James Walter Nordyke

James Walter Nordyke (Jim) died on October 31st, 2025. He was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming, on June 21. 1930, to Ray B. Nordyke and G. Marie (Perry) Nordyke. He was the first of four children born to them. The family lived first in Green River, Wyoming, then in Basin, Wyoming, and next in Laramie, Wyoming, before moving to Plainview, Nebraska, in 1942. Jim graduated from the public high school in Plainview in 1948. He attended Stanford University, California, from 1948 until 1952 and earned a bachelor's degree in economics with high honors and membership in the honor society of Phi Beta Kappa. He was in the U.S. Army from 1953 until 1955 and was stationed at Camp Rucker, Alabama, Fort Benning Georgia, and Fort Riley, Kansas, serving as an intelligence specialist and receiving an honorable discharge. He was awarded a graduate-student fellowship and research assistanceship from Princeton University in New Jersey and was a student there from 1952 until 1953 and from 1955 until 1958, receiving a master's degree in 1957 and a doctor's degree in 1959; both degrees were in economics. He taught economics at Kenyon College in central Ohio from 1958 until 1964.
In 1964 Jim joined the faculty of the Department of Economics at New Mexico State University (NMSU) at its main campus in Las Cruces and remained there until retirement in 1992. He was Head of the Department of Economics from 1974 until 1988; He wrote and had published many book reviews and articles. His doctoral dissertation. New York and International Finance was published in 1976, and he co-authored a textbook, Comparative Economic Systems, which went through several editions in the 1970s. He assisted in establishing the master's degree in economics at NMSU in the 1960s and was instrumental in starting the undergraduate major in international business in the 1970s. During his tenure as Department Head, the number of faculty and the number of majors in the department increased considerably. He taught undergraduate and graduate students in elementary economics, the development of economic thought, and international economics at NMSU and a short course in international economics in Taiwan, China, in 1986. He was a frequent economics speaker at public events outside the university. In 1973 he was selected to receive NMSU's Westhafer Award for excellence in teaching, and in 1992 he was given the Cole Award for Service. The aspect of his work that he liked best was teaching, and he estimated that by the time of his retirement he had taught about 10,000 students at NMSU.
In retirement Jim enjoyed many activities with his long-time companion and best friend, Ingeborg Volpi: going on a daily walk, eating out at Las Cruces restaurants, attending Las Cruces Symphony concerts, going to Santa Fe to be tourists and attend the opera, and going to Cloudcroft in October to eat at the Lodge and look at the golden aspens. He also collected U.S. postal stamps, listened to classical music, and closely followed current events. For many years he was a member and officer in the New Mexico chapter of Common Cause, and in the NMSU Pioneers.
Survivors include Inge and her son Wolf of the family home and her daughters Ute (Brian) Winebrenner of Connecticut, and Gunda of Colorado and their children. Also, Jim's brother, Andrew Lee of Illinois and his children, Michael (Suzanne), Dan, and Steve (Amy) and their children. And Jim's brother, Aaron (Lynda) and their children Diane (Ward) Jorgenson and Tia Nordyke of Nebraska, and Kirk (Lisa) of Wyoming, and their children. Preceding Jim in death were his parents and his infant brother, Ray, Jr.
In accordance with Jim's wishes, cremation has taken place, and no formal services are planned. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made by sending checks to The NMSU Foundation, P.O. Box 3590, Las Cruces NM 88003-3590 with the notation on the checks "For the James Nordyke Scholarship Fund". La Paz-Graham's Funeral Home, 555 West Amador, Las Cruces NM 88005, is in charge of arrangements. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James (Jim), please visit our floral store.