Charles Albert Drekmeier

September 10, 1927 – August 25, 2020

Charles Drekmeier, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Stanford University, died at home in Palo Alto on August 25. Known for his creativity, intellectual curiosity, and liberal politics, he was adored by his students, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in politics, law, academia and the nonprofit sector.

Born in Beloit, Wisconsin, Charles earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin (BA), Columbia (MA) and Harvard (PhD). Interspersed with his studies, he was drafted into the army, interned for the State Department to study the effects of the European Recovery Program, and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study the history of law and politics in India.

Charles met his wife-tobe, Margot Loungway, at Harvard. Shortly after marrying in 1958, they moved to Palo Alto to join the Stanford faculty – Charles in the Political Science and Sociology Departments, and Margot in the History Department.

A social theorist, Charles was fascinated by the origin, evolution and history of ideas. For 23 years, he and Margot co-led an honors seminar called Social Thought and Institutions. The program focused on a single topic, such as “community” or “utopia,” for an entire academic year. Charles and Margot were deeply engaged in the Civil Rights and Anti-War Movements. In 1965, Charles co-founded the Stanford Committee on Peace in Vietnam, which sponsored a 24-hour campus teach-in.

An online memorial will be held on September 19. For details, email pdrekmeier@earthlink.net. To view his memoir, an oral history and other details of his life, visit www.Drekmeier.org.