. Presidency Links -
Russell D. Renka today upon hearing of the death of Dick Neustadt at age 84. Be tuned for
additional material commemorating his life and scholarship. These will be posted here as they emerge.
Neustadt, Richard E. (d. 10/31/03): The patron saint of presidential scholarship, Richard E. Neustadt, died on Friday, October 31,
2003 at the age of 84. See
Guardian Unlimited The Guardian: Richard Neustadt for an obituary by Godfrey
Hodgson dated November 3. (Thanks to Fred Greenstein for this message.)
Be tuned soon to other, more extended statements of the great impact Neustadt
had on scholarship on the presidency and on political leadership.
Neustadt's passing was also cited in the New York Times at
Richard E. Neustadt, Historian Who Advised Three Presidents, Dies at 84.
He was, of course, a political scientist, and a preeminent one at that.
The professional accreditations of the NYT are occasionally blind to
distinctions of this kind.
The memorial service for Richard E. Neustadt
was held at Harvard's Memorial Church on Thursday, April 15, 2004.
The service is at 5:00 pm at Harvard's Memorial Church.
Thank you to Susan A. Elliott for alerting us to this. She worked for
Professor Neustadt over thirty years ago in the beginning days of the Institute
of Politics and the first year of the Public Policy Program at Harvard.
Richard Neustadt's benevolent influence remains with us all.
RDR, 4/5/04
Message on Memorial Service of 15 April 2004 by Susan
A. Elliott, transmitted to me via e-mail on April 20:
Dear Mr. Renka:
The memorial service for Richard E. Neustadt, at Harvard's Memorial Church,
reflected the great extent to which he was respected and loved in the Harvard
community. Lawrence Summers, the President of Harvard University, reminisced
about his long friendship with Professor Neustadt and stated that Harvard had
intended to award him an honorary degree in June of 2004. Other speakers were
Joseph Nye, Jr., Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government; Professor
Neustadt's widow, The Right Honorable Shirley Williams; Roger B. Porter, IBM
Professor of Business and Government; the Honorable Joshua Gotbaum; Mrs. Margot
C. Lindsay; Ernest R. May, Charles Warren Professor of American History; and
Graham T. Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government. The speakers
emphasized Prof. Neustadt's unique contributions to political science; his
special qualities as a colleague and teacher; his important role in helping
found the Kennedy School of Government and the Institute of Politics; and his
wonderful sense of humor and wisdom as a compassionate friend. Former
Vice-President Albert Gore, Jr. gave a heart-felt tribute to the man who gave
him a "private" weekly tutorial in political science when he was an
undergraduate at Harvard, and who persuaded him to change his major from English
to Government. Mr. Gore conveyed his recognition that his friendship with
Richard Neustadt changed his life, and that the friendship and Professor
Neustadt's counsel continued throughout his career in public service. Finally,
Dick Neustadt's daughter, Elizabeth, told humorous stories of growing up in the
Neustadt household. There was a reception that followed the service at the Forum
at the JFK School.
I am sorry that you were not able to be at the service. You would have found
it very moving, as did all those who filled Memorial Church.