Remembering Professor Emeritus William H. Flanigan
University of Minnesota Political Science Professor Emeritus William (Bill) H. Flanigan passed away on March 19, 2024 at the age of 92. Bill taught in the Department of Political Science for over four decades. He is remembered as an outstanding colleague, a respected scholar of American politics, an active member of the academic community, and a devoted supporter of our department's graduate program.
Bill served in the US Army from 1951-54. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wabash College and earned his MA and PhD from Yale University. Bill came to the University of Minnesota Department of Political Science in 1961, where he rose through the ranks until his retirement in 2005. Following Bill’s retirement, he became the President of the Social Science History Association, of which he was a founding member, a testament to the range of his intellectual interests and the breadth of his influence.
His research primarily focused on political behavior and established himself as a leader in the modern study of elections and electoral behavior early in his career. Bill and Nancy H. Zingale, his wife, published multiple editions of their book “Political Behavior of the American Electorate,” an introduction to the understanding of political attitudes and behavior. Their book has been passed on to younger authors who continue to update due to the book’s influence and importance in the field. Bill’s other research and publications focused on areas such as voting behavior, partisan realignment, and political behavior during midterm elections.
Many of Bill’s impactful achievements go beyond his research. Bill was highly dedicated to the department, college, university, and field of American politics. He served in a range of positions, from Department of Political Science Director of Graduate Studies and Placement Director to the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. Bill was an active member of the Midwest and American Political Science Associations. He was the University of Minnesota’s long-time Official Representative to the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Bill was the second person to have an award named after them by ICPSR; the Flanigan Award for Distinguished Service honors outstanding members of the social science community for their contributions.
Throughout his life and career, Bill helped extend a legacy of wide-ranging curiosity combined with methodological rigor that is the hallmark of his own research and scholarship. In the classroom, he was captivating and effective, greatly increasing student interest in the field of political behavior. Bill will be remembered as an exceptional educator, mentor, and scholar.
