Gerald M. Pomper, a retired Rutgers University political science professor who was a nationally known expert in voter behavior and American presidential elections, died on May 231. He was 91.
Political historian Allan Lichtman had called the hugely respected Pomper the “Dean of American Political Science.” He was frequently quoted by political reporters across the nation.
In addition to his academic career, Pomper held local office as the president of the Highland Park Board of Education. He also served on the Highland Park Zoning Board.
After graduating from Columbia University and earning his PhD from Princeton University, Pomper joined the Rutgers faculty in 1962 and spent almost five decades at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. He served on the Rutgers Board of Governors.
He authored 22 books, including: Elections in America: Control and Influence in Democratic Politics; Voters’ Choice: Varieties of American Electoral Behavior; Passions and Interests: Political Party Concepts of American Democracy; and Party Renewal in America. Most recently, in 2024, Pomper wrote Ordinary Heroes and American Democracy; his premise was that heroes in a democracy contribute to civic life “through their customary work,” and that doing so “is heroism enough for a society of liberty and equality.”
Predeceased by his wife, Marlene, in 2013, he is survived by his wife, Sandra Bergelson, his three children, and five grandchildren.
