after nearly 50 years at tufts, Professor Jeffrey Berry discusses his retirement, research, teaching

by Kendall Roberts Features Editor

Professor, author, adviser, researcher, mentor, scholar and friend. These are just a few words to describe Jeffrey M. Berry and the legacy he created for himself at Tufts.

Berry worked at the Department of Political Science since 1974 and officially retired in the fall of 2022 after nearly 50 years of teaching. Berry explained that his love for political science was nurtured from childhood, inspired by his mother’s influence.

“I think my mother was the reason I got into political science. She was very interested in politics and so she talked politics with me,” Berry said. “I can remember at a very early age reading the newspaper.”

While Berry was growing up, agriculture was the center of the economy in his hometown of Fresno, Calif. At a summer job where he made deliveries to farms, he learned about the exploitation of Mexican laborers in the area. It was a profound experience that sparked a long journey leading to his master’s degree thesis on Cesar Chavez, who was the first person to orga- nize Mexican farmworkers in California.

“When I made deliveries to these farms, I saw the exploitation,” Berry said. “It made a big impact on me. So I carried that passion or concern into graduate school. … That’s sort of an intellectual link between where I grew up and what I ended up doing for a living.”

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree at the University of California Berkeley, he made a trek across the country to pursue his doctorate from John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. After accepting the job to work at Tufts in 1974, Berry began building a life with his family in Boston and conducted research on interest groups and urban politics.

Berry collaborated with Kent Portney, a former professor of political science at Tufts, on several publications. Alongside Portney and Ken Thompson, he co-authored “The Rebirth of Urban Democracy.”

“Kent and I continued to work together on many things, so we became very close writing and research partners,” Berry said. “He was a big part of my Tufts life.”

Berry has also collaborated across departments. Working with Sarah Sobieraj, professor and chair of the sociology department, Berry explored the role of cable news networks and talk radio in American political lives.

As of recently, Berry is wrapping up a five-year project alongside Dean James Glaser and Professor Deborah Schildkraut that explores the differences between liberals and conservatives. Berry has appreciated the opportunity to work alongside other professors and faculty members during his time at Tufts.

“I’ve not merely been at Tufts, but I’ve had research that was actually based at Tufts,” Berry said. “I was very happy with having these wonderful people to work with.”

Berry has often valued collaborating with Tufts undergraduates on publications, especially since the political science department does not have a graduate program.

“I have quite a few research assistants, in some cases, collaborators who are undergraduates. That was nice too, because they got mentored rather than taught, so I think that was important to their personal development,” Berry said.

One of Berry’s favorite projects to work on was his book, “A Voice for Nonprofits” which he co-authored with former Tufts master’s student David Arons.

“I was very passionate about that subject,” Berry said. “My co-author and I were trying to figure out ways to make nonprofits more politically effective, and so both of us did this work with a real passion about the nonprofit sector.”

Not only has Berry contributed heavily to political science research, but he has also taught many classes from The Presidency and the Executive Branch to seminars on media and city politics. While Berry could not name a singular favorite class he has taught, he loved the chance to discuss American politics with students.

“I loved all my classes, and I’m … going to miss them all,” Berry admitted. “I love standing in front of the classroom, both talking and