Richard P. Nathan

Professor Nathan was one of my most memorable professors at Princeton, when he taught a seminar on Poverty and Public Policy. His attention to detail and concern for others infused the entire semester.

My sincere sympathy to the Nathan family. While at the U.S. Department of Labor, I first had the good fortune to work with Dick, and our mutual interest in the splendors of American federalism forged a lasting friendship. His views on public policy and research greatly influenced me. Dick was an exemplary public official, who displayed virtue and integrity. His rich body of policy analysis and research lives on. He was always generous with this time and talent. I shall miss his wisdom...

While I never worked directly with Dr. Nathan, I always admired his accomlishments as one of the major stars in the Rockefeller Firmament. Sadly, there are few of them left. Thankfully, through his efforts at the Institute, their legacy of governmental brilliance will live on. My condolences to his family and many co-workers who revered his leadership and kindness.

I had a great honor to work with Dr. Nathan for over a decade. He was a great leader, great mentor, great friend, and a great person. Dr. Nathan was always listening carefully to what others had to say and he was always creative in finding solutions for the most difficult and challenging situations. He has supported me so much both professionally and personally and I will always remain grateful. My sincere condolences to Dr. Nathan's family and my sincere condolences to the public policy...

My deepest condolences to friends and family. Dr. Nathan was always nice to me when I worked at RIG. His legacy will go on.

I worked with Dick for nearly 50 years as the New York field associate on every one of the field network implementation studies he directed-- from General Revenue Sharing in 1973 to the Affordable Care Act in 2016, and as a member of the central staff at the Brookings Institution for the Community Development Block Grant study he directed. Dick was demanding but also appreciative of evidence the field associates presented of the complexity of intergovernmental relations. He was a giant in his...

I and so many others learned so much from Dick, and he created an institution that helped so many of us do our best work. And I will miss him as a friend. To Robert, Carol, William, and all of his grandchildren, my deepest condolences.

I got to know Dick well when we were both at Brookings in the l970's. He was a good man, devoted to good, informed government and the best of the "Rockefeller Republicans." (I wish we had them now). He was very serious about decent, fact-based government with a concern for rights for all. Developing a solid, important center on government in a leading state reflected so well his basic values.

To Dick´s family, please accept my condolences for your loss. I had the pleasure to work with Dick for nearly 15 years at the Rockefeller Institute and for several more after he left. He gave me many opportunities to do and to learn. You always knew what he thought about public policy and public policy research, about how to write, and about how to manage, raise funds for, and publicize the work of an engaged and valuable public policy institute. He was fearless in his relations with others...