Remembering Professor Michael Hudson

Remembering & Celebrating Professor Emeritus Michael Hudson

It is with heavy hearts that the CCAS community mourns the loss of Professor Emeritus Michael Craig Hudson, who passed away on May 25, 2021. Dr. Hudson was a founder of the Center for

Contemporary Arab Studies and served as its director for many years (1976-1982, 19841989, 2004-2006, and 2007-2010). A Professor of International Relations at Georgetown

University, Dr. Hudson also held the Seif

Ghobash Chair of Arab Studies at CCAS.

“Mike was a brilliant political scientist of the Arab World, with a deep knowledge of the politics of Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt and Yemen, as well as U.S.-Arab relations,” writes his longtime colleague Professor Judith Tucker. “His was a knowledge informed by a lifetime of experience on the ground, empathy and respect for the people of the region, and warm collaborative relationships with his colleagues across the Arab World.”

Dr. Hudson was born on June 2, 1938 in New Haven, Connecticut. His father, Robert Bowman Hudson, Jr. of Dublin, Virginia, was an urban planner and pioneer of public educational broadcasting. His mother, Joan Loram Hudson, was born in South Africa and was a champion college tennis player. Michael grew up in Denver, Colorado and attended high school at University High in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and also in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He graduated from Swarthmore College and received his PhD in political science from Yale University, studying with legendary political scientist Karl Deutsch and influenced by anthropologist Marshall Sahlins, with whom he took a course as a high school student.

Dr. Hudson’s lifelong engagement with the Arab world was sparked when, as an exchange student in Beirut, he witnessed firsthand the U.S. military intervention in the 1958 Lebanese crisis. He went on to focus his study of politics and international relations on the Arab world and Middle East. His first book, The Precarious Republic: Political Modernization in Lebanon (1968), was widely considered the pioneering English language monograph on that country’s political fragility. Similarly, his second book and master work, Arab Politics: The Search for Legitimacy (1977), crossed the entire Arab world and was a major contribution to the exploration of identity, history and power as contributors to regional instability. In addition to these two major works, which grounded the field of Middle East political science in qualitative research and comparative frameworks, he edited and authored dozens of volumes, scholarly articles, and commentaries. Dr. Hudson served as president of the Middle East Studies Association in 1986-87 and was a frequent and sought-after media commentator on Middle Eastern affairs and U.S. foreign policy for decades.

Dr. Hudson began his career as a lecturer at the City University of New York, later moving to Washington, DC to teach at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. In 1975, he joined the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University as director of the the newly established Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and accepted a position as professor of international relations in the Government Department in 1979. He worked closely with his lifelong friends Hisham Sharabi, Halim Barakat, Clovis Maksoud, Ibrahim Oweiss, John Ruedy and Judith Tucker, among many others, to shape the field of interdisciplinary Arab studies. “As one of the founders and longtime director of CCAS, he was the chief architect and major force behind the Center’s rise to national and international prominence as the premier site for research, teaching, and study of the Arab World,” writes Judith Tucker. “Michael was a driving force at CCAS, laying out plans and building roads for so many others to travel,” adds Professor Rochelle Davis. “As a founder of CCAS, he helped create a Center whose vision remains one of ethical and in-depth engagement with the Arab world.”

Former staff remember Prof. Hudson as a mentor and friend. “He was a true leader and visionary as he guided the growth and development of CCAS, with decisions based on integrity, unwavering principles, and an abiding caring for the people of the Arab world,” writes former CCAS Assistant Director Zeina Azzam. “Mike always looked out for CCAS staff, bringing out the best in us and opening doors to allow our potential to shine. He was an inspiring director, professor, and scholar and a genuine humanitarian.”

“Mike was a rare individual: a combination of great intellect, open curiosity and genuine fun,” recalls former CCAS Assistant Director Rania Kiblawi. “You knew he was hatching some great idea by the twinkle in his eyes and that funny way of rubbing his head. He was a joy to work with, always thinking of ways to make CCAS stronger and better, and he taught us to embrace challenges on behalf of a greater cause.”

After serving several terms as CCAS director, Dr. Hudson was recruited as the founding director of the Middle East Insti-

Michael was a driving force at CCAS, laying out plans and building roads for so many others to travel.

Clockwise from top left: Michael with Professor Judith Tucker at Souk Waqif in Doha; Michael with his wife Vera at a CCAS staff retreat in Aqaba in 1988; Michael with Prof. Rochelle Davis at a MAAS alumni gathering; a sketch by Michael, who was known as a prolific doodler and limerickist; Michael at his home with former CCAS editor Mimi Kirk and daughter Leila; Michael in Shibam, Yemen in 1994. Photo credits: (left page) Leila Hudson; (right page) Zeina Azzam, Judith Tucker, Marisa Tamari, CCAS

tute of the National University of Singapore from 2010 to 2014. Throughout his career he advocated for human rights and democratization throughout the Middle East and was a passionate supporter of Palestinian liberation. “Michael was always willing to stand up for what was right, whether it was to take a strong public stand on Palestinian rights, to protect junior faculty from unrealistic demands or to advocate for students,” writes Professor Fida Adely.

Dr. Hudson lost his wife and beloved companion of forty-four years, Palestinian-Lebanese biologist and toxicologist Vera Wahbe Hudson, in 2007. Michael was an avid bon vivant, delighting in fine food and drink, music, theater, literature and spending time with friends, old and new. He enjoyed running and swimming until his last days of life. He is survived by his brother Robert B. Hudson III and sister-in-law Perry Hewitt of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; his daughter Leila Hudson, son-in-law Riad Altoubal, grandchildren Zayna and Zayd Altoubal of Tucson, Arizona; and his daughter Aida Hudson, son-in-law Andreas Laursen and grandchildren Annika and Benedict Hudson-Laursen of Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Michael was truly a remarkable person with high intellect, and a keen sense for initiatives and management,” writes CCAS Director Joseph Sassoon. “His dedication for Arab studies knew no limit, and he will be remembered by his students for years to come.”

Professor Hudson’s family, friends and colleagues will gather in Washington, DC in July 2021 to remember and celebrate his life. CCAS has created a memoriam page on our website to collect remembrances of Dr. Hudson from his friends, students, and colleagues. ◆