In memoriam: Charles Goodsell, professor emeritus, School of Public and International Affairs
Charles Goodsell, professor emeritus in Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs, passed away on Nov. 24.
Goodsell was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on July 23, 1932. He moved to Blacksburg in 1978, where he was a professor in Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy for 24 years. He also served as the center’s director from 1986-91. He retired in 2002 and was named professor emeritus.
After graduating from Kalamazoo College, Goodsell served in the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps in Berlin. He received a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University in 1961.
Goodsell was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration in 1994 and received the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies Distinguished Scholarship Award in 1999.
Through his work, Goodsell demonstrated his lifetime love of learning, writing, and inspiring others. Among his accomplishments, he published 12 books, 90 scholarly articles, and 24 book chapters, and he spoke at more than 50 public engagements.
In 2003, Goodsell received the American Society for Public Administration's Dwight Waldo Award, which recognizes outstanding lifetime contributions to the literature of public administration.
A memorial service will be held at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church on Jan. 7 at 10 a.m.
Goodsell’s full obituary is available online.
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