Wilfrid E. Rumble, Jr., a beloved member of this community, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Vassar College and humanitarian who played major roles in shaping many lives, passed away in his sleep on May 11, 2012. After earning his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. at John Hopkins University, Bill Rumble joined the faculty of the Political Science Department at Vassar College in 1961. He rose through the professorial ranks eventually enjoying the recognition of the appointment in 1972 to the Frederick Ferris Thompson Chair in Political Science. He served a three-year term as Chair of the Political Science Department but was for many more years the informal leader of the department as its senior and most highly regarded member. In 1971-72, he was a Visiting Professor at the University of California at Berkeley. He formally retired from Vassar in 1998 but continued to teach his very popular and highly respected course on American Constitutional Law until three years ago. He achieved nearly legendary status among his students for his academic rigor, his careful attention to his subject and to their intellectual and personal development. He was a mentor to several generations of young faculty at Vassar who valued his wisdom and his wit. Over the years, his hearty and infectious laugh enlivened many a student and faculty gathering. A dedicated and prolific scholar, Bill wrote extensively on issues in legal philosophy and jurisprudence. His books included American Legal Realism (1968), The Thought of John Austin (1985), and Doing Austin Justice (2005). He edited Austin: The Promise of Jurisprudence Determined, published by Cambridge University Press in 1995, and published many articles on legal philosophy in Britain and the United States. In December 2010 he was the invited keynote speaker for a forum on John Austin in London, England. He continued to be actively committed to scholarship up until his untimely death. In fact, two articles were accepted for publication later this year. Bill enjoyed his daily constitution, whether walking around Vassar’s campus, Central Park, a nature preserve, or sandy beach. He loved fly-fishing, adoring the Catskill Mountains’ streams and rivers. His passion for baseball endured throughout his life as did his faithful support of his heartbreaking New York Mets and Rangers. His love of dogs gave him great companionship and brightened his day, but not quite as much as his beloved grandson, Joshua. Active in the local community, Bill served on the City of Poughkeepsie Charter Review Commission in 1993-94 and was a member of the Board of Planned Parenthood and of the Gillespie Forum. He was predeceased by his parents, Wilfrid E. Rumble, Sr. and Lillian Odland Rumble, his wife of 47 years Kirk Fobes Rumble, and his sisters Margaret Lovell, Lillian McComie, and Sally Koponen. For the past ten years Bill was blessed by the loving companionship of Cynthia Adler. He is survived by his son and daughter-in law Wilfrid C. Rumble and Alexis Campuzano, his daughters Cynthia Rumble and Catherine Fobes, his grandson Joshua Rumble Briseno, his brother-in-laws Stewart Fobes, Robert Fobes, and Michael Douglas, his sister-in-laws Debbie Douglas and Mary Fobes, his cousin Blair Rumble, and 16 nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 at Christ Episcopal Church, 20 Carroll Street, Poughkeepsie.