Rockefeller College Mourns the Passing of Richard P. Nathan

ALBANY, N.Y. (September 20, 2021) — Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy regretfully marks the passing of former Rockefeller Institute of Government director and distinguished professor Richard P. (“Dick”) Nathan. Nathan, who was appointed director of the Institute by the Trustees of the State University of New York in 1989, oversaw the Institute’s research for 20 years before retiring in 2009.

“On behalf of Rockefeller College, I am saddened to acknowledge the passing of Dick Nathan, whose brilliance and leadership were essential to the success of the Rockefeller Institute of Government for many years,” said Rockefeller College Interim Dean Julie Novkov. “His academic engagement with questions of politics and governance grew out of his long career as a public servant in both state and federal government. He simultaneously served as a distinguished professor of political science and public policy, sharing his expertise with several generations of students.”

“His career exemplified what is best about Rockefeller College: a deep commitment to using the formidable intellectual tools at his disposal to figure out practical ways to make government work better for the people and to prepare students for careers serving the public interest,” stated Dr. Novkov. “He will be greatly missed.”

As noted in a statement from the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Nathan led with energy, intelligence, determination, and unquenchable curiosity. Although the Institute was established several years before he was appointed director, “it was Dick who gave the Institute its distinctive mission and methodological style.” RIG noted with appreciation that, following his retirement, Nathan served as a senior fellow at the Institute, focusing his research on healthcare, especially the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Nathan was a prolific and influential scholar of American federalism, publishing extensively on questions of how national, state, and local policymakers interact to design and implement policy. He conducted thoughtful and rigorous explorations of policymaking problems with an eye toward using policy to create effective solutions, setting a high standard for his collaborators, his students, and all of the scholars who benefited from his insights. Scholars working under his guidance at the Institute also produced a significant and excellent body of work exploring important questions about federalism that remain salient today.

His research excellence stemmed in part from his career of concrete policy work. He served in the federal government as assistant director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, deputy undersecretary for welfare reform of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and director of domestic policy for the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (The Kerner Commission). He was also an adviser to New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. Prior to taking up his position in Albany, he researched and taught at Princeton University.

In 2017, the Rockefeller Institute of Government established the Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellowship in his honor. The one-year fellowship connects experts from a diverse range of backgrounds and research interests with Rockefeller Institute staff and researchers to analyze and address public policy problems.

The obituary for Richard P. Nathan can be found here. His friends, colleagues, and many mentees in Albany and far beyond will miss him greatly.