classnotes Hanes Walton Jr. ’63 Was Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the university of Michigan HANES WALTON JR. ’63 of Ann Arbor, Mich., died on January 7, 2013. A Phi Beta Kappa member, Walton was a distinguished, longtime University of Michigan political science professor. Walton earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Morehouse, and continued his education by earning a master’s from Atlanta University in 1964 and a doctorate in government from Howard University in 1967. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Kappa Mu and Pi Sigma Alpha. The American Political Science Association, the Southern Political Science Association and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists are included among the many professional organizations in which he held membership. He was a life member of APSA. During his career, he was a Guggenheim, Ford, Rockefeller and APSA Congressional Fellow. He was elected to serve as vice president of the American Political Science Association for the 2012-13 term. Walton began his career at Savannah State College in
1967 as the Fuller E. Callaway Professor. In 1992, he joined the faculty at the University of Michigan and taught there until his death. He specialized in American politics, race and politics, African American politics, political parties, and elections. During his tenure at Savannah State and Michigan, his research and writing produced more than 18 books and numerous articles and professional papers. Among his books include Black politics: a Theoretical and structural analysis; Black republicans: The politics of the Black and Tans; when the marching stopped: The politics of civil rights regulatory agencies; The african american Electorate; reelection: william Jefferson clinton as a native-son presidential candidate; and the two-volume work, african american Electorate: a statistical History. He co-authored several books with his colleagues, including american politics and the african american quest for universal freedom; political parties in american society; and letters to president obama: americans share Their Hopes and dreams with the first african american president. n llllllllllllllllllllllll
John Oscar Boone Sr. ’51 Was Massachusetts’ First Black Commissioner of Corrections JOHN OSCAR BOONE SR. ’51, a pioneer in the American correctional system and the brother of the late civil rights pioneer Joseph E. Boone, died in December 2012 at the age of 93. Boone was the first African American appointed to head a major state prison system in the United States. He was credited with transforming the Massachusetts Prison System by pushing feverishly to ensure humane conditions for inmates and the availability of rehabilitation programs to keep the incarcerated of all races out of the system once they were released back into society. His leadership and guidance brought forth many innovative and progressive programs that are still in use today. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Boone joined the U.S. Army Air Forces. After World War II, he returned to Atlanta and earned his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse in 1951 and later earned a master’s degree in social work from Atlanta University.
During his early career, he served as superintendent for the Lorton Federal Corrections Complex, community relations officer of corrections for Massachusetts, and chief of the Classification and Parole Division for the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind. Boone was instrumental in the implementation of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1965 and represented the United States in Vietnam as a member of the International Prison Evaluation Team. Devoted to educating others about the nation’s prison systems, Boone also served as director for Crime and Corrections Research at the Southern Regional Council and on the faculty of Atlanta University, Boston University, Clark University and Northeastern University. n llllllllllllllllllllllll
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