Two longtime, retired faculty members pass away in January

Two retired professors widely respected for their teaching, scholarship and influence — Clara Penniman and Wilmott Ragsdale — passed away last month.

Penniman, who died Jan. 30 at age 94, was the founder of the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration, which was the precursor to the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

She joined the faculty in 1954 and in 1963 became the first woman to chair the Department of Political Science. Penniman’s work made her as a nationally prominent scholar of taxation and public finance. She also served on several governors’ task forces, including the 1972 panel that oversaw the merger of the UW System.

She also established the Clara Penniman Fund at the La Follette School to support students financially. She also set up the Penniman Prize, which is given to the student in public affairs who writes the most outstanding paper.

Her obituary suggested gifts to the UW Foundation account for the Department of Political Science.

Ragsdale, who died on Jan. 16 at age 97, was one of the most popular teachers on the faculty at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

He had a long and colorful career, which included his coverage of the U.S. State Department for the Wall Street Journal and as a correspondent for Time magazine during World War II. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine.

Along the way, he met Ernest Hemingway, covered the Allies D-Day assault, and interviewed Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

At the university, where he taught for 20 years, Ragsdale was known for his engaging classroom style and for often inviting students to his home for seminars.