Paul J. Hollander *63

Paul Hollander, retired professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, died at home April 9, 2019, at age 86.

In 1956 Hollander fled the unrest in his native Hungary by walking from Budapest to Austria with only his leather jacket. This effort affected all of his writing thereafter.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1959 and a master’s degree in 1960, both from the London School of Economics of the University of London. Hollander earned a master’s degree in 1962 and a Ph.D. in 1963, both from Princeton in sociology and anthropology. He was a member of the faculty at Harvard and its Russian Research Center before joining UMass, Amherst, for the remainder of his career.

Hollander taught sociology and became a tenured professor. He wrote on the psychology of belief, the power of violence, and the misadventures of intellectuals in the 20th century. He explored these subjects in numerous journal articles as well as in the books Political Pilgrims and Anti-Americanism: Critiques at Home and Abroad.

Hollander is survived by his wife, Mina; one daughter; and one stepdaughter. He was known as a devoted father and husband.

Graduate alumni memorials are prepared by the APGA.