William A. Niskanen Jr., AM'55, PhD'62 1933–2011

William Niskanen Jr., an alumnus of the Department of Economics, died on October 26. He was 78. Niskanen had a long career as an economist, serving as a member of President Ronald Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers in the 1980s. He also taught at the University of California at Berkeley and Los Angeles, worked as a defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, and held director-level positions in the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget. The New York Times published an obituary.

Gregory Possehl, PhD'74 1941–2011

Gregory Possehl, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and a respected authority on the Indus civilization of India and Pakistan, died on October 8. He was 70. Possehl maintained an active program of field research in the state of Gujarat, India, conducting excavations at three sites. He also published many articles and monographs, including The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective (Altamira Press, 2003), which was named outstanding academic book of 2003 by Choice magazine. Philly.com published an obituary.

Sam Frederick Seymour, PhD'58 1922–2011

Sam Frederick Seymour, known as Fred, was born in Chattanooga, TN, and grew up in Pound Ridge, NY. For the past 16 years, Seymour lived in Denver with his wife, Barbara Seymour, née Baggs. Fred attended a one-room elementary school in Pound Ridge and graduated from Katonah High School as salutatorian. During World War II, he served as a US Navy ensign on the USS Indian Island. After the war, he graduated from Union College in NY, received an MA from Stanford University, and then earned his doctorate in sociology from the University of Chicago. After working for a short time with the RAND Corporation, Seymour dedicated his life to teaching. He taught at several institutions, including Tufts University, American University, the University of Oregon, and finally for 28 years at Northern Illinois University, where he served as chair of the sociology department.

Herman L. Sinaiko, AB'47, PhD'61 1929–2011

Herman Sinaiko, a professor in the humanities, died on October 2 in Hyde Park. He was 82. Sinaiko, who taught in the College for 57 years and served as dean of students in the College from 1982 to 1986, was known to generations of undergraduates as a thoughtful, rigorous, and devoted teacher. He earned his undergraduate degree in the College and stayed at the University to earn his PhD in social thought and philosophy. "Herman Sinaiko was an enormously brilliant teacher who enriched and transformed the lives of the thousands of undergraduates whom he taught at the Chicago," said John W. Boyer, AM'69, PhD'75, dean of the College. "He leaves a powerful legacy of service to the University and the College." Read the complete obituary.

Harold Wilensky, AM'49, PhD'55 1923–2011

Harold Wilensky, an alumnus of the Department of Sociology, died in Berkeley, California, on October 30. He was 88. A professor emeritus of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, Wilensky produced scholarship that helped illuminate how industrial transformation affects the structure, culture, and politics of modern society. He was a pioneer in the study of the welfare state and social policy; the intellectual life of labor unions; and the ideological roots of intelligence failures in government and industry. The UC Berkeley public affairs office published an obituary.