Samuel Krislov

Samuel Krislov, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Law at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and renowned expert on the Supreme Court and the federal bureaucracy, died peacefully at his home in Arlington, Virginia on August 11, 2025. He was 95 years old.

He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where he grew up. He graduated from New York University with a BA in 1951 and an MA in 1952, before earning his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1955.

Professor Krislov's distinguished career of research and teaching centered on the University of Minnesota, where he served as Professor of Political Science, and then Professor of Political Science and Law and Adjunct Professor of Ancient and Middle Eastern Studies, from 1967 until he retired in 2001. At Minnesota, he served as Chair of the Department of Political Science multiple times, as well as other significant roles in faculty and university governance. Earlier in his career, he taught at the University of Oklahoma and Michigan State University. During his career, he served as visiting professor at the National Judicial College, the University of California Berkeley Law School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brandeis University and Columbia University. An advocate of international exchange, Professor Krislov received three Fulbright Fellowships (Japan, Italy, and the Netherlands), and was awarded the John Marshall Distinguished Fulbright Professor Co-chair at Budapest University in 2000- 01. In addition to being recognized as a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow, his research was honored by the Bush Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.

Professor Krislov contributed significantly to the use of empirical evidence and interdisciplinary thinking in such seminal works as The Supreme Court and Political Freedom (1968) Representative Bureaucracy (1974), and The Supreme Court in the Political Process (1970). His books and articles are still read in law school and political science courses today. He helped develop the field of law and society, serving as President of the Law and Society Association, and as the second editor-in-chief of the Law and Society Review. Active in the American Political Science Association, he served as Chair of the Section on Law and Courts from 1993-96 and later received its Lifetime Achievement Award. He was President of the Midwest Political Science Association (1975-77) and held leadership positions in the National Research Council.

Professor Krislov had five children—Sharon (Sheri), Anne, Dan, Melanie, and Lee – with his first wife, Donna Krislov. He is survived by his wife of four decades, Judith Gillespie, and his children, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He will be remembered as a loving husband and father who cherished all members of his extended family in the United States and Israel. A private funeral service has been held. If desired, contributions may be sent to Agudas Achim Congregation, 2908 Valley Drive, Alexandria VA 22302, in memory of Samuel Krislov.