Robert Baker Highsaw ’39

Bob died Nov. 17, 2009, at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City, where he had been living since his retirement.  

After graduating as our class valedictorian in 1939, he earned a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1945 and went on to a career in education that took him to Vanderbilt, Louisiana State, the University of Mississippi, and finally the University of Alabama. His work was in both teaching and administration. He retired as professor emeritus of political science at Alabama.  

Bob authored many books and monographs on government and state administration. Regarding his Princeton education, Bob related how it helped his value system at an important time in his life, citing the influence of excellent teachers like Corwin, Mason, Beppo and Buzzer Hall, Godolphin and others — many of whose teaching methods he adopted in his own work.  

In mid-life, Bob suffered from a chronic illness and later had problems with his eyes. His hobbies were music and golf — a highlight of the latter being a hole-in-one he hit in 1963.

Bob and Mary Church Wagner were married in 1945. Mary died in 1998, but Bob is survived by their daughter, Mary McKenzie, and son Robert. We offer them our sincere sympathy.