UVa-Wise family saddened by loss of
Joseph M. Scolnick, Jr.

Joseph M. Scolnick, Jr. 1940-2005

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise has lost a beloved faculty member. Joseph M. Scolnick, Jr., professor of political science, passed away at his home on Dec. 7. He was 65.

A valued member of the faculty since 1973, Professor Scolnick served the College as faculty grand marshal and as chair of numerous committees, most recently the Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Faculty Committee on Evaluation. He also served as a faculty senator.

He was a regular contributor of newspaper columns on a variety of topics related to the military action in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Born in New York, he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Virginia and his doctorate in political science at the University of Kentucky. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was a visiting professor at the Air War College in 1988-89. He was a regular participant in the International Studies Association and other groups related to American foreign policy, international relations and national security.

In recent years, his chief scholarly interests were Turkish foreign policy and American-Turkish relations. He co-authored the book “From Anatolia to Appalachia: A Turkish-American Dialogue” with Brent Kennedy in 2004.

Beyond his personal academic interests, he was passionate about the arts and donated many works to the College including those on display in John Cook Wyllie Library, Smiddy Hall and Bowers-Sturgill Hall.

We will miss his inimitable voice and his fervent dedication to his students and the College.

Professor Scolnick is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Harriette and John Pollak, of Westbury, N.Y., a niece, a nephew, two great-nieces and two great-nephews.

A tribute honoring the memory of Professor Joseph Scolnick is now on display in the lobby of the C. Bascom Slemp Student Center. The memorial provides faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the College an opportunity to share their personal recollections of Professor Scolnick's influence in a condolence book which will be provided to his family. The memorial tribute and condolence book will be available through Friday, December 16.

Resolution for Joseph M. Scolnick, Jr.
The University of Virginia's College at Wise approved a resolution honoring Professor Scolnick on Dec. 8.  To read the resoluiton click here

Memorial Service
A public memorial service and celebration of Professor Scolnick's life will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, in Fred B. Greear Gymnasium. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Joseph M. Scolnick, Jr. Scholarship Fund at UVa-Wise.

Oh, what an echo remains...
One of the most beloved, distinctive voices to grace the campus of the
University of Virginia's College at Wise has been silenced. But oh, what an
echo remains. Click here to read a local story about Professor Joseph Scolnick by Stephen Igo of the Kingsport Times-News.

One of the great voices...
Joseph M. Scolnick Jr.'s journey to Wise was not unlike that which brought many of his fellow educators to the little college in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Click here to read a local story about Professor Joseph Scolnick by Brian Wills, a member of the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Virginia's College at Wise and columnist for the Kingsport Times-News.