Issue date: 6/18/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Spencer Selvidge Paul Van Riper, 90, has been working at A&M since 1970 and has had a career in public administration spanning 60 years. Van Riper helped to found the political science department and served as the department head from 1970 to 1977. He received the Dwight Waldo Award for his literature on public administration. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Spencer Selvidge Professor emeritus Paul Van Riper writes his class material with a 1960s-era typewriter. [Click to enlarge]

Paul Van Riper, Texas A&M professor emeritus of political science, is seen by many as an exceptional academic scholar, with awards and colleagues to attest to his knowledge. Others close to him talk about his great sense of humor and storytelling ability, but most recognize him for his distinguished career in public administration - a career that spans 60 years.

It was during his graduate studies at the University of Chicago in 1938 when Van Riper took a chance on political science.

"I was always interested in science, but I decided I didn't want to go to laboratories all afternoon," Van Riper said. "Political science seemed like an interesting endeavor at the time."

Van Riper arrived at A&M in 1970 to fill the position as head of the political science department. He had been a professor - visiting, associate or assistant - at eight universities including Cornell, George Washington and Strathclyde, located in Glasgow, Scotland. During his time at Cornell, he was chairman of the Cornell Social Science Research Center.

Van Riper said he came to head the political science department for two reasons. "I was given the chance to develop a new department in political science as I wanted to do it, and the dean provided me with funds to develop it as I needed," Van Riper said. "It is not often that someone gets the chance to develop a department - you often come in and are stuck with what you got."

When he started, Van Riper said he had 13 faculty members, but by the time he retired as department head in 1977, both A&M and his department had doubled in size.

"I wanted to bring people to the department who were bright and interesting, and we had the money to get the best people around," Van Riper said.

Van Riper developed the department in five fields, but he was particularly interested in providing for public administration, what he is best known for and passionate about.

Sam Kirkpatrick, executive professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service and personal friend, replaced Van Riper as department head in 1977. He said that Van Riper is a wonderful asset to A&M and is respected around the country as a leading scholar on public administration.

"For someone as famous as Paul is, he certainly is modest," Kirkpatrick said. "He built the foundation of the political science department at A&M and brought a mature perspective because of his time at Chicago and Cornell."

Van Riper was also instrumental in developing a masters program for public administration, and directed the program for a few years after he retired as department head. The program is one of the largest offered at the Bush School.

Before he was able to finish his dissertation at the University of Chicago in 1938, he served in the U.S. Army. He was a 2nd Lt. at Fort Lee in Virginia, where he trained replacement soldiers for World War II, and later he was the purchasing and contracting officer in Paris. After he returned to the U.S. in 1946, Van Riper finished his doctorate work at Chicago. He taught at Northwestern University and Cornell University for 22 years.

In 1990, Van Riper received the American Society for Public Administration's (ASPA) Domick prize for his writings and the Dwight Waldo Award for a lifetime of contribution to the literature of public administration. In 2002, the ASPA created the Van Riper award in his honor; the award is given to scholars that show outstanding work in the field of public administration.

"I was happy and excited to have received these awards and to have one named after me," Van Riper said.

Kenneth Meier, a distinguished professor in the political science department, worked on "A Lifetime of Service," the oral history of Van Riper, which was compiled by the Bush School in 2002.

"Paul Van Riper is a superstar jack-of-all-trades. He is an exceptional academic, was a first rate administrator in both the military and in academia and a great colleague to be around," Meier said.

Van Riper has published more than 60 articles and papers, but he is best known for his books: "History of the United States Civil Service," which grew out of his dissertation work, and "The American Federal Executive." "His 'History of the United States Civil Service' is still the source that scholars go to when they want information on the development of the civil service in the United States," Meier said.

Ever since Van Riper returned to A&M in 1984, after his retirement in 1981, he has been teaching upper level classes part time and participating in public administration seminars.

Emily Driskill, a senior environmental studies major is taking Van Riper's introduction to public administration class. "His teaching style is different then most professors, because it is strictly lecture, but I enjoy the real-life examples he adds."

Van Riper is also known for his work outside the classroom. He helped organize the Beta Theta Pi fraternity at A&M, he held public office as precinct 15 captain for Brazos County, he was a founder of the Citizens for Historical Preservation in Bryan and currently lives in the Cavitt house, which is the oldest house in Bryan.

Last July, Van Riper turned 90, and to celebrate, Kirkpatrick and other colleagues held a party in his honor. Kirkpatrick said they had to postpone the party until August because Van Riper and his wife were out traveling around the world.

"Van Riper is very bright, intellectually lively, a great storyteller and a wonderful mentor and is loyal to A&M," Kirkpatrick said. "There is no doubt his most important legacy will be his early scholarship work on the civil service. He paved the way for entire new fields of study." Kirkpatrick said he can't wait until Van Riper turns 95 so they can celebrate the achievements of this leading scholar once again.

As for his own legacy, Van Riper said, " I have enjoyed my life and have no regrets over it, my wife and I have enjoyed our life together, and it has been a pleasure to be here and take part in the development of A&M into a major university."

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