James Scarritt

In loving memory of James R. Scarritt Jim Scarritt had the courage of his convictions; they manifested in his personal, professional and community life. He married the woman he fell in love with; Prudence was immediately attracted to him, as he was nice, kind and trustworthy. Jim met Prudence Johnson at the age of 22 and they were married for 64 years. They had four children: Susan, Ann, Katherine, and Arthur. Jim always welcomed his children's partners - Colin, Samantha, Natalie, and Jill. He was delighted to have Hannah (& Jake), Lewis (& Sam), Fred, Luther and Margo as grandchildren and more recently Cleo and Odette as great granddaughters. Jim was a great provider for his family. And he enjoyed playful interactions. When his children were young, he would swim with them, play yard games - and taught all to play his favorite card game: oh hell. But, perhaps best was the twinkle in his eye as he played practical jokes on his adult children. Jim often mentioned how important his family was to him, especially his dear wife, Prue. Jim was born in 1935 in Kansas City, MO, to Arthur Davis Scarritt and Anna Woolridge Scarritt. In addition to having a loving family of his own, he had a long, successful career as a professor of political science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. During his tenure, he was chair of the department twice. His undergraduate work was at Princeton and he earned his doctorate at Northwestern University. Jim travelled to and lived in many countries in Africa including Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Egypt from the early 1960s to the 1990s. He advocated early and often for the support of African independence movements. In all his work, he had many valued collaborators in the US and other countries. At one time, he even advised the Carter administration about his African experiences. His dedication to the movements led him to refuse to be debriefed by the CIA after one trip to Africa. He instilled both the love of travel and adventure and the commitment to social justice to his entire family. Through his work and sharing his extensive traveling, he enriched his family members and enabled them all to experience and respect different cultures and peoples' lives. He inspired a humanitarian impulse in his family and at his work. Jim worked to challenge the cloistered privilege of his upbringing and created a legacy of this rebellious spirit. Even when addressing his shortcomings he could be remarkably reflective and grow throughout his life. He had a tremendous passion for justice that he exercised in all aspects of his life. His research addressed systemic threats to human rights, puzzling through electoral volatility and threats to democracy and ethnic minorities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. He set up programs for students and faculty to participate in such empathetic activities through INVST and the Peace and Conflict Studies program. He similarly empowered his family members to challenge the injustices of society in their own ways, with such eye-opening experiences as in 1972 when his then very young children were declared prohibited immigrants to the now non-existing white supremacist state of Rhodesia. He was a dedicated academic, living a rich life of the mind until his very last days, and inspiring a belief in the transformative power of knowledge. Jim Scarritt of Boulder, Colorado passed away peacefully on June 23, 2023 at Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder. His family was at his bedside in his last hours; he is missed dearly. He was 87 years old. A memorial celebration is being planned for the near future.