IN MEMORIAM: JAMES TRUSSELL *75, professor emeritus of public and international affairs, died Dec. 26. He was 69. Trussell came to Princeton as a graduate student in 1973 and was hired as an assistant professor of economics after obtaining his Ph.D. in 1975. He spent his entire career at the University, where he served as director of the Office of Population Research for 15 years and as associate dean and acting dean of the Woodrow Wilson School, before retiring in 2015.
Trussell’s research focused on emergency contraception, contraceptive failure, and the cost-effectiveness of contraception, and his work played a leading role in promoting accessibility of emergency contraception to women. He authored more than 350 scientific publications.
IN MEMORIAM: Professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies NORMAN ITZKOWITZ *59 died Jan. 20 in Princeton. He was 87. Itzkowitz joined the faculty in 1958 and remained at Princeton until he retired in 2001. An expert in Ottoman history, he authored several highly regarded books in the field of Ottoman and Turkish studies, including Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition.
He was also master of Wilson College from 1975 to 1989. Known by many students as “Uncle Norm,” he organized regular trips to New York City and served on the Committee on Undergraduate Life, which proposed the creation of Princeton’s residential-college system. Itzkowitz loved sports and served as faculty adviser to Princeton’s hockey and fencing teams for many years.
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2 Responses
Cheryl Johnson Watts ’85
5 Years Ago(Via Facebook) I saw in the March 6 issue that Professor Norman Itzkowitz *59 had passed away. In my freshman year I always wore a promotional button for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company on my jacket that said “Catch Ailey.” It was my connection to my love for the arts in New York City and the roots of a great artist.
Professor Itzkowitz, who ran the Wilson College dormitories where I lived, overheard students intentionally joking, loudly enough for me to hear, about the fact that I wore the pin every day. He approached me later and said, “I see you are a fan of Alvin Ailey. How about organizing a trip so other students may learn about him?” I explained that I wasn’t sure how to go about that and that I didn’t know a lot of people. He told me to get a brochure and post a signup sheet.
My life at Princeton blossomed because I organized a bus outing to NYC to see Alvin Ailey. The University provided a coach bus with baskets of refreshments from Food Services. About 20 students attended, with everything provided by the University. To this day, I still share that story with students I talk to about Princeton. Professor Itzkowitz modeled diversity and inclusion long before they were HR catchphrases. I am eternally grateful to him for taking a potentially diminishing moment and turning it into a blessed memory.
Norman Ravitch *62
5 Years AgoHaving gotten to know some graduate students in Oriental Studies, including a Palestinian roomate in the Graduate College, I became familiar with Professor Itzkowitz and his work. He was distinguished and accomplished. I did not keep up with his career, but I am glad to learn he lived to such a ripe old age. De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum.