Professor and Vice President Emeritus Patrick O'Meara was a renowned scholar of international development, comparative politics and African politics. He earned his doctorate in political science from IU in 1970 and went on to serve in a number of roles that boosted the university's international presence and engagement.
For several decades, O'Meara was the university's ambassador to the world in positions that included dean of International Programs, director of the African Studies Program, IU's first vice president for international affairs, and chairof the Center for International Education and Development Assistance. He created the International Strategic Plan, one of the first such programs in the nation, which focuses on strengthening IU's strategic international partnerships, attracting new international students, and ensuring that IU students are prepared for the global economy.
In 2011, the year of O'Meara's academic retirement, the IU Office of the Vice President for International Affairs created the O'Meara International Lecture Series in recognition of his work in international affairs and to celebrate his legacy of enriching the university's international involvement.
O'Meara was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and published extensively on the African continent, including several books such as Rhodesia: Racial Conflict or Co-existence?, Southern Africa in Crisis, and Changing Perspectives on International Education. His textbook, Africa, edited with Phyllis M. Martin, first appeared in 1977 and has been adopted by nearly 100 universities and colleges throughout the United States. The fourth edition, edited with Maria Grosz-Ngate, appeared in April 2014. O'Meara published numerous articles in journals and newspapers, as well as country studies for the Americana Encyclopedia. He was project director for Living Africa: A Village Experience, a film on life in a Senegalese village which was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and was a finalist in the New York Film festival. In his emeritus years he contributed to the IU Bicentennial two important books with Leah K. Peck: Indiana University and the World: A Celebration of Collaboration, 1890-2018 and Windows on Worlds: International Collections at Indiana University.
O'Meara was the recipient of multiple awards including the Cross of Saint George, awarded in Spain; the Amicus Poloniae from the Embassy of Poland; and an honorary doctorate from NIDA University in Thailand. In 2005, on behalf of IU, he received the Higher Education Prize from the Goldman Sachs Foundation for "superior achievement in engaging students in learning about other world regions, cultures and languages." At IU, O'Meara has been honored with the Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion, the John W. Ryan Award, and the President's Medal for Excellence. In 2014, a Senate resolution on behalf of the State of Indiana formally recognized O'Meara's life and accomplishments at the Indiana Statehouse.
As the trustees are aware, IU Vice President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus Patrick O'Meara died last week in Bloomington.
For many decades, Patrick represented IU with extraordinary grace, intelligence, professionalism, and collegiality, and helped elevate IU's global reputation to remarkable new heights.
He was one of the principal contributors to building and expanding IU's international engagement and presence through record-breaking study abroad programs and through partnerships he fostered with universities around the world.
Patrick was also an outstanding scholar in the areas of international development, comparative politics, and African politics. He taught and mentored hundreds of students, many of whom are now faculty members and administrators at top universities across the nation and around the world.
In 2007, I appointed Patrick as IU's first-ever vice president for international affairs. Among his many other accomplishments in that role, he led the effort to establish one of the nation's first international strategic plans at any college or university.
Patrick received a number of IU awards, including the President's Medal for Excellence, which I had the pleasure of presenting to him in 2011 at the inaugural Patrick O'Meara International Lecture. This lecture series is—and will continue to be—a fitting way to honor all that Patrick gave to IU, and to his students, colleagues, and friends over the years.
Patrick was one of the kindest, wisest, and most genuine scholars our university has ever produced. On behalf of all of us at IU, I want to once again send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, former colleagues and others whose lives he touched and enriched.
As sadness over the sudden passing of Patrick O’Meara on March 30th spreads around the world, those of us who are part of his Indiana University family are still in shock... Read more
The Global Center would not have been established without the support, guidance, and encouragement of Patrick O’Meara, and it would not be the award-winning center it consistently is without him... Read more
