A nation must think before it acts.
Robert Strausz-Hupe´ lived an extraordinarily long and varied life, dying on February 24, 2002, a month short of his 99th birthday. He was born into a world run by Europe, made his way into another divided between America and Russia, and passed from the scene at the birth of a third, that of America’s predominance.
A penniless immigrant who became an eminent professor and later an ambassador, Strausz-Hupe´ achieved that rare distinction: a detached love for his country. A critical distance disciplined his enthusiastic patriotism. That combination enabled him to become a preeminent educator, able to speak to both America’s strengths and weaknesses. When America moved at last to participate fully in world politics, Strausz-Hupe´ would be ready to explain why this was necessary and how it should be done. His legacy is well worth pondering for the future.