Leo Eugene Rose passed away after a long illness on September 11, 2005 in Oakland California, bringing an end to the career of one of our most illustrious specialists on South Asia. Leo's many articles and books on South Asian politics and foreign policy enlightened several generations of Americans. His writings were always well grounded in field research, and displayed a high degree of objectivity as well as numerous insights into the domestic politics and international relations of every nation in the region. His work developed out of a combination of extensive library research and on-site exploration including close interaction with a large number of South Asians of diverse ages and backgrounds.
Leo's services to the University of California, moreover, went beyond research. He served with Bob Scalapino as co-editor of this journal for more than three decades, helping to establish its reputation for balanced, accurate analysis of current events. In addition, he was mentor to a number of students, undergraduate and graduate, in the course of over fifty years at Berkeley.
Linked throughout his life to the University of California, Leo received his B.A. (1949), M.A. (1954), and PhD (1960) from that institution. From the early 1960 until his death he combined teaching, research and co-editorship of Asian Survey with his longtime colleague Robert Scalapino, who remembers him with the following words:
"In personality, Leo was out-going, friendly, and always prepared to answer a call for assistance. I never ceased to marvel at the variety of his close friends throughout South Asia. Several episodes remain vivid in my mind. One was our visit to the Dalai Lama in Dharmala shortly after his exile began. Another was a trip to Bhutan, with meetings held with the Foreign Minister, whose daughter was a Berkeley student. Shankar Bajpai, former Indian Ambassador to China and the United States was another individual with whom he interacted frequently."
At the same time he authored a number of monographs. Among the most important of these were The Politics of Bhutan (Cornell 1977), The Politics of Nepal (Cornell 1970), Nepal: Profile of a Himalayan Kingdom (Westview, 1980), several publications for the Institute of East Asian Studies of the University of California, including Beyond Afghanistan: Emerging US-Pakistan Relations (1988) and Toward a New World Order: Adjusting India-US Relations (1992), and contributions to World Politics, American Political Science Review, Pacific Affairs, and Orbis. He was a helpful and generous resource for potential authors, and his colleagues throughout the academic world.
He will be missed by all who knew him. His was a full and rewarding life, brought to an end as he was approaching his 80th birthday. A lifelong intellectual, editor and scholar, he knew his craft well, and he knew South Asian politics as have few others, particularly along the region's troublesome margins, helping to bring understanding and clarity to these troubles.
Robert A. Scalapino
Joyce K. Kallgren
Lowell Dittmer
UC Berkeley