Fred I. Greenstein, 88, of Princeton, NJ, died peacefully at home, from complications from a form of Parkinson’s disease, on December 3, 2018. His family was with him in his final days.
He was Professor Emeritus of Politics at Princeton University. He received his BA from Antioch College in 1953 and served in the Army during the Korean conflict. After discharge, he attended Yale University on the GI Bill, earning his PhD in 1960, and pursued postdoctoral study at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute (1961-62). Professor Greenstein was best known for his contributions to the systematic study of political psychology and for its application to presidential decision-making and leadership. During his long career, he wrote numerous scholarly articles and seven books. His early work related to children’s political development. His most well-known books are The Hidden Hand Presidency: Eisenhower as Leader, a break-through assessment of Eisenhower’s presidential leadership style, and The Presidential Difference: Leadership Style from FDR to Barack Obama, in which he used six criteria to judge a president’s effectiveness in leading the nation. He received numerous professional awards. His work is often cited by both scholars and journalists, and he was frequently sought out by the
press for his keen political insight and analysis.
Prior to joining the faculty at Princeton in 1973, Professor Greenstein taught at Yale 1960 to 1962 and at Wesleyan University from 1962 to 1973. He was an active member of the American Political Science Association, serving on many committees and panels. He was a charter member of the International Society of Political Psychology, serving as vice president from 1990 to 1992 and as president from 1996 to 1997. He mentored numerous graduate students and was known for his willingness to provide prompt, meticulous, and constructive comments on any work submitted to him by students and colleagues.
After he retired from Princeton in 2001, Professor Greenstein continued to write and publish scholarly works. Avocationally, he was a jazz aficionado, enjoyed classic and foreign
film, traveling, and walking in the woods with family or friends.
In addition to his wife of 61 years, Barbara E. Greenstein, he is survived by his son Michael Greenstein and wife Nettie Kurtz Greenstein, and their children Emma and Nathan; his daughter Amy Greenstein Dahn and husband William O. Dahn, and their children, Ryan and Cory; and his
daughter Jessica Greenstein and husband Eric Hollman, and their children, Benjamin and Sam. He is also survived by his sister, Betty Greene, as well as a large extended family of nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A private service for family will take place on December 16, 2018 at Kimble Funeral Home, with interment following at Princeton Cemetery. A public memorial service will take place in the spring.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to Antioch College, Yellow
Springs, Ohio, or to a charity of your choice.
