Remembering Samuel Huntington

Honoring a legend.

One of the nation's preeminent political scientists, a longstanding professor at Harvard University, and founder of the influential journal Foreign Policy, Dr. Huntington died Wednesday at an Oak Bluffs nursing home. He was 81.

"He was a man of enormous influence," said his longtime friend and colleague, Henry Rosovsky. "I think he was one of the really great figures in the field."

A specialist in many areas, particularly national security and military-civilian affairs, Dr. Huntington worked in the Carter White House as coordinator of security planning for the National Security Council from 1977-1978. Later, he was a member of the Presidential Commission on Long-Term Integrated Strategy in the 1980s.

He was also active in Democratic politics, and met his wife, Nancy, during the presidential campaign of Adlai Stevenson in 1956. He was a speechwriter for Stevenson, and they met while working on a speech together that the candidate later used during the campaign.

He is well known and will be remembered for many things, but for me, I credit Samuel Huntington for the way I look at Maritime Strategy moving into the 21st century. His article in May 1954 Proceedings titled National Policy and the Transoceanic Navy is one of the single best articles that publication has ever published (and that is saying something), timeless advice and guidance towards maritime strategy.