James Klonoski, professor emeritus of political science at the University, died Friday of a brain stem tumor. He was 83.
Klonoski had taught at the University since 1961. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master’s of Arts at the University of Minnesota in 1947 and 1948 and his Ph.D. in 1958 at the University of Michigan.
He was a former Oregon Democratic Party chairman and played an active role in state politics throughout his life. Rep. Jefferson Smith, D-Portland and former student of Klonoski’s, said he was “among a dying breed of liberal curmudgeons,” in an interview with the Oregonian on Saturday.
In a class syllabus from 1999, Klonoski summed up his philosophy on politics for his class:
“To today’s average student in her/his senior year, wishing to realize the most from his/her education, the seminar to take would be ‘The American Economy,’ ‘How to Succeed in Business,’ or ‘Profiting From Your Own Website’ courses offered in the Economics Department, the Business School, or Computer Science. But those courses lack ‘fun’ appeal. Courses like this one for people like us simply are a joy to take because politics properly understood excites us because of its lasting impact on the lives of people, nations and the world. So, let them make their millions. We will be far richer in ideas, thoroughly enjoying ourselves as we share insights and toss them around and across the table at one another.”
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