Political Scholar, Professor Carl Friedrich Dies At 83

Professor Government Emeritus Carl J. Friedrich, a well known scholar of political science, philosophy, history and law, died Wednesday night of Alzheimer's disease in a Lexington nursing home. He was 83 years old.

Friedrich, who was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1903, began his 48-year career at Harvard in 1926. The author of more than a dozen books, he also edited and translated major works of German philosophies.

Citing Friedrich's unique analytical style, Eaton Professor of Government Samuel H. Beer said yesterday that he brought a European perspective to the traditional, parochial study of politics in the U. S. "His stringent education in Germany led him to examine empirically the relationship between theory and practice, rather than studying each aspect individually," Beer added.

One of Friedrich's specialties was comparative government and history, said retired Professor Arthur Maass, who was a close friend of the scholar's. Instead of concentrating on such traditional authors as Locke and Plato, Friedrich treated concepts, including authority and liberty, comparing the theory and practice of all types of government, Maass added.

In addition to his prolific writing, Friedrich was noted for his energetic lecturing style. "He was the most magnificent lecture I have known," said Professor of Public Administration John D. Montgomery, a former student of Friedrich's.

"He approached all his lectures and writings with enormous zest which he passed on to his students," Montgomery added.

Former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, a student of Friedrich's, stated "[Friedrich was] a wonderfully inspiring teacher with a unique gift for stimulating and challenging his students; a major political thinker, whose work on totalitarianism has withstood the test of time."

In addition to his scholarship, Friedrich served General Clay after World War II as the governmental affairs officer to the Military Governor of Germany. He also aided the reconstruction of the German constitution.

In the 1950, he was a government consultant on Puetto Rican constitutional affairs, about which he wrote his book Puerto Rico, Middle Round to Freedom. His work helped form the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Maass said.

Friedrich also wanted to unite the European states both economical and politically, for which purpose he co-authored Studies in Federalisnt.

Friedrich is survived by the wife, Lenore of Cambridge; a brother. Wolfgang Friedrich of Berlin; two sons Paul William of Chicago, and one of New York; two daughter. Matilda de Boor of Madison wise and Dorothea Gombrich of Oxford England.