1967
Carl Joachim Friedrich
Harvard University, United States
(1967–1970)
Carl J. Friedrich (1901–1984) was a German-American political theorist and expert in government and constitutional law. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg in 1930. Prof. Friedrich began his academic career at Harvard University in 1926 and was appointed Professor of Government at Harvard in 1936.
According to the , his research and teachings focused on leadership and bureaucracy in government, public administration, and comparative political institutions. He was a strong advocate of representative democracy and the rule of law, emphasizing the importance of civil institutions in upholding democratic values. His academic interests extended beyond Western politics to include political developments in China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.
From 1946 to 1949, Friedrich served as an adviser to General Lucius D. Clay, the United States military governor of Germany, and played a key role in drafting the post-war German Constitution, helping to shape a decentralized federal system with strong state autonomy. He also contributed to the founding of the Free University of Berlin, where he developed a curriculum focused on political theory, democracy, and communism.
Prof. Friedrich’s books include The Pathology of Politics: Violence, Betrayal, Corruption, Secrecy and Propaganda (1972); Tradition and Authority (1972); The Philosophy of Law in Historical Perspective (1963); Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy (1956, co-authored with Zbigniew Brzezinski); Inevitable Peace (1948); and The New Belief in the Common Man: The Democratic Ideal Today (1942).
Prof. Friedrich served as 5XÉçÇøVice-President from 1961 to 1964 and again from 1964 to 1967 before assuming the role of President from 1967 to 1970. Like several other 5XÉçÇøPresidents from the United States, he also held the position of President of the American Political Science Association (APSA), serving from 1962 to 1963.
