Clemson University mourns the death of Joseph Earl Stewart, a professor and former department chair in the Political Science Department. Dr. Stewart passed away on August 21, 2023.
Stewart joined Clemson’s faculty in 2005, and he was in his 18th year at the University.
“Dr. Stewart was an incredibly accomplished scholar and teacher,” said Political Science Department Chair Joseph Ura. “He wrote widely on public education, civil rights, and policymaking processes, and his work engaged critical questions about equality and access to basic social services.”
“Dr. Stewart was also a well-known and much-loved member of the political science community,” Ura continued. “He leaves behind a network of collaborators and friends as large as his capacity for fellowship and good humor.”
Stewart came to Clemson after serving at the University of New Mexico, the University of Texas at Dallas, West Virginia University and the University of New Orleans. He also held distinguished visiting positions at the Educational Testing Service, San Diego State University and Rice University and was an accomplished scholar of public policy, writing widely on issues in public education, civil rights, legal policy and policymaking processes, accumulating nearly 4,500 academic citations. Among the many awards he earned over his career, most recently in 2022, Stewart was named Citizen of the Year, Law Related Education Division by the South Carolina Bar Association.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides grief counseling to students. Any student who wants to speak to a counselor should contact CAPS at 864-656-2451. An after-hours CAPS counselor can be reached by calling 864-656-2451and selecting option 2 to speak to a counselor.
Counseling services are also available to faculty and staff through ComPysch, the University’s Employee Assistance Program provider, at 866-365-0813.
Clemson University Obituaries
Obituaries for active employees, retirees and current students are issued by Marketing and Communications once we are able to confirm the information. Since faculty and staff live and work throughout the state, we depend on university departments, colleagues or friends to notify us of the deaths of active employees and retirees.
