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July 10, 2007

Obituary

Former Russian prof dies

A popular retired professor will be remembered for his teaching, kindness and impact on the world.

Story by: Diana Golobay

The Shorthorn staff

The Shorthorn: File Art

Retired Russian professor Charles T. McDowell founded the university’s Center for Post-Soviet and East European Studies. He died Sunday of colon cancer.

Dr. Charles T. McDowell, retired Russian professor and decorated World War II veteran, died Sunday after a battle with colon cancer.

McDowell, who came to the university in 1959 and served as adviser to President Jack Woolf, retired in May 2006.

Christopher Conway, Modern Languages Department acting chair, expressed regret at McDowell’s passing.

“He was a pillar of this office,” Conway said. “He was one of the most visible and most celebrated members of the office and the university in general.”

McDowell received his Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University. He founded and directed the university’s Center for Post-Soviet and East European Studies, met multiple U.S. presidents and traveled frequently to Russia throughout his life.

A former student of McDowell, Faith Chatham was one of many influenced by the professor. She described her resolution to correspond with McDowell after his retirement. Chatham, along with a group of friends, e-mailed him often and took him out several times a month.

“He is someone who has had a long period of international impact,” she said. “He did more to make our world safe than anyone could have dreamt of, not just in the fighting but in all the work years afterward.”

Chatham described McDowell as a powerful influence in her life while she attended the university and in the following years.

“I never saw him be inappropriate,” she said. “I have never heard him say a catty thing about anyone. It just wasn’t in his nature.”

McDowell was born Nov. 23, 1921, in Twin Falls, Idaho. His wife Mary Frances McDowell and daughter Kathy McDowell Stewart preceded him in death. He is survived by his son, Charles Patrick McDowell, and by two grandchildren, Charles Cale McDowell and Angela Kathleen McDowell.

In a phone interview Monday, McDowell’s son said it was difficult to recall his father in general terms, explaining that his father lived a remarkable life.

“I was really blessed to have a dad like that,” he said. “He was there for everybody. His whole life was about teaching and helping people.”

Funeral services are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Moore Memorial Gardens. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Center for Post-Soviet and East European Studies.