Stein Rokkan

News and Notes sultant. In early September, after attending the his model quite complex, one understood and Moscow IPSA meetings, at the age of 48, he appreciated best by scholars who shared some took his own life. His insightful writings, of his vast range of historical knowledge. At the combining American and German methodo- time of his death he held a German Marshall logical approaches, will be missed by scholars Fund fellowship awarded to provide him the on both sides of the Atlantic. time he felt he needed for further specifying, testing, and evaluating his model. Charles R. Foster Committee on Atlantic Studies Although his best known contributions are European and cross-national, Stein Rokkan never lost his scholarly interest in the Nor- wegian political system, on which he wrote Stein Rokkan extensively; and because he normally wrote and published in English, he helped extend knowl- On July 22, 1979, Stein Rokkan died in edge of Norwegian politics to American, British Bergen, Norway. He was 58 years old. Although and European political scientists and sociolo- his health had seriously deteriorated over a gists. In his work on Norway he emphasized the period of several years prior to his death, he clash between "center" and "periphery," and continued his scholarly work until the end. thereby created interest in that dimension of Stein Rokkan was born in Holandshamn in conflict among political scientists considering northern Norway on July 4, 1921, completed other countries. In one of his essays on Norway his gymnasium years in 1939, and in 1948 he also emphasized the conflict between "nu- received a magister artium in political philoso- merical democracy" on the one hand and, on phy from the University of Oslo. His interest the other, the increasing de facto and de jure soon shifted to empirical work in comparative importance of "corporate pluralism," by which politics, particularly European political sys- he meant decision making by the nationally tems, a subject on which he was to become one organized interests—employers, trade unions, of the masters of our time. To this task he farmers, and consumers. Here again he an- brought formidable resources. He was at home nounced a theme that other scholars took up as not only in the Scandinavian languages but in the existence of "corporate pluralism" became French, Englash, and German; he also read evident in more and more countries. Spanish and Italian. His knowledge of the modern history of European states and society While his own research and writing aided many was extraordinarily broad and deep, and lent an other scholars and directly influenced their historical perspective to much of his work. research, he also had a major impact on While his detailed historical understanding political science through his fostering, en- made him acutely sensitive to the unique couraging, training, and stimulating others to aspects of each nation's development, his re- carry on scholarly research in political science search and writing were animated by a search and sociology. With this end in view, he for patterns, for similarities in the midst of organized a large number of summer schools diversity. and workshops. He also was a prime mover in the conceptual and practical work of develop- He often seemed to his friends to have read ing data archives, and in the creation of the everything of significance in modern history, European Consortium for Political Research, of recent political science, and sociology. An which he was chairman from 1970-76. Perhaps untiring worker himself, he also stimulated and no single scholar contributed more to the encouraged others. He carried on a huge cor- development of political science in Europe. respondence. He was indefatigable in meetings and conferences, and in addition a superb In his last years this ideal example of interna- organizer. His myriad activities and his unend- tional cooperation was showered with interna- ing generosity in helping students and fellow tional honors and recognition—sometimes, alas, scholars did not prevent his own steady produc- accompanied by heavy duties. After serving tion of important new work. actively in the international associations both of political science and sociology, he was His contributions to international political sci- invited to serve as president of each. He ence were immense. Possibly his most influen- accepted the presidency of the International tial writings dealt with the development ot Political Science Association, where he served European political systems. In the early 1960s from 1970-1973. He also was president of the he began to formulate the macro-model, as he International Social Science Council for four called it, of Western European political develop- years, three times a fellow of the Center for ment, with which he sought to account for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and individual characteristics of the party systems visiting professor at Manchester, Stanford, Ge- in Western European countries as the resultant neva, the London School of Economics, and of the interacting effects on a country's devel- the Institut d'Etudes Politique in Paris. He held opment of four major revolutionary changes: a permanent appointment as Visiting Professor the Reformation, the National Revolution, the at Yale University. He was a foreign honorary Industrial Revolution, and the International or member of the American Academy of Arts and Russian Revolution. However, because Rokkan Sciences, a foreign associate of the National was far too aware of and sensitive to historical Academy of Sciences of the United States, and differences to apply any theory of development a member of the Finnish and Norwegian Aca- in a simplistic or mechanical way, he added a demies of Sciences. He received honorary de- number of other explanatory factors that made grees from the University of Uppsala in 1970, 110 PS Winter 1980 the University of Helsinki in 1971, and the teacher, he rose from the rank of Instructor to University of Geneva and the University of Professor at Georgetown University, with which Aarhus in 1979. he was associated for a span of 40 years. Although his major field of teaching was For us as for numerous others, the death of political theory, he was one of that old school Stein Rokken brings to us the loss not only of of teachers who were ready, willing, and able to an eminent scholar whose work greatly influ- teach basic courses in all fields of the discipline. enced our own, but also a deeply valued friend. During the 1950s and 1960s he was a Lecturer We collaborated closely with Stein on several and Visiting Professor at the University of projects extending over a decade; our friendship Fribourg, Switzerland. He served as Lecturer at with him covered an even longer time. When we the Air War College and Strategic Intelligence were engaged in a collaborative effort at the School in the United States. Since 1976, he had Center at Stanford in 1967, we met for working served in the spring semester as Scholar-in-Resi- sessions nearly every day; more often than not dence and Visiting Professor of International we met again at lunch. On these occasions as on Studies at Southwestern at Memphis. all others he revealed himself as a man who combined great strength with great gentleness, As administrator, Father Yates played a major firmness of purpose with unfailing kindness and role in the development of his beloved Universi- consideration, seriousness with humor. He was ty. From 1943-1949, he was Director of Li- as unsparing of himself as he was generous braries; 1947-1949, Chairman, Department of toward others. In intellect and culture he was at Government;' 1949-1954, Dean, Graduate once a Norwegian deeply attached to his School of Arts and Sciences; 1955-1956, Direc- country, and also European and American. He tor of Georgetown-at-Fribourg; and 1958-1971, was as much at home in Paris, a city he dearly alternately Foreign Student Advisor, Chairman loved, as in Bergen; in the little Welsh village of of the University Committee on Foreign Stu- St. David's, where he spent many holidays with dents, and Director, International Student Pro- his family (his remarkable wife, our friend grams. Elizabeth, was Welsh), as in Bellagio, Rome, or Brussels. He liked the United States, Americans, At the time of his death, he had been serving and American universities, and he frequently for a number of years as Assistant to the knew more about this country than we who President of the University for Alumni Rela- lived here. tions. As scholar, Father Yates' field of specialization If Stein Rokkan was invariably an authoritative was Christian political thought. He was a presence in any gathering of political scientists frequent contributor to Catholic periodicals anywhere, his authority flowed wholly from and his major book-length publication was V the respect that others felt for his qualities of Papal Thought on the State, a book which he 5, mind and character, and, for those of us who originally edited in 1958 and revised in 1974. knew him well, from a deep and abiding In the last years of his life. Father Yates was affection. actively continuing research in Christian politi- Robert Dahl cal thought in the early centuries of the Yale University Christian era. Val Lorwin Among his roles as teacher, administrator, and University of Oregon scholar, it was above all as teacher that Father Yates will best be remembered, and, indeed, would want to be remembered. He was at his best in dealing with individual students, or in Gerard F. Yates, S.J. discussions with small groups. Some two gen- Rev. Gerard F. Yates, S.J., Professor Emeritus erations of Georgetown students came in con- of the Department of Government, Georgetown tact with an at once demanding and yet University, died of a heart attack on September humane teacher.

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