Obituary: Prof. Fred W. Riggs

Fred Warren Riggs, 90, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa professor emeritus of political science, passed away on February 9, 2008 in the Malama Ohana facility of Kaiser hospital Moanalua.  He is survived by his wife of 64 years Clara-Louise (Mather); daughter Gwendolyn “Wendy” Riggs-Cook; grandchildren Jackie Swain, Lisa Wright, and Denise Vail; sisters Elizabeth “Betsy” Parsons Hankin and Edith Clara Barakat.

A memorial Celebration for Fred Riggs Life will be held on March 7 at 10:00 AM at the Unity Church of Hawaii, 3608 Diamond Head Circle.  In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family wishes that donations be made to the UH Foundation Political Science Alumni Fund with checks designated for “Fred Riggs Memorial”.  Funds will be used to help needy graduate students in political science.

Professor Riggs was born in Kuling, China on July 3, 1917, the son of agricultural missionary parents Charles H. and Grace (Frederick) Riggs.  He attended Nanking University, 1934-35; received a B.A. from the University of Illinois, 1938; an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, 1941; and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1948.  After serving as Distinguished Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Government at Indiana University, he joined the UHM political science faculty in 1967.  He retired from teaching in 1987 but continued prolific research, writing, publication, and service activities.  He was 2007-2008 president of the Faculty Retirees Association UHM (FRAUHM).

Fred’s creative scholarly career in the field of comparative public administration brought him worldwide recognition, especially in Asia where he contributed to development of public administration in India, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand.  He was awarded the Order of the White Elephant by the King of Thailand in 1983; and was honored in a major Festschrift by 20 authors published in India in 1992.  He was in Who’s Who in the World and in America.  His writings were translated into many languages, including Italian, French, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.  He lectured on every continent, including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Tanzania.

He was an innovative leader in the American Society for Public Administration, the International Political Science Association, UNESCO, and other professional associations.

The vast scope of his life’s work is shared globally on his website.  It includes his autobiography and suggested epitaph based upon his snake year birth (1917).  “In the Chinese tradition a teacher born in the year of the snake is naturally gifted to learn from mistakes….When I die please put on my epitaph that I have learned from my mistakes and truly enjoyed learning.”

That joy is celebrated by all beneficiaries of his scholarly service for a better world.