Senator Richard G. Lugar

NEWS |

It is with great sadness that the College community has learned of the death of Senator Richard G. ‘Dick’ Lugar, Honorary Fellow, alumnus and lifelong friend of Pembroke College.

Senator Lugar came to Pembroke as a Rhodes Scholar in 1954 to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), and was elected as President of the student body during his time here.

After leaving Pembroke, Senator Lugar was elected as Mayor of Indianapolis in 1968 and went on to serve five terms in the Senate from 1977 to 2013 as a member of the Republican Party. His career as a Senator strived to promote policies addressed to foster economic growth and development as well as efficiency within the government bureaucratic processes. He served as distinguised Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee twice - from 1985-1987 and 2003-2007.

Senator Lugar was recognised for his work in politics by receiving multiple awards and accolades, including Honorary Knighthood from the Queen of England and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. He was recipient of 46 honorary degrees from colleges and universities, including the Honorary Fellowship received from Pembroke in 1984.

A valued and committed member of the Pembroke community, Senator Lugar served as Chairman of the Pembroke College Foundation from its inception in 1984 until his death. He hosted the most recent meeting of its trustees in November 2018 in his office at the Lugar Center in Washington, and before that – as he did for many years – in his Senate office.

Senator Lugar remained actively involved in Pembroke affairs throughout his long life taking on the role of Honorary Co-Chair of the College's Bridging Centuries fundraising campaign in 2008, hosting numerous Pembroke events in Washington, D.C and visiting the College frequently.

It was during his time at Pembroke that he started a correspondence with another illustrious former Pembroke student, and fellow Rhodes Scholar, Senator J William Fulbright (1925), the founder of the Fulbright Scholarship Programme and long-time Chairman of the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. This relationship was to be long-lasting, as Senator Lugar followed as a successive Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for two terms, as well as chairing the Senate Agriculture Committee for six years.

During a speech at Oxford in 2005, Senator Lugar discussed the profound influence his time at Pembroke had on his later life: “I discovered the extraordinary challenges and opportunities of international education at Pembroke College – my first trip outside the United States [..] I gained a sense of how large the world was, how many talented people there were, and how many opportunities one could embrace”.  

Master of Pembroke, Dame Lynne Brindley, comments: “It was a privilege to have known Dick and his support for Pembroke and pride in the College was a great source of inspiration for us all”.

There have been widespread tributes to honour the life of the foreign policy icon, including The New York Times, USA Today and Pembroke College Foundation of North America (PCFNA).

Senator Lugar is survived by his wife Char, his four sons Mark, Bob, John, and David.

The Pembroke flag will fly at half-mast today, Monday 29th April in honour of Senator Lugar.