Richard Smolka, an AU alumnus and longtime professor in the School of Public Affairs, died of heart failure on Nov. 5 in his home in Mesa, Ariz. He was 81.
Smolka taught political science at AU in the School of Government, which is now the School of Public Affairs, from 1962 until his retirement in 1993.
“[Richard] was a genius and always enthusiastic,” said Tony Morella, a former Washington College of Law professor who co-taught several courses with Smolka during the summer.
Smolka was an elections specialist, who focused on the mechanics of ballots and how they are counted.
“He loved to engage students in the political process,” his son Bo Smolka said.
Smolka was a contributing expert for CNN, NBC Nightly News and 60 Minutes during the 2000 Bush v. Gore vote count controversy in Florida. Smolka also worked as an elections expert for WRC-TV Channel 4 and never made a wrong projection on who would win a race in his 24 years with the station.
He was also the founding editor of Election Administration Reports, a biweekly publication on election and voting legislation, technology and best practices. Smolka began the newsletter after rupturing his achilles tendon in 1971 while playing basketball at AU. He served as its editor for 41 years.
“I was moved by his passion,” Morella said. “He was a good friend.”
Smolka was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 25, 1932 and attended St. Ignatius High School. He graduated in 1949 and was briefly in the Marine Reserves from 1953 to 1954. He entered active duty in the Army from 1954 to 1956.
After serving in the military, Smolka attended AU and studied government. He received a bachelor’s in 1959, master’s in 1961 and doctorate in 1966. Smolka was an avid fan of AU basketball and served as the faculty representative for the men’s basketball team under Gary Williams.
Smolka was awarded the Freedom Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State for lifetime contributions to election administration in 2001.
Smolka was married to Peggy Farrell for 55 years. He and Peggy moved to Arizona in 2011 to be near one of their six children, have easier access to health care and enjoy the warm weather.
Survivors include two sisters, his wife, six children and 15 grandchildren.
“I’ll very much miss him,” Morella said. “He was a treasure at AU.”
