By Ricky Andrews · Contributing Writer
On the morning of Oct. 13, Samuel Stanton died suddenly from a heart attack.
Stanton was 57 and had been a political science professor at Grove City College for 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Vicky, and his two sons, Samuel Jr. and Nathan.
Though born in 1969 in North Carolina, Stanton identified as a native of Arkansas, where he grew up.
On campus, Stanton leaves behind a strong legacy not only as a professor, but as a mentor to his students and a friend to his fellow faculty members. Stanton’s teaching assistant, junior political science major Isaiah Hogeterp, emphasized how much Stanton cared about his students.
“He was never unreasonable,” Hogeterp said. “He treated you like a serious adult, and he gave you the respect that you gave him. … When you went to talk to him in his office hours, he was very helpful. … And he welcomed you with open arms (to) sit down, talk about what the problem is.”
On Tuesday, a week after his death, a memorial service was hosted in Harbison Chapel, which Chaplain Donald Opitz led. Michael Coulter, Andrew Harvey and Eric Bardy, all personal friends of Stanton, spoke in his honor.
“The Sam I got to know was a man of constancy, steadfastness. … Sam had your back,” Harvey said. Harvey reinforced this statement by sharing a time when Stanton took Harvey’s place on a travel course so he could stay home with his wife, who was in the hospital.
In addition to his work as a professor, Stanton was well-known within the Grove City College community. He served as the treasurer for the local Salvation Army and was heavily involved with his church, Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church. With a passion for youth sports, he spent years as a referee and a leader of multiple local youth football clubs. In his teaching and leadership, Stanton cared about guiding his students and helping them understand the implications of politics in life.
As he wrote in the Grove City College directory, Stanton enjoyed showing students that “to engage in scientific study of political phenomenon means understanding causality; that all political actions were caused by something, and that these political actions cause other outcomes.”
Many students who were taking classes with Stanton are now wondering what their future studies will look like. According to Coulter, another political science professor, this is the first time in decades that a currently employed professor has died in the middle of a semester.
For the remainder of this semester, other faculty members are teaching Stanton’s classes. Stanton’s spring classes, however, will not receive the same treatment.
“We’ve made the decision, with the Dean, to cancel Dr. Stanton’s two upper-level classes in the spring,” Caleb Verbois said in an email to students enrolled in those courses. Verbois, chair of the political science department, said in the same email that affected students can take other classes, even if they are listed as full, to prevent any issues with graduation requirements.
Students and faculty alike who are experiencing the shock and sadness of the loss of Stanton are reflecting on the finitude of life, including Verbois, who said, “We know and trust in the hope of the resurrection, and because of that we know that Dr. Stanton is now in the presence of our Lord.”
