Remembering William Stover
William (Bill) Stover, Professor of Political Science, died June 11 after a long illness. Professor Stover came to Santa Clara University in 1975 to teach international relations after completing his doctorate at SUNY Buffalo and working as a Foreign Service Officer in Washington, DC, and in Vietnam.
The author of three books and more than thirty journal articles and book chapters, he studied international conflict resolution, the role of the military in politics, and the role of technology in international relations. He brought these topics to life for generations of students with his simulations of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Middle East Conflict. For this he was honored by the American Political Science Association as an “extraordinary educator” in 2008 and by the Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association with its “Excellence in Teaching Award” in 2009. His scholarly work is paralleled by his work as an editor of a number of journals including the International Journal on World Peace; as a Senior Fulbright Fellow in Conflict Resolution and Information Technology; and as a member of the United States Army Strategic Outreach Program.
In addition to his work as a teacher-scholar, Professor Stover was a generous citizen on and off campus. He served as a seminar leader for the Center for Leadership Development at Santa Clara University and as a Santa Clara County Commissioner on the Status of Women. As a skilled pilot, he also worked with the Flying Doctors on weekends and during summers, flying medical personnel, supplies and equipment to communities in Mexico in need of medical care and treatment.
The William Stover Memorial Fund was established in 2020 and commemorates Professor Stover’s founding of the Political Science Department’s Public Service Internship Program by supporting student internships in the public and non-profit sectors. Read about our recent interns