Gary Linn McDowell

MCDOWELL, Gary Linn, 72, of Richmond, Virginia, passed away on Friday, August 6, 2021. Much has been and will be written about his professional accomplishments, but for those of us who were lucky enough to have had him in our lives, it is his kindness and generosity and wicked sense of humor that will be remembered.

Born in the tiny town of Flat River, Missouri, Gary's life story epitomizes the American dream. He worked his way up from humble beginnings to a distinguished career. While at Florida Southern University, he so enjoyed the fellowship of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, he was informed that he probably wasn't cut out for academia. Gary didn't let that deter him. He went on to receive a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida, master's degrees in political science from Memphis State University and the University of Chicago and a doctorate in government and public affairs from the University of Virginia.

He was a leading constitutional scholar who joined the faculty of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond in 2003 and retired in 2018. This was after a distinguished career in public life and the academy. He held the Tyler Haynes Interdisciplinary Chair in Leadership Studies, Political Science and Law.

Prior to joining the Jepson faculty, he directed the Institute of United States Studies at the University of London, where he elevated the study of the United States in Great Britain and was quoted by Sir Charles Moore, official biographer of Margaret Thatcher, as having "embodied the US-UK special relationship in one person." He also served as a member of the United States-United Kingdom Educational Commission (The Fulbright Commission). Before his work in London, he directed the Office of the Bicentennial of the Constitution at the National Endowment of the Humanities. As Chief Speechwriter for Attorney General Edwin Meese during the Reagan Administration, he contributed to a national discussion on how to understand the Constitution, a discussion that continues to this day. Gary served on the faculties of Dickinson College, Tulane, Harvard, and Harvard Law School. The author or editor of 11 books. he contributed to the national discourse on the idea of self-government in the United States.

The Jepson School of Leadership Studies named The Gary L. McDowell Institute in recognition of its namesake's values and principles. The Institute's programs reflect his commitment to drawing on the history of ideas and embracing diverse viewpoints across the faculty and student body to answer the most important questions in ethics, law and politics.

But Gary was no stuffy academic. He was fun-loving and fun to be around and he had many interests and passions and even more friends. He loved his martinis and his music, especially old time bluegrass, particularly the Carter Family, Doc Watson, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. But the center of his life was his wife, Brenda, whom he adored and who loved him and cared for him tenderly up to the last minute of his life. Gary and Brenda had a rare bond, a pure and true love and they had many years of laughter-soaked adventures together, many of which included their beloved yellow lab, Travis. Anybody who knew Gary knows about Travis.

A lifelong conservative Republican and renowned constitutional law expert, Gary never took himself too seriously and cared more about giving his students and colleagues a hand up than he did about boasting about his own accomplishments. And it never mattered to him if someone agreed with him politically, for he helped just as many liberals as he did fellow conservatives. Probably the most remarkable thing about Gary is that he never lost touch with anybody in his life. Most of his friendships and professional relationships go back decades. On learning of his passing, people have been reaching out from all corners of the U.S. and abroad and from all phases of his life, from fraternity brothers to students to colleagues to neighbors and everyone in between, to say how much he meant to them. Many owe their careers to him in one way or another, but mainly they just loved him.

Although he will be eulogized and honored for his stellar career, the biggest mark that Gary leaves behind is on the hearts of all of us who knew and loved him. He achieved greatness but never abandoned humility and never stopped being the kid from Flat River.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel Earl and Violet Marie McDowell, and his sister, Beverly Patterson. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, of Richmond, Virginia; his sister, Jean McCullough, of Clearwater, Florida; and his nieces and nephews, Suzanne McCullough White of Washington, D.C., Lynn McCullough Burris and Mark Burris of Las Vegas, Nevada, Chris Tocco of Palm Harbor, Florida, and Nikki Leiher of Largo, Florida. The family is especially grateful for the tender care of Theresa Mixon.

Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Friday, August 13, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Ave., with interment to follow in the church garden.

As an expression of sympathy and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Gary L. McDowell Institute at the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies, uronline.net/givetoJepson.

The Central Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home is handling arrangements.