Government Professor Price Dies After Falling

H. Douglas Price, Markham professor of government, died Sunday morning from head injuries when he reportedly slipped and fell in his west suburban home Friday night. He was 67.

Price focused on American politics and was a pioneer in integrating statistics with political analysis. He taught in the Government Department for more than 30 years, authored five books on American voting patterns and served on the editorial board of The American Political Science Association.

Many remember the lanky, bespectacled professor as someone who enjoyed spending time with students. He regularly lunched in Quincy House, where he was an affiliate, and he could often be found in his office in Littauer.

"Of all the professors I have had here, he was the friendliest and most accessible. He took time to get to know his students," said Paul D. Hodgdon '97, a student in Price's junior seminar Government 90hd: "Elite Decision-Making."

Christopher R. McFadden '97, a Crimson editor who has taken tow courses of Price's, said: "He was the only professor I've gotten to know personally in four years here. He wrote my law school recommendations. He was always eager to give me advice. He was a good friend."

Price served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Korea. He attended the University of Florida on the G.I. Bill before earning his doctorate at Harvard, where he has taught since the mid-1960s.

Price taught undergraduate courses examining the Congress, the relationship between political parties and the mass media. He also led a graduate course titled Government 2311, "Decision-Making Professes."

Price most recently was interested in the effects of party change on the House and Senate.

His colleagues remember him as a soft-spoken man with a vast knowledge of the nuances of American politics.

"He was a very supportive colleague, as well as a sweet and gentle man," said Judith E. Vichniac, director of studies in the Social Studies Department. "He had an encyclopedic knowledge of American history."

David W. Brown '97, another student in Price's seminar, said: "For every little incident in American politics, he can give you some fascinating anecdote."

Price's landmark study The Negro and Southern Politics gained widespread recognition upon publication in 1957. His other acclaimed work, The Rise and Decline in Anglo-American Experience, was published in 1970.

"He was an innovative user of statistics, applying them to the racial question in the late 1950s and early 1960s," said graduate student David L. Leal.

Government Department Chair Kenneth A. Shepsle said: "He combined study of American political institutions, history and quantitative research. He was a vigorous man."

Students were informed of Price's death via e-mail and when they arrived at his office Monday. "I was supposed to see him at 2 o'clock today, and his son told me. It was quite a shock," said Brown, who is a Crimson editor.

Price is survived by his wife, Judy, and two grown sons. A private funeral service is scheduled, and Price will be publicly commemorated.

Richard Marius, senior lecturer on English, said he mourns the loss of his longtime friend.

"I'm just absolutely dumbfounded," he said. "Doug was my friend and late afternoon drinking partner for years. He was such a gracious man. This is tough to accept.

Price is survived by his wife, Judy, and two grown sons. A private funeral service is scheduled, and Price will be publicly commemorated.

Richard Marius, senior lecturer on English, said he mourns the loss of his longtime friend.

"I'm just absolutely dumbfounded," he said. "Doug was my friend and late afternoon drinking partner for years. He was such a gracious man. This is tough to accept.