Samuel Grover Rich Jr.

Samuel Grover Rich Jr. 12/7/1918 ~ 12/25/2009 Professor S. Grover Rich, founder and Director of the Institute of International Relations and Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, passed away on Christmas morning 2009. Dr. Rich was a graduate of the U.of U., then studied and honey-mooned with his new bride Ruth Summerhays at the University of Mexico, and went to Spain in 1943 as the U.S. Vice Consul to Spain during World War II, and earned his PH.D. in 1948 at Stanford University. He received the first Ford Fellowship granted to the U.of U. in post-graduate studies at Princeton, Yale, and Columbia, then returned to the U. and established the International Relations program. Shortly thereafter he founded the International Studies Association of professors at the U.C. Berkeley, one of the first at a Western state university. During his long teaching career he held visiting professorships at the University of Santander, Spain, at the University of Aix-Marseille in Nice, France, and at Wilton House estate in London, England. S. Grover also had the honor of serving as President Kennedy's appointee as Professor of Foreign Affairs at the National War College in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Dr. Rich served as a lecturer for both the New York Council on Foreign Relations and the Dept. of Defense, and was a member of the Service Review Board for the U.S. Information Agency. He was a speaker at civic groups and on college campuses from the U. of Michigan to U.C. Berkeley. Speaking at the Berkeley campus during the Vietnam war required that he have body guards assigned to him, and at U.C Santa Barbara when Governor Reagan had to call out the National Guard to quell the riots on campus. Among his various writings, Sam contributed to textbooks on Law, American Foreign Policy, in publications appearing abroad in German, French, and Spanish. Always active in community affairs, Dr. Rich served as Vice Chairman of the Art Barn on Finch Lane, as a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Mark's School, President of the Salt Lake Committee on Foreign Relations, President of the Inter-American Council of Utah, President of the Utah United Nations Assoc., the state Director of UNESCO, and on the board of the McGillis School. He was also philanthropist extraordinaire, donating generously to KUED, Pioneer Memorial Theatre, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and many others. As a young man, Sam served as a missionary for the LDS church in England, and throughout his life he prided himself for his pioneer heritage and maintained a devoted respect for the church and its charitable activities. His family were the sons of Charles Coulson Rich, settlers of the Bear River Valley. Sam's grandfather Joseph Rich was one of the first founders of the myth of the Bear Lake Monster. S. Grover, son of S. Grover and Mildred Forgeon Rich, is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ruth Bennion Summerhays Rich, sister Gloria Rich Hendricks, daughter Laurie Rich (Leonard) Coulson, one granddaughter Brooks Coulson (Du) Nguyen, and one great-granddaughter Annabella Li Nguyen. Preceded in death by one son, Samuel Grover Rich III. Sam is forever in our hearts the vivacious, warm, outgoing personality, with his lively engaging pontifications, and his imperious command of the dinner conversation. Our many thanks to the experts at Caresource, to Dr. William Dunson, Connie Hillier, and Geraldine Clark, all of whom helped us through this trauma. Service at the gravesite for family members at 12 Noon on Wednesday, December 30, with a celebration at the Alta Club for family and friends at 1:00 p.m.