It is with sad hearts that the Center for Slavic and East European Studies announces that professor and former director of the Center for Slavic and East European Studies James (Jim) Scanlan passed away on Oct. 28, 2016. Scanlan joined Ohio State in 1971, teaching in the Department of Philosophy.
Prior to joining Ohio State, Scanlan held several fellowships and teaching positions, including at Goucher College and the University of Kansas. During his time at Goucher College, Scanlan became interested in the development of Marxism in the Soviet Union, the starting point of his growing interest in Russia and the Soviet Union. At the University of Kansas, he headed the Center for Soviet and East European Studies.
From 1988-1991, Scanlan directed Ohio State’s Center for Slavic and East European Studies and was instrumental in helping the center regain its full Title VI NRC funding. A recipient of numerous awards and honors, Jim was known not only for his scholarship but his warm demeanor. Most recently, his research and writing focused on Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.
His full obituary can be found on Schoedinger’s website. A memorial gathering is tentatively planned for February 2017. Former colleagues and students of Jim gathered at the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies Annual Convention to remember him.
