In Memoriam
Queen’s remembers Professor Emeritus Edwin Black
December 8, 2023
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The Queen’s community is remembering Edwin Black, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Studies, who died Dec. 1 in Kitchener at the age of 94.
After earning his PhD from Duke University, Dr. Black would start his academic career at the University of British Columbia before making a switch to Queen’s in 1967, to take up the role of Head of the Department of Political Studies.
Professor Emeritus Edwin Black
During his time at Queen’s, he was recognized for his leadership qualities and dedication to academic excellence. He published a number of highly-regarded books and articles on a wide range of subjects, including federalism, Canadian politics, political communications, and public administration.
“Aside from his trade mark bow tie, Ed’s easy laugh and infectious enthusiasm were not just contagious but his calling card," says Jonathan Rose, Head of the Department of Political Studies. "Beneath that easy going demeanour was a prodigious scholar of federalism and political communication that left an indelible mark on the discipline."
Dr. Black would later serve as director of the Queen’s School of Public Administration and set up the Master of Public Administration program. A long-time member of McGill-Queen’s University Press, he also held organizational positions at the Centre for Resource Studies, the Institute for Inter-Governmental Relations, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science. He was president of the Canadian Political Science Association.
He retired from Queen’s in 1994.