Emeritus Professor Palmer Passed Away on April 28th
Emeritus Professor David Scott Palmer passed away on April 28th. His long life, eighty years, was well lived. He was a person of strong convictions, unfailing courtesy, and thorough decency and humanity. Additionally, he was a scholar of the first order. He authored six important books and more than sixty articles. He was a thoughtful participant in learned conferences. He was a dedicated and highly sought teacher. Both undergraduates and MA/Ph.D. students admired his sharp intellect and absolute mastery of materials. Students, moreover, were warmed by his encouragement and delighted by his fairness.
Scott was graduated (cum laude) from Dartmouth College in 1959. Soon afterward, and having just earned an MA at Stanford University in Latin American Studies, he joined the Peace Corps. This assignment landed him in Peru and a lifelong fascination with its people and politics. He later held administrative positions at Dartmouth. In 1973, he earned a Ph.D. at Cornell University. Thereafter, he taught at Bowdoin College (1972-76). He subsequently assumed teaching and administrative responsibilities for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. Boston University was fortunate to recruit Scott to its faculty in 1988. His many chores at BU, each of which he performed with aplomb and judiciousness, included chairing the Political Science Department, directing the Latin American Studies Program, and co-directing the Peru Summer Program. Even as an emeritus professor, which status began in 2012, he remained engaged in the teaching and scholarly missions of the Political Science Department, as well as immersed in the affairs of the Pardee School of Global Studies, where his primary appointment resided.
Scott was a person for all seasons and will be much missed. Still, the generosity of spirit that he radiated, his intellectual rigor, and the infectious enthusiasm and energy that he possessed deeply touched the Political Science Department. These qualities of his character and mind will inspire the department’s staff, students, and faculty into the deep future.