Charles Raymond Adrian, American political science professor. Member Riverside Environmental Protection Commission, 1976-1978, Riverside Mayor's Charter Revision Commission, 1985. Served with United States Army Air Force, 1943-1946, PTO. Faculty fellow Fund Advancement Education, 1954-1955; member Phi Beta Kappa.
Background
In December 1924, Adrian"s mother sued his father for divorce and custody of Adrian and his sister, Marian. After his parents" divorce Adrian relocated with his mother and sister to his mother"s hometown of Davenport, Iowa. Her father was a physics professor at Cornell.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Cornell (Iowa) College, 1947;
Doctor of Laws, Cornell (Iowa) College, 1973;
Master of Arts, University Minnesota, 1948;
Doctor of Philosophy, University Minnesota, 1950;
postdoctoral fellow, U. Copenhagen, Denmark, 1954-1955.
Career
Having been dissuaded against pursuing music while still a high school student, Adrian pursued political science at Cornell College. With the United States entrance into World World War II, Adrian enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 where he served in the Weather Wing. After his military service ended in 1946, Adrian returned to Cornell College, graduating in 1947 with a Bachelor"s degree.
Adrian immediately enrolled at the University of Minnesota to study urban politics under William Anderson.
Adrian started teaching at Wayne University in 1949. After returning from his post-doctoral fellowship in the Summer of 1955 he started teaching at Michigan State University in 1955.
Through 1956 and 1957 he served as an administrative assistant to G. Mennen Williams, then Governor of Michigan. During his time in Michigan Adrian wrote two articles, Some General Characteristics of Nonpartisan Elections and A Typology for Nonpartisan Elections, that are considered the seminal works in the study of non-partisanship.
Adrian wrote a third, The Origin of Minnesota"s Nonpartisan Legislature, specifically discussing the "political accident" of nonpartisanship in the Minnesota Legislature.
Adrian was promoted to associate professor in 1957 and again to chair of the political science department in 1963. Adrian was recruited by fellow University of Minnesota-alum Ivan Hinderaker, the Chancellor of University of California, Riverside (UCR), to join the faculty. Adrian served as chair of the political science department from 1966 until his retirement on June 30, 1988 as the effects of his diabetes hampered his ability to teach.
Adrian"s 1977 book, Governing Urban America, was considered the most cited textbook in the field of urban politics.
Member Riverside Environmental Protection Commission, 1976-1978, Riverside Mayor's Charter Revision Commission, 1985. Served with United States Army Air Force, 1943-1946, PTO. Faculty fellow Fund Advancement Education, 1954-1955. Member Phi Beta Kappa.
Connections
Married Audrey Jean Nelson, April 2, 1946. Children: Kristin, Nelson.