Iva Ellen Deutchman

GENEVA – Retired Professor, Iva Ellen Deutchman, 72, passed in her sleep on January 3, 2025. Born in the Bronx, N.Y. in 1952, daughter of Nathan and Ruth Deutchman, she grew up in Lakewood, N.J. She received her BA from Hofstra University in 1974 and her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984. She was a lifelong Yankees fan.

Professor Deutchman joined the Political Science Department at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) in 1987, after teaching at Rutgers University and Vassar College. Iva was awarded tenure in 1991 and, in her 32 years at HWS, became one of the most venerated teachers and respected scholars on campus.

Professor Deutchman was most proud of her teaching prowess. Her classrooms were as demanding as they were popular. She was a guiding presence and unwavering advocate to her students, encouraging them to pursue a politically involved life. Professor Deutchman was deeply invested in her students' personal and academic growth.

Professor Deutchman contributed tirelessly to the HWS community. She was recognized nationally and internationally for her publications on the significance of Conservative politics. She was instrumental in establishing the school's Media and Society program, the first of its kind at a liberal arts college. She co-founded the "Day on the Hill" program, which gives students a first-hand view inside Washington, DC institutions, politics, and policy. For years, she co-hosted an immensely popular weekly program, Plato's Cave, on the HWS radio station. Combining her passions for teaching, politics, and the New York Yankees, Iva taught a course on "Baseball and American Culture" using sport as a symbol of the political and racial struggles in society.

Iva is survived by her brother, Leonard (Joanne) Deutchman; her dearest friend, Howard Hyde; and the generations of students whose lives she influenced.

Donations may be made to the Iva E. Deutchman Scholarship Fund, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 300 Pulteney Street. Geneva NY 14456.

Funeral services will be at the convenience of the family.

Arrangements have been entrusted to DeVaney-Bennett Funeral Home.

www.devaneybennettfh.com