Ron Walters

For the ice hockey player, see Ron Walters (ice hockey).

Ronald W. "Ron" Walters (July 20, 1938 – September 10, 2010) was an American scholar known worldwide for his knowledge of African-American politics through his leadership and his writing. He was director of the African American Leadership Institute and Scholar Practitioner Program, Distinguished Leadership Scholar at the James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership, and respected professor in government and politics at the University of Maryland.

Born in Wichita, Kansas in 1938, died in Bethesda, Maryland in 2010.

Career

As president of the local NAACP Youth Council, the 20-year-old Walters organized the Dockum Drug Store sit-in in July 1958, which led to the desegregation of drugstores in Wichita, Kansas more than 18 months before the more widely-publicized Greensboro sit-ins began in February 1960.

Walters received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Government with Honors from Fisk University 1963 and both his M.A. in African Studies 1966 and Ph.D. in International Studies 1971 from American University. He has served as professor and chair of the political science department at Howard University, assistant professor and chair of Afro-American Studies at Brandeis University, and assistant professor of political science at Syracuse University. He has also served as visiting professor at Princeton University and as a fellow of the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He is a former member of the governing council of the American Political Science Association and a current member of the Board of Directors of the Ralph Bunch Institute of the CUNY Graduate School and University Center. Walters was a distinguished member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

In 1984 Walters served as campaign manager and consultant for Reverend Jesse Jackson during his two presidential bids. He also served as the senior policy staff member for congressmen Charles Diggs, Jr. and William Gray.

Walters published well over 100 academic articles and seven books. One book, Black Presidential Politics in America, won the Bunche Prize.

Walters also has appeared on television many times, going on popular shows such as CNN’s Crossfire, The Jesse Jackson Show, CBS News Nightline, and Evening Exchange. He has appeared on radio shows, such as All Things Considered and Living Room.

Walters was married to Patricia Ann Walters, and lived in Silver Spring, Maryland. He died from lung cancer at the age of 72.

Works and publications

• Black Presidential Politics in America
• Pan Africanism in the African Diaspora
• White Nationalism, Black Interests: Conservative Public Policy and the Black Community
• Freedom is Not Enough: Black Voters, Black Candidates, and American Presidential Politics
• The Legitimacy to Lead
• Standing Up in America's Heartlands: Sitting in Before Greensboro

Awards

• Ralph Bunche Prize
• 2-time winner of the Best Book award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientist (NCOBPS)
• Distinguished faculty award from Howard University
• Distinguished Scholar/Activist Award, The Black Scholar Magazine
• W.E.B. DuBois/Frederick Douglas Award, African Heritage Studies Association
• Ida Wells Barnett Award, Association of Black School Educators
• Fannie Lou Hammer Award, National Conference of Black Political Scientist
• Distinguished Faculty Contributions to the campus Diversity, University of Maryland
• Wells-W.E.B. DuBois Award for Distinguished Scholarship from the National Council for Black Studies

Sources

• Academy of Leadership: Ron Walters. (2005). Retrieved March 6, 2007 from http://www.academy.umd.edu/AboutUs/staff/RWalters.htm.
• Black World Today. (2006). Retrieved March 7, 2007 from http://www.tbwt.com.
• History Makers: Ron Walters Biography. (2003). Retrieved March 7, 2007 from http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=627&category=educationMakers.
• PBS Think Tank: Biography: Ron Walters. (2003). Retrieved March 7, 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/thinktank/bio_1275.html.
• Ron Walters. (2006). Retrieved March 6, 2007 from http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/walters/.
• Ronald Walters (2006). Retrieved April 23, 2007 from http://www.thenation.com/directory/bios/ron_walters