Earl Ravenal

1931 - 2019

Earl C. Ravenal, internationally known expert on American foreign policy and US government, died August 31 at his second home in Trappe, surrounded by family. He was 88. Known as an author, professor, and a 1984 Libertarian Party candidate for US President, he wrote twelve books and over 200 articles and papers for The New York Times, Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, and others. He taught at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service for 23 years and lectured internationally. "Cappy," as he was known to friends and family, was born in New York on March 29, 1931. Raised in Providence, RI, he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University in 1952 and received a Henry Fellowship to Cambridge University in England. He attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration Middle Management Program and later served in the Defense Department as Director of the Asian Division, Systems Analysis, where he brought a business perspective informed by his years as President of a family corporation, Elbe File & Binder Co. He earned his MA and PhD from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where he taught before his appointment to Georgetown. One of his proudest achievements was The Wilderness, a historic estate on the Choptank River, which became a forty-year project, renovating and restoring both the house and the land. He was also an avid sailor who valued his membership at the Tred Avon Yacht Club. Earl was an inventive chef inspired by international travels, had a great love of poetry including Pound and Eliot, and was passionate about sailing and skiing. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of Western classical music developed through years of playing violin, including with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. He was widely regarded as a wise and generous man and will be greatly missed. Earl is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol Bird Myers Ravenal; his children Cornelia, John, and Rebecca and their spouses; four grandchildren; and his brother Richard Ravenal. A celebration of his life will take place at the Cosmos Club in Washington at 2:00 P.M. on October 27.