Jerry McBeath

1942 - 2024

Jerry McBeath, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who was a distinguished educator and scholar, dedicated public servant and beloved member of his family, passed away Nov. 18, 2024, at the age of 82.
Jerry was born Sept. 13, 1942, to Gordon Winifred McBeath and Astrid Hjelmeir McBeath of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was baptized at Aldrich Avenue Presbyterian Church.
In his youth, Jerry helped to run the family grocery store. It was there that his parents and local elders instilled in him the value of charity, by finding ways to help residents who were experiencing food insecurity and other material and social needs. He also gained an appreciation for being in nature, which stayed with him into adulthood. His family summered in a small cabin in Elk River, Minnesota, that for many decades was without water or electricity. He had many fond memories of using a small boat to fish and go into town for groceries. These experiences partly informed his becoming an Eagle Scout and interest in exploring the great outdoors.
As an adolescent, Jerry had a lively mind and was ambitious, determined and independent. He was a stellar public school student, graduating from Minneapolis Central High School before receiving scholarships to attend the University of Chicago (BA, social sciences, 1963; MA, international relations, 1964) and the University of California Berkeley (Ph.D., political science, 1970). While in college, Jerry returned to Minneapolis to run the family business as his father recuperated after being shot by a burglar. This experience reinforced in him the importance of filial devotion.
At the University of Chicago, Jerry played men's soccer and considered the foreign service and the law as future professions. He instead chose doctoral study at Berkeley in East Asian politics. He had an aptitude for foreign languages and was a hard worker, and in 1967-1968 he gained fluency in Mandarin through graduate study at the Stanford Center for Chinese Language Studies at the National Taiwan University. After graduating with his Ph.D. in 1970, he would continue to teach classes in Mandarin while lecturing to Chinese-speaking audiences. Jerry met Jenifer, the love of his life, in 1967 while she was an instructor at the Stanford Center. They married in California in 1970 and became a family of four with the birth of their children, Bowen and Rowena. Their Fairbanks home was filled with books of all types, and Jerry would bring a text or a novel with him while he was shuttling the kids to and from school, sports and music events.
As an academic, Jerry's long and impactful career spanned 44 years. Before joining UAF in 1976, Jerry taught at Rutgers College and John Jay College (in the City University of New York). While at UAF, he played a vital role in the development of the Department of Political Science, serving as its chair on numerous occasions, and shaping it into a rigorous and respected academic department that prepares students for meaningful careers in government, public administration, law, business, education, and civil society organizations at the local, state and international levels. He held other leadership roles in his 38 years at UAF, including interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, while also providing valuable service to the state and community.
A gifted university educator, Jerry was well-known for his ability to convey the essence of key topics by connecting core concepts to their practical applications in meaningful ways. His courses spanned American politics, public policy and public administration, political theory, research methods, comparative politics, international relations and East Asian politics. He would spend his evenings preparing his lectures and seminars, and grading assignments, while largely writing in long-hand.
A pioneer in the study of Alaskan and circumpolar Northern politics, Jerry made several contributions to the field of political science. His scholarly productivity and research interests were evidenced by his 14 books, over 50 articles, and countless research studies and reviews of books that spanned state and local politics, environmental governance, energy policy, education policy, and East Asian politics. He co-authored the only textbook on Alaska government and politics still in print. He was a natural collaborator, who enjoyed the process of working with co-authors to unearth the essence of a contribution through successive drafts. His scholarly works enriched the understanding of political behavior and governance of institutions in both Alaska and internationally.
As a public-facing intellectual, Jerry was an advocate for global academic exchange. He served as a distinguished Fulbright scholar, a visiting professor at several Chinese universities, and a long-serving member of the board of the American Association for Chinese Studies, where he played a key role in fostering U.S.-China academic collaboration. He also served as the North American subject editor of the academic research journal "Environmental Development," as well as a visiting scholar of government studies at the Brookings Institution. His efforts to promote public understanding through education and scholarship were a testament to his belief in the power of knowledge to build bridges and bring about positive change.
Jerry's service extended far beyond the university realm, as he was committed to putting the best and brightest ideas into action in the public sphere. Locally, he was a steadfast member of College Rotary from 1987 until his passing. His contributions to the Fairbanks North Star Borough spanned his decades of service on the Planning Commission and Board of Education (including school board president and treasurer at various points). Within Alaska, Jerry was a member of the Alaska Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. He also served the Alaska congressional delegation as an aide to Sen. Frank Murkowski and as the staff director of the Task Force on International Trade Policy for the U.S. Senate Republican Conference.
Given his Midwestern background, Jerry eschewed praise and shared credit so that more good work could get done for others. He nevertheless received countless awards for his service, including the UAF Usibelli Award for Distinguished Service in 1993, several UAF awards for excellence given by his College of Liberal Arts colleagues and students, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association for Chinese Studies in 2012, and commendations from the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce.
Upon retiring as professor emeritus in 2014, Jerry poured his energies into family, travel and community. He re-explored his personal spirituality while finding ways to give to others, including as an elder with the University Community Presbyterian Church (UCPC). He also re-invested in his longstanding love of music and the arts, both as a patron and as a member of the Choir of the North and Borealis Men's Chorale. He especially loved classical opera, and was known for playing broadcasts and recordings of the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago at ear-splitting volume.
Jerry's legacy will live on through his family, mentees and students. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, whose generosity, analytic edge and commitment touched all who knew him. His life of service, dedication, and intellectual energies will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of working with him.
He is survived by his wife, Jenifer Huang McBeath; son, Bowen McBeath (and wife Sara Bishoprick and their daughter Cora McBeath); daughter, Rowena McBeath (and husband David Zilkha and their daughter Ellie Zilkha); and brother, Bruce McBeath (and wife Dianne Aisenbrey).
A memorial service took place on Nov. 30, 2024, at UCPC.
A celebration of Jerry's life will take place at 11 a.m. June 14, 2025, at the Rotary Pavilion, UAF Georgeson Botanical Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the UAF Department of Music, which served as a home base for Jerry's love of classical music.