James “Jim” W. Gould passed away on March 13, 2021, in Seattle at the age of 96. Jim served in WWII, returning home to obtain a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where he would later earn his doctorate. In 1960, Jim served as Fulbright Professor at the University of Munich and then began his tenure at Scripps, where he taught courses for 35 years in international relations, cultural geography, and women and peace.
A longtime pacifist, Jim directed Peace Corps programs and became a Quaker. He also became involved in peace research and teaching nonviolence in theory and practice. At Scripps he was attracted to women peacemakers like Jane Addams, Virginia Woolf, and Helen Caldicott, and brought women peace activists to class discussions.
Through the years, Jim remained in touch with his students, including Ginny Stibbs Anami ’66, who shared her remembrances of the professor’s impact on her life.
“His course on cultural geography my first year at Scripps, along with the stories of his own experiences, inspired my passion for maps and international adventures,” she says. “I am grateful for his dedication to peace and constant intellectual curiosity. He was truly the embodiment of education for a lifetime.”
In 1989, family, friends, and alumnae established the James W. Gould Scholarship in International Relations Fund at Scripps College for high achieving students with financial need who are interested in the promotion of human rights and of peaceful resolutions to international conflict and global problems. To make a gift to the fund, please visit our giving form, select “other,” and type “James W. Gould Scholarship in International Relations.”
Jim is survived by his wife, neé Anne Wright Garrison, children, and eight grandchildren, who all have fond memories of their wonderful storytelling grandfather.