In Memory: Professor Peter Kim (1934-2016)

We were saddened to recently learn that Prof. Peter Kim, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, passed away in South Korea on May 12 (May 11 in the United States).  He was also the father to Katherine Kim ’90 (Kappa Kappa Gamma), Patrick Kim ’88 (Phi Delta Theta), and Michael Kim ’87.

Peter H. Kim was born January 20, 1934 in Pusan, Korea. He received his B.A. from Ohio University and his M.A., from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Peter began his career at Westminster College as Assistant Professor of Political Science in September, 1967.  According to his original personnel record, Peter was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honorary Society) in 1961 and received an International Leadership Development Fellowship.  Prof. Kim was promoted to Associate Professor in 1972, followed by being awarded tenure in 1974.  He taught at Westminster for 37 years, before retiring at the conclusion of academic year 2003-2004.  After his retirement from Westminster, Peter and his wife, Nam Hiang Kim, returned to Korea, where Peter taught courses in American politics and government at several Korean universities, where he was much sought after and highly regarded by both faculty and students.  They have three children, Michael M. Kim, Patrick M. Kim, and Katharine Kim. Nam and their children survive.

Dr. Kurt Jefferson said, “Peter loved, cherished, and held his wife and children in very high esteem.  He was so very proud of Michael and all the great work he did in his Emmy Award-winning career as one of America’s elite sports journalists.  He deeply respected and was proud of Patrick’s work as a budding global businessman in Australia and East Asia.  And his darling daughter, Katharine, made him proud as she worked in the halls of power in her homeland, the United States.  He was proud to have American children.”

At Westminster, Peter taught a number of courses, including American Government and Politics, the American Presidency, International Law and Organizations, Introduction to Asian Studies, and several upper level courses in East Asian politics, Southeast Asian politics and culture, and politics of the non-western world.

Professor Emeritus Bob Seelinger remembers, “His understanding of comparative politics and cultural traditions was enormous, and as the result (among other things) he was able to help his students understand the American political traditions and practices in a deeper, wider, and more nuanced way.”

Professor Emeritus Richard Mattingly said, “His Westminster course in Asian Studies and his courses on U. S. Government and Politics were rich tapestries of anecdotes about the perspectives and customs of the many different people he met both here and abroad.”

Prof. Kim was also a scholar.  According to Dr. Jefferson, Prof. Kim wrote several important scholarly journal articles on Southeast Asian culture (focused on the usage of words, symbols, and other cultural traits in explaining culture and politics in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) and used his research in his courses.  He spent an entire year teaching in Peking in the early 1980s before American academics were allowed to visit for long periods of time, teaching at the Chinese government’s main international relations university, and he spent summers and sabbaticals teaching in his native South Korea.

Dr. Jefferson remembers:  “This man who had been forced as a child to speak Japanese in school by the occupiers of his land held no ill will to that people and went to Japan often and established solid ties with the government and academic elite there.  He truly embodied the Abraham Lincoln adage, ‘How do I get rid of my enemies?  I make them my friends.'”

Prof. Kim is well-remembered by his colleagues as a pioneer in internationalizing the college and in bringing many international students to Westminster.  Professor Emeritus Wayne Zade said, “His presence in central Missouri, first at MU then at Westminster, and his sponsorship of many Korean students were works of peace as our countries continued to heal through the 1960s.  Peter was an advisor on Asian Studies to a number of Missouri governors, senators, and business figures.”

Professor Emeritus Mattingly knew Peter and his contributions well. He remembers: “Peter initiated our exchange program with Duksung University in Seoul, a program which continues to bring Korean women to Westminster. He traveled extensively throughout both East and Southeast Asia, always finding a way to make himself welcome where and when doing so was next to impossible. It helped that he spoke and read not only Korean but Japanese and Chinese. Japanese wondered where in Japan he came from—he had no discernible regional dialect! He traveled the silk road into Tibet years before Tibet became accessible to people from the West, and he went deep into central Southeast Asia, a region which was then the heart of the opium trade. This trip was beyond dangerous; for outsiders it bordered on the suicidal.”

Professor Emeritus Seelinger remembers: “Over the years Peter recruited a great number of Korean students.  Initially Peter knew most of these students from family connections, but this was less the case as time went on and the reputation of Westminster grew (especially through Peter and his students).  Nevertheless, Peter played a key role in the education and experience of virtually all these students.  He taught most in the classroom, in almost all cases served as their initial academic advisor, and throughout their time at Westminster was their mentor.  Prior to the enrollment of Korean students, Westminster had few international students, and Peter helped us all understand better the dynamics of international education and how best to serve our students.  Peter most clearly laid the foundations for the internationalization of both our curriculum and student body that is such a key component of the Westminster community.”

Prof. Emeritus Seelinger said, “Throughout his career Peter was much appreciated and highly respected by both his students and colleagues and to so many of us was a mentor of the highest order.  Peter was always tactful and diplomatic and regularly sought out for his thoughts and perspectives.”

Prof. Keith Hardeman remembers “Peter was a sweet man.  He had a way of visiting with you and making you feel like that conversation was the highlight of his day.  I sat in Peter’s office on many occasions, discussing teaching and communication strategies for working with our Korean students who were having difficulty with English.  Peter was so patient.  He never acted as if I were intruding on his time.  To the contrary, he always seemed so pleased when I came to his office to talk.  He was the consummate colleague and a great friend of the College and of all his colleagues.”

Dr. Jefferson said that Prof. Kim “touched the lives of so many of us and several generations (literally thousands) of students.  Peter Kim was a true hero to many of us who were blessed to work with him and call him our friend.”

Peter Kim is a Westminster legend whose work and impact on the college will never be forgotten.

– Dr. David Jones

Shared by Peter Kim’s son Michael ….