Tribute to Nicolas van de Walle

With deep sadness, we share that our esteemed colleague, Nicolas van de Walle (Cornell University), passed away on July 15, 2024. Nic was one of the most highly regarded and accomplished members of our community. In addition to leaving a legacy in the field of African politics, Nic will be remembered as a kind, generous, and dedicated person.

After obtaining his Ph.D from Princeton University, Nic started his academic career at Michigan State University. He joined the Department of Government at Cornell University in 2004, where he stayed ever since. His scholarship focused on the political economy of development, democratization, and the politics of economic reform.

Nic was a stellar and prolific scholar who contributed immensely to the field of African politics. His most influential books included Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective (with Michael Bratton), and African Economies and the Politics of Permanent Crisis, which earned the APSA Luebbert Award for best work in Comparative Politics. Recently, Nic released Electoral Politics in Africa since 1990: Continuity and Change (with Jaimie Bleck) and co-edited Democratic Backsliding in Africa? Autocratization, Resilience, and Contention (with Leo Arriola and Lise Rakner). Several other titles on leadership succession, the impact of aid, and the political economy of African development also appeared. In addition, he published numerous articles in prestigious journals, and was the Africa books reviewer for Foreign Affairs, offering perspective on hundreds of titles in the field over many years. 

Nic was also a beloved colleague and friend. Some of us were fortunate to know him for decades. Nic was deeply curious, intellectually vibrant, and incisive. His energy and productivity were impressive, yet he was also accessible and modest. He had strong critical faculties and innate scepticism about received wisdom or sloppy arguments. While he could express private reservations about some work, he was unfailingly civil and collegial in his public comments. His critiques and observations came from a place of generosity. For those of us in the profession, his service and leadership were also inspiring. One of the perks of academic life is the opportunity to travel for conferences, research and presentations. Nic was always available for a meal, a drink, or an outing, and the time together was full of laughter and good conversation. His satisfaction in his family and devotion to friends were apparent. Although he had health challenges at moments, these were often private and never dimmed his fellowship.

Nic van de Walle was an inspiring teacher who cared deeply about his students and their academic success. At Cornell, he taught classes such as African Politics, Historical Analysis, and, notably, Introduction to Comparative Politics, which he loved to teach because it was the first time students got to learn about the world. When he felt that students were not quite getting something, he showed heartfelt concerns and did not hesitate to redesign a lecture at the last minute. During the pandemic, Nic was so worried about his students’ well-being during his virtual class that he went out of his way to incorporate music and videos to generate more student investments. His undergraduate students often praised him for his kindness, compassion, and loved hearing his passionate rants on horizontal v. vertical accountability in the Introduction to Comparative Politics democratization lecture.

Nic was also known for being an incredible mentor and Ph.D advisor. When advising, Nic let his students explore topics they were passionate about while providing the guidance and support they needed to succeed. Nic did not want his students to become a version of himself; he wanted them to produce “interesting work.” He also provided opportunities for students to build their profiles and promoted their work without taking credit for their success. His students will always cherish the memories of these two-hour meetings where they discussed — in addition to African politics-related topics — his failed fishing expeditions on Cayuga Lake, the chipmunk invasions that destroyed his blueberry harvest, his beloved grandchildren, and numerous fieldwork anecdotes. At the end of a meeting, his students often left with a long reading list, sometimes blackcurrant jam from his garden, but always a sense of reassurance and contentment.

The African Politics Conference Group would like to take this last opportunity to thank Nic for his formidable work, commitment to African politics, kindness, and joie de vivre. He will be deeply missed. We would also like to extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Michele van de Walle, two daughters, Juliette and Nadia, and the rest of his family. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

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Individual tributes: 

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As we all know, Nic was a kind and generous person. Nic seemed happiest with his graduate students when we were doing work that we found interesting. He didn't want us to work on things that were popular or easy. He wanted his students to find a topic that we enjoyed because then he could learn from us. I remember after months of trying to come up with an idea for an unwieldy, historical, three country comparison in my dissertation, he told me to narrow my cases down. When he asked about my proposed South African case, I realised it was what I had wanted to do all along. I left his office with a smile and a book on South Africa that he had just reviewed. Neither he nor I knew that our discussion would lead where it did, but Nic was smiling in that typical Nic way because he could see that I was on a track I wanted to be on. Nic's willingness to push his students into their comfort zones and be critical - but crucially never mean - led to not just successful, but also happy graduate students and scholars. His passing is a loss to us all not just because of his important work, but also because we lose such a supportive, humble, funny and kind mentor, teacher, colleague and friend.

Alex Dyzenhaus (University of Toronto)

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Nic was such a generous, kind and gentle man. I am so grateful for the support he gave me during my grad school journey. I will never forget how nervous I was to tell him I was pregnant with my son mid-way through my program, terrified that this was the end of my academic career. Of course he reacted with unbridled enthusiasm. His love for his family was such a big part of his nature and he was thrilled that I would get to experience the joy of becoming a parent. He had a rare ability to relate to everyone, from first year undergraduates to established colleagues, on a human level first. Despite being an intellectual giant, he approached every conversation with curiosity, good humour and a complete lack of ego. He made academia a warmer place. I and so many others will miss his meandering anecdotes, his endless book recommendations and his wisdom.  While he never got a chance to read my dissertation, I know it would never have existed without his patience and encouragement. I feel so lucky to have had him as an advisor. I know his memory will be a blessing to everyone that knew him. 

Tessa Devereaux Evans (Cornell University)

It is with immense sadness that I learned of the death of my mentor, colleague, and dear friend Nicolas van de Walle, professor at Cornell University. I met Nic when I was a doctoral student. His classic book 'Democratic Experiments in Africa,' which I had the privilege of reading in manuscript form, helped structure my own doctoral thesis. I then had the privilege of collaborating with him on numerous occasions in publications and conferences. He hosted me at Cornell for 6 months during a sabbatical in 2008 and into his house. Generous, humble, always ready to help, Nic was one of the most brilliant and prolific comparativists and specialists in African politics. He leaves a void that will be difficult to fill. But fortunately, he leaves us a legacy that will not fade. My thoughts are with his daughters, his wife, and all the many people who I know are mourning him. 

Rest in peace, my friend.

Mamadou Gazibo (Université de Montreal)

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Nic was the best academic advisor anyone could dream of. I still remember discussing potential ideas for a research paper in his office during my first year. I obstinately wanted to write on civil wars but could not find a topic or a research question. After hearing me lament for a good ten minutes, he kindly told me, “Well, with your legal background,  you seem to know more about legal institutions than most political scientists; why don’t you explore this area?” This piece of advice started my academic career. In the following years, Nic provided me with all the opportunities I needed to succeed.  In addition to being an incredible mentor, Nic was kind, funny, and generous. His passing has created a void in our community, and the wave of emotions we’ve seen in the past few days is a testimony to the incredible person he was.

Thalia Gerzso (University of York)

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I join in sharing deep sadness at the  passing of our wonderful colleague and friend Nic van de Walle.  He made lastingly invaluable contributions to many areas of scholarship on African development , especially democracy and African economies.  I am so pleased that he agreed to write on these subjects for the current edition of Africa in World Politics.  With so many others, I will remember him for the warm, generous, thoughtful and  perceptive colleague he always was.  I made sure to  attend any and all sessions at ASA and APSA in which  he  participated. because I always came away with notes of new things to think about in my own work.  No one was more deserving than Nic to receive APCG's Distinguished Africanist award. I shall miss him greatly.‍

John Harbeson (City University of New York)

In my first year as a naïve, unprepared graduate student, I was in Nic’s office debating about something and he asked me “Are you a positivist?” I said yes, because that seemed like the right thing to say, and then googled it as soon as I left his office to figure out what position I’d just claimed. That was the first of many times that Nic introduced me to a foundational concept that altered the way I thought about something. Typically, these nuggets of wisdom only became apparent later, after I’d had ample time to think about it. These interactions reflect the nature of Nic’s brilliance, which was quiet and understated. He was an astute original thinker whose pathbreaking work shaped the field of African politics, but he was also so humble that you’d never guess what a big deal he was. Nic was generous with his time, kind and incisive in his feedback, and dedicated to supporting his students. He was such a wonderful mentor, and the single most important person in setting my career trajectory. The field has lost a giant intellect, but more than that, it has lost a truly wonderful person.

Erin Hern (Syracuse University)

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Nic was an immensely influential and insightful scholar, but more importantly, a very generous person, acting as a mentor to many younger scholars, even those who were not his students or colleagues. I still remember when I first contacted him as a first-year assistant professor. He wrote back immediately with a warm and encouraging message, and ever since then he was always willing to meet, offer feedback, and exchange ideas. His interest and engagement were completely selfless. Every conversation with him was enriching and meaningful. His passing is a tremendous loss for our community.

Dominika Koter (Colgate University)

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I had the privilege of working alongside Nic early in my career as an assistant professor at Cornell. He became a role model, teaching me two invaluable lessons that continue to guide me. First, Nic showed that meaningful research focuses on issues that matter to the people being studied, not what is popular in the field. Second, I learned that true professional success comes from empowering others, not individual achievements.  These two lessons have stayed with me even after I left Cornell and later transitioned from academia to tech.  I continue to prioritize the concerns of those I study and find joy in enabling my colleagues' success.  Nic's impact on my career has been profound, and I can think of few others who have made such a lasting difference.

Devra Moehler

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Nic was a true inspiration for generations of political scientists. His work on Africa’s turn to electoral multipartyism in the early 1990s (together with Michael Bratton) spurred a new research agenda to which so many of us have dedicated our professional lives. While the impact of Nic’s brilliant research cannot be exaggerated, many of us will remember him just as much for his commitment to mentorship. He seemed to have endless time to advise, inspire, and listen to younger scholars like myself. I will remain in great debt for all his contributions, and our community of African political scholars has certainly lost one of its most distinguished members.

Michael Wahman (Michigan State University