Political scientists around the country say they will miss Karl Deutsch--as a person and as a scholar--when he begins to phase in his retirement next year. Deutsch's teaching, research, and leadership in professional organizations have left him with countless friends all over the globe, all of whom are eager to heap superlatives on him.

Jorge I. Dominguez, associate professor of Government and Deutsch's teaching partner this year in Gov. 20, studied under Deutsch at Yale College and decided to enter Harvard's graduate school of Government partly because Deutsch had just moved from Yale to Harvard.

"Karl has been a teacher, a friend, and a colleague," reflects Dominguez, "and he's been good in all these roles. He's always stimulating, and one reason why I'm a political scientist is because he can inspire thoughts even when you don't agree with him.

"To use a word that would be awkward for other people but applies to him, he's gentleman," continues Dominguez. "For example, in the Faculty discussion about investments he spoke of his belief in the fidelity of love. Now very few people are going to get up on the floor of the Faculty and say that."

Arend Lijphart, professor of political science at the University of California at San Diego muses that "If I had to say who is the best political scientist in the world, it would have to be Karl Deutsch." Lijphart, a former student of Deutsch's at Yale, adds, "He has an enormously penetrating mind and he possesses a tremendous knowledge of almost every field in political science."

Bruce M. Russet, professor of political Science at Yale and a former student and colleague of Deutsch's, recalls that, "He was just full of ideas. He had a vision of political science as a vigorous social science and an idea of how to get there. That kind of informed enthusiasm was enormously contagious to those of us who were graduate students under him.

"If you look at political science now and in the 1950s, there are enormous differences," Russett continues. "Karl doesn't get all the credit for the changes, but he is as entitled to as much or more credit than any other single individual."

When Karl Deutsch learns of the praise which his colleagues have for him, he nods his appreciation but seems a bit ill-at-ease. He self-consciously straightens his traditional black suit and quickly changes the subject. He speaks of his love for Harvard and his eagerness to help students in any way he can. His only concern lies four years away, when Harvard will tag an "Emeritus" on his title. "I hope they let Emeriti in the libraries, he smiles.