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1927 - 2020

BORN

1927

DIED

2020

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Stanford University University of Wisconsin

Charles Drekmeier Obituary

Charles Albert Drekmeier
September 10, 1927 – August 25, 2020
Charles Drekmeier, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stanford University, died at home in Palo Alto on August 25. Known for his creativity, intellectual curiosity, and liberal politics, he was adored by his students, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in politics, law, academia and the nonprofit sector.

Born in Beloit, Wisconsin, Charles earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin (BA), Columbia (MA) and Harvard (PhD). Interspersed with his studies, he was drafted into the army, interned for the State Department to study the effects of the European Recovery Program, and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study the history of law and politics in India.

Charles met his wife-to-be, Margot Loungway, at Harvard. Shortly after marrying in 1958, they moved to Palo Alto to join the Stanford faculty – Charles in the Political Science and Sociology Departments, and Margot in the History Department.

A social theorist, Charles was fascinated by the origin, evolution and history of ideas. For 23 years, he and Margot co-led an honors seminar called Social Thought and Institutions. The program focused on a single topic, such as "community" or "utopia," for an entire academic year.

Charles and Margot were deeply engaged in the Civil Rights and Anti-War Movements. In 1965, Charles co-founded the Stanford Committee on Peace in Vietnam, which sponsored a 24-hour campus teach-in.

An online memorial will be held on September 19. For details, email [email protected]. To view his memoir, an oral history and other details of his life, visit www.Drekmeier.org.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Sep. 10 to Sep. 13, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Charles Drekmeier

3 Entries

Dan Lewis

September 5, 2022

I retired from Northwestern at the end of August after more than 45 years. As I reflect back on my long career, Charles Drekmeier had a tremendous influence on how I teach and the topics I work on. The history of ideas still excites my interest and fuels my teaching. Those heady days of the late sixties at Stanford, still motivates me and much of that has to do with the influence of Charles. I am eternally grateful for him and the direction he gave me. Engagement driven by theory is still a goal, indeed it is more important than ever. He was the best.

Dan Lewis

September 13, 2020

I graduated from Stanford in 1968 with a degree in Political Science. Professor Drekmeier a profound effect on my life and career. Indeed, I do what I do today because of his influence. Ironically, I just finished a grant proposal this week that has a autobiographical section that spoke to how my work on political and social theory was shaped by his classes and personal attention. I went to "History of Consciousness" at Santa Cruz to pursue the study of social theory driven by his lectures and conversations which made the study of ideas the center of my intellectual life. Now some fifty years later, I can still attest to his influence and importance in my life. I would not be the person I am today without him. He was the best teacher I have every had and a great person.

Mona Albright

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