LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D.,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Richard "Dick" T. Antoun, Ph.D. of Vestal, New York, died on
December 4, 2009, at the age of 77; and
WHEREAS, Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on March 31, 1932, Richard
was the first child of Dr. Taft and Nelly Antoun; the family moved to
nearby Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and he spent his early years enjoying
adventure radio programs such as Jack Armstrong and Captain Midnight,
playing baseball in the neighborhood field, and following the Boston
Braves and Red Sox, the latter of which became a lifelong passion; and
WHEREAS, Richard T. Antoun graduated from Shrewsbury High School in
1949, where he was an enthusiastic member of the debate team; he
attended Williams College, where his interests in politics, leadership
and conflict resolution were nurtured and began to blossom; and
WHEREAS, Following his graduation from Williams in 1953, he completed
a Masters degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins Universi-
ty; while there, an interest in the Middle East, fed in part by the
origins of his family in Lebanon, came into focus; Richard pursued that
interest by entering a Ph.D. program at Harvard University in Anthropol-
ogy and Middle Eastern Studies, which he completed in 1963; and
WHEREAS, His doctoral research was based on fieldwork in the Village
of Kufr al-Ma, Jordan, which he would return to throughout his profes-
sional life; also in 1963, Indiana University gave Richard his first
professional post, and he taught there as a professor of anthropology
until 1970, at which time he joined the SUNY Binghamton faculty; and
WHEREAS, Through his years at SUNY, Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D. devoted
himself to teaching students, both graduate and undergraduate, tireless-
ly marking papers and meeting with students for individual dialogue; he
directed the completion of at least eight doctoral theses and served on
the dissertation committees of numerous other students; and
WHEREAS, In addition, he served as President of the Middle East
Studies Association and was a visiting professor/scholar at Manchester
University, the American University of Beirut, the University of Chicago
and Cairo University; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his professional life, Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D.
pursued his intellectual interests in politics, religion and conflict
resolution; he sought to examine how Middle Eastern societies resolved
conflicts on a local level through tribal customs and to engender under-
standing of controversial topics, such as fundamentalism, through cross-
cultural analysis; and
WHEREAS, Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D. published six books, including
MUSLIM PREACHER IN THE MODERN WORLD (Princeton 1989), and over 30 arti-
cles; on the day before he passed, he completed revisions on an article
regarding the lifecycle of athletes, which combined his passions for
social anthropology and sports; and
WHEREAS, He distinguished himself in his profession and by his sincere
dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of his community;
and
WHEREAS, Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D. was an active member of the Unitari-
an Universalist Church, in Binghamton, New York, and participated in
many interfaith discussions; continuing his deep belief in the non-viol-
ent resolution of conflict, he was an active participant in the Peace

Action group; he also continued to share his knowledge of the Middle
East as a lecturer at the Lyceum; and
WHEREAS, Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D. is survived by his wife, Roz Antoun;
his son, Nicholas Antoun and his daughter-in-law, Nicole; Nicholas'
mother, Elize Botha-Antoun; his sisters, Jane Antoun Cartelli and Linda
Miller; Roz's children, Dusty (Debbie) and Chuck (Lisa) Blechman; and
his grandchildren, William Antoun and Ellie, Max and Jay Blechman; as
well as many other family members, friends, colleagues and students; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D.
leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and
will remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D., distinguished citizen and
devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Richard T. Antoun, Ph.D.