Dr. Richard P. McCormick

Other GovNotes on Art, Copyright and Internet topics!

Topics:

Dr. Richard P. McCormick

IN RECOGNITION OF DR. RICHARD P. McCORMICK

______

HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

of new jersey

in the house of representatives

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Richard P. McCormick, professor, dean, and historian of Rutgers--the State University of New Jersey, as well as president of the New Jersey Historical Society, who passed away on January 16, 2006. Having faithfully served the University and the State of New Jersey for over six decades, Dr. McCormick died after an extended illness at the age of 89.

Born December 14, 1916, in Queens, New York, Richard Patrick McCormick moved to Tenafly, New Jersey, and attended Rutgers College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1938. In 1940, he earned a master's degree in history from Rutgers Graduate School-New Brunswick and then received his doctorate in 1948 from the University of Pennsylvania.

After teaching in the history department for three years, Dr. McCormick was appointed the Rutgers University Historian in 1948, at which time he developed a full-year course on New Jersey's history. A prolific writer, Dr. McCormick was awarded the biennial book prize from the American Association for State and Local History in 1968 for his work ``Rutgers, a Bicentennial History.'' He remained at Rutgers where he chaired the history department from 1966 to 1969, chaired the Rutgers College Coeducational Committee in 1971, and served as dean of Rutgers College from 1974 to 1977.

Following his retirement in 1982, Dr. McCormick remained active on campus and was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree by the University, a rare distinction for faculty members. In 1990, he was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, and in 2002, the American Historical Association granted Dr. McCormick the Award for Scholarly Distinction for lifetime achievement. Additionally, this past fall, the Rutgers College Educational Opportunity Fund created the Richard P. McCormick Social Justice Award in recognition of his 1969 efforts to address African-American issues at the school, despite protests on three of the University's campuses. These honors, among others, depict a man of great worth who will surely be missed.

Dr. McCormick is survived by his wife of 60 years, Katheryne Levis McCormick, as well as their daughter, Dorothy Boulia; son, the current president of Rutgers, Richard L. McCormick; and three grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to commemorate Dr. McCormick and to thank his family for the countless contributions that he made to the community and the State of New Jersey. His dedication to education, history, and activism will not be forgotten.