Author Robert B. Parker Dies

robert parker wrote without file jobs as a sports reporter, Democrats, Republicans, notes, without Pakistan a television talk show host, and the NAACP to defeat the outlines, without Honors Najam and a national environmental Supreme Court confirmation even a story line in expert. He left Pakistan to of a Nixon nominee accused his head. He would Country’s highest pursue an engineering degree of repeatedly ruling in favor start each book, civilian honor is at MIT. of segregation. he told Bostonia conferred His research focuses President , in 2005, with an on issues of global public in presenting the medal to opening premise, policy, especially those re- Brooke, said, “Today’s honor hoping it would AS PART of Pakistan’s annual lated to South Asia, Muslim bears a unique significance: lead to chapter two Independence Day bestowal countries, the environment, bestowed by this body of and hoping chapter of honors, President Asif Ali and development. He was a which he was an esteemed two would lead to Zardari conferred the honor lead author for the third and member; presented in this chapter three. In- of Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Ex- fourth assessments of the place where he moved the arc evitably it did, and cellence) on Adil Najam, BU’s Intergovernmental Panel on of history; surrounded by so over thirty-seven Frederick S. Pardee Professor , work for many, myself included, who years, it led to sixty- of Global Public Policy. On which the panel was awarded have followed the trail that five books. August 14 he was awarded the 2007 . he blazed.” Parker (GRS’57, the civil decoration, one of brendan Gauthier (com’11) The Congressional Gold ’71), who had do- the nation’s highest, for his Medal, the highest civilian nated his papers contributions to, and public Alum Awarded honor bestowed by the na- and drafts to BU’s service in, the field of global tion’s legislative branch, has Howard Gotlieb environment and develop- Congressional been awarded only 150 times Archival Research ment policy. Gold Medal since 1776, when the Second Center, died of a A College of Arts & Sci- Continental Congress pre- heart attack on ences professor of interna- Edward Brooke’s sented it to its first recipient, January 19, 2010, tional relations and of ge- legacy of equal George Washington. Other while sitting at his ography and environment, rights lauded winners include Thomas A. writing desk in his Najam is also director of Edison, the fourteenth Da- Cambridge, Massa- BU’s Frederick S. Pardee “YOU’VE GOT to get togeth- lai Lama, and chusetts, home. He Center for the Study of the er. We have no alternative. (Hon.’74), BU’s Andrew W. was seventy-seven. Longer-Range Future, which It’s time for politics to be put Mellon Professor in the Hu- Parker pounded convenes symposia and con- aside on the back burner.” manities and winner of the out thirty-seven ducts interdisciplinary, poli- The words of Edward W. 1986 Nobel Peace Prize. witty and eloquent cy-relevant, future-oriented Brooke III (LAW’48,’50, In 2004 Brooke was adventures of his research that contributes to Hon.’68), spoken during his awarded the Presidential most popular cre- long-term improvements in acceptance of the Congres- Medal of Freedom. ation: Spenser, the the human condition. He also sional Gold Medal in October, Kelly Cunningham private eye who is a member of the United Na- reflect the former senator’s became the central tions Committee for Develop- spirit and legacy as a biparti- character of the TV ment Policy. san pioneer during a time of show Spenser: For Before coming to the national unrest. Hire. His character United States, Najam was a The first black member — Jesse Stone was the celebrity in Pakistan by his and only black Republican protagonist in nine mid-twenties, with high-pro- — elected to the U.S. Sen- books and a series ate by popular vote, Brooke of TV movies. AJ represented Massachusetts BU beat BC, 3-2, on January 15 9 Robert Parker earned from 1967 to 1979. During at Fenway Park. Played in front a master’s degree and a of 38,472 fans, it was the first his tenure, Brooke fought Ph.D. in English literature outdoor hockey game the Terriers for equal opportunity in at BU. His doctoral have skated in more than fifty education, voting, employ- thesis, which he wrote years. Fenway started hosting ment, health services, and in about two weeks, is in nonbaseball events in 2003. A the collection at Mugar slide show is at bu.edu/bostonia. affordable housing. In 1969, Memorial Library. he organized a coalition of JOHN GOODMAN Winter-Spring 2010 BOSTONIA 15

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