Gerald M Pomper

Gerald (“Gerry”) M. Pomper, a leading scholar of American presidential politics and voting behavior, passed away peacefully after a recent illness on May 21tat 91 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

A 1955 graduate of Columbia University, he earned a PhD from Princeton and then taught at City College of New York before moving to Rutgers University in the 1960s. Dubbed the “Dean of American Political Science” by political historian Allan Lichtman, Pomper authored or co-authored 22 books, ultimately winning a lifetime achievement award from the American Political Science Association. He was also a beloved teacher, a Board of Governors Professor at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers for nearly five decades, and continued teaching undergraduates well beyond his official retirement. He mentored many generations of scholars, and he continued writing as well, with his most recent work a chapter about the 2024 presidential election.

In Ordinary Heroes (2004), Pomper wrote that democratic heroes contribute to civic life “through their customary work,” and that doing so “is heroism enough for a society of liberty and equality.” He was actively involved in civic affairs, having served as president of the Highland Park Board of Education, and Board Member of CASA, an organization which advocates on behalf of foster children in the legal system.

Pomper was something of a renaissance man. As a child confined to a hospital bed with scarlet fever for over five months he took to literature, beginning with David Copperfield. This passion essentially never ended. He drew as easily on Shakespeare as James Madison, on Steinbeck as his beloved Alexis de Tocqueville. Beethoven was always fine for whistling, and it was a rare day that the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle could stump him. An inspiring storyteller, he was a natural and unceasing font of encouragement and humor. A master teacher to students from undergraduates to PhD candidates, he reserved his best for nightly dinner time discussions and extended Passover Seders with his family. He delighted in his family and provided a steady example how to live life with wonder, compassion, and genuine appreciation.

Pomper traveled extensively, including serving as a Fulbright scholar at Tel- Aviv University, and Australian National University, and teaching sabbaticals at Oxford and Northeastern Universities (where he partnered with 1988 Democratic Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis).

After his formal retirement, Pomper was a regular instructor in the Rutgers branch of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). He also remained a passionate student throughout his life, and it was in a literature class at OLLI that he met his beloved second wife Sandra Bergelson who he married at the tender age of 88. His beloved first wife, Marlene, the mother of his three children, passed away in 2013.

He is survived by his devoted wife; his three loving children, Marc (Rayna), Philadelphia, PA David (Erika), Bethesda, MD, and Miles, Washington, DC; his five cherished grandchildren, Aidan, Jacob, Zachary, Daniel, and Harley; and his beloved King Charles Spaniel Aimee.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Gerry’s name to CASA of Middlesex County.

Funeral services will be held 11 AM on Sunday, May 24 at Highland Park Conservative Temple in Highland Park, New Jersey followed by Burial at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge, NJ.