Professor Emeritus William (Bill) Zimmerman IV died April 28, 2025, in Ann Arbor. Bill was a professor of political science in LSA and research professor at the Center for Political Studies in the Institute for Social Research until his retirement in 2007.
After Bill presented his research to the Dalai Lama at a 1994 seminar on conflict resolution, the panel moderator moved to wrap up the session; the Dalai Lama, however, leaned in toward Bill to ask more questions about Bill’s research. For the many people who have sought Bill’s advice on either political or ethical matters over the years, this anecdote will not be a surprise.
In giving Bill a lifetime achievement award, the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies described him as “a pioneer in the study of East European and Soviet foreign relations” and noted that “few scholars have impacted their field more.” His career spanned over a half century and included 10 books, around 60 articles and chapters, the supervision of 41 dissertations, visiting professorships at Stanford and Harvard, and a dozen leadership positions at U-M.
In 1963, after earning his M.A. from Georgetown and while finishing his Ph.D. at Columbia, Bill moved to Ann Arbor to teach at U-M. Bill’s first book was his seminal work on foreign policy elites, “Soviet Perspectives on International Relations.” At the height of the Cold War, with Soviet research hampered, Bill focused on Yugoslavia, honing his Serbo-Croatian language skills before visiting Yugoslavia on a Fulbright, which resulted in his second book. As access to the Soviet Union loosened, Bill visited frequently to continue his research.
Bill had a “bug” about the Soviet Union and Russia, which began with his six-month stay in a Leningrad dorm in 1966 and continued through his visiting professorship at the European University in St. Petersburg. Two books that resulted from his frequent travels to Russia were “The Russian People and Foreign Policy,” which was published in 2002, and his final book, “Ruling Russia: Authoritarianism from the Revolution to Putin,” published in 2014 and subsequently translated into both German and Chinese. He especially enjoyed working with his Chinese translator and learning the ways her work was restricted in another totalitarian state.
Bill excelled at combining hard work, research and collegial friendship. He enjoyed taking CPS staff, ISR friends and the provost to the Dexter A&W and the Washtenaw Dairy in his 1936 Dodge. He invited Russian graduate students as well as a visiting Chinese general for Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving dinners because he thought it was important they experience American holidays.
Bill was most proud when supervising students, directing dissertations and keeping close contact with his many students who now have enormous influence on the field.
Bill married Susan McClanahan in 1989; over the years, they spent more time in a second home “up north” and attended many seasons of Michigan football and basketball (35 years of season basketball tickets and attendance at two Final Four tournaments). Together they travelled extensively, domestically for Susan’s work and internationally for Bill’s research. They both loved Scotland and returned frequently to the Isle of Skye and the Hebrides.
In his 88 years, Bill never lost his spirit and enthusiasm for his family, Michigan football, Hank Williams, watermelon pickles, and peppermint ice cream. He leaves behind his wife, Susan McClanahan; his children: Fred (Cheryl) Zimmerman, Carl (Minakshi) Zimmerman, Alice (Marvin) Zimmerman; stepdaughter Rachel Thompson (John Rietz); and eight grandchildren. His departure leaves a hole in many people’s lives, in part for his academic accomplishments, but mostly because we miss his quirky and brilliant mind and his generous soul.
— Submitted by Nie Family Funeral Home
