Claude Emerson Welch Jr., State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo (UB) Professor of Political Science and SUNY Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, was born on 12 June 1939 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dr. Claude E. Welch, Sr., and Phyllis Paton Welch. The younger Welch "had the values of hard work and respect for others instilled him from an early age." His father worked his way through Harvard Medical School and served as a front-line surgeon in World War II. In his medical career, he became "a fixture at Massachusetts General Hospital for more than 40 years, was an innovative surgeon, a tireless worker, prolific researcher and an advocate of building strong ties with his patients, themes that would come to be synonymous with his...son."
Welch had four children with his late wife Nancy, who died in 1979. His son is Chris Welch, and his three daughters are Sarah Welch, Martha Dyer, and the late Elisabeth Ann (Lisa) Welch, who died in an alpine accident in September 2017. The Welch family maintains a camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. In May 2020, Welch moved to Auburndale, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.
In 1981, Welch married Jeannette Marie Ludwig (September 29, 1949 – July 29, 2018), who was also a professor at UB. Welch and Ludwig divided their time between their homes in Amherst and the Chautauqua Institution. They donated their home to the Chautauqua Foundation and are members of the Eleanor B. Daugherty Society.
Welch's scope of interest extends globally. He and Ludwig traveled to more than 25 countries on five continents. They became avid photographers, and their collection of more than 2000 images, complete with detailed descriptions, is preserved in the digital collection of the University at Buffalo Libraries. Based on these images, the library maintains an exhibition titled Wayfarers: Selected Images from the Welch-Ludwig Collection . Welch and Ludwig also created a scholarship for students studying abroad, the Welch-Ludwig Fund for International Study.
Education Welch attended private schools from fifth grade on. He went to Belmont Hill School, Belmont, Massachusetts, where he received academic awards for Biology, French, Latin, and general scholarly excellence. In his senior year, Welch received the Headmaster's Award for Outstanding Student and graduated summa cum laude.
Welch was admitted to Harvard College, the undergraduate liberal arts college of Harvard University, in 1957 at age 18, graduated magna cum laude, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was elected President of The Harvard Crimson in 1960. Responding to the political upheaval in Africa where countries were fighting for independence, Welch focused his studies on Africa and human rights. His undergraduate honors thesis examined the impact of international law on South Africa's administration of South-West Africa (now Namibia) from the end of World War I to 1961.
Continuing with postgraduate studies at Oxford University, Welch earned his PhD in 1964. In an interview with UB Honors Today, UB's honors alumnae magazine, he explained that he did his dissertation research in West Africa, wrote the final draft on location, and mailed it to his committee. His interest in African politics and human rights formed the basis for his career.
Teaching career For more than 50 years, Welch taught political science at UB and lived in Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. In 1964, Welch accepted a position in the political science department at the University at Buffalo, the largest and most comprehensive campus within the SUNY system. He rose rapidly in the academic ranks, serving as assistant professor from 1964 to 1968, associate professor from 1968 to 1972, full professor from 1972 to 1989, and as SUNY Distinguished Service Professor until his retirement in 2017. He was selected one of nine faculty members from the SUNY system to serve on the university-wide Advisory Council on Distinguished Service Professorships, 2009–12. His international teaching included a semester at the Singapore Institute of Management and part of a summer course at the International Institute of Human Rights, Strasbourg, France.
Welch became a mentor and renowned professor and took an active role in graduate as well as undergraduate education. His warm and enthusiastic personality and his intellect created an environment in which students explored the issues of the day, and his involvement in university activities demonstrated his devotion and attention to his students and their regard for him. In 2016 Welch received the President's Medal at the University at Buffalo, given "in recognition of signal and extraordinary service to UB." The citation praised his "major contributions to the development of, or quality of life within, the University."SUNY at Buffalo. UB Now. September 7, 2017
Welch's teaching responsibilities included African politics, civil-military relations, human rights, international law, political change, and world civilizations since 1500. He directed independent study and thesis and dissertation guidance. Since 1969, he participated in about 60 dissertation committees, chairing more than 30 of them, and he served as an outside reader for other departments at UB as well as other universities, for example, in Canada and South Africa. In addition, Welch taught at the Global Perspectives Academy and presented special seminars for the University Honors Program: Africa through Novels and Films, International Human Rights, and Women's and Men's Language (with Jeannette Ludwig).
Welch took special pride in teaching. In 2015, he told UB Honors Today that his teaching philosophy is "Let each become what they are capable of being. I try to build up a sense that, yes, individuals have made a difference, and you can do so, too. One of the objectives I see in my teaching is empowerment of students through knowledge, but also through a sense that they can be inspired by learning about others."
Welch's academic interests focus broadly on political transitions, particularly in developing countries, most notably in Africa. Welch published 14 books that demonstrate his expertise in African politics, civil-military relations, and human rights. Protecting Human Rights in Africa: Strategies and Roles of Non-Governmental OrganizationsWelch, Claude E. Jr. (2001). Protecting Human Rights in Africa: Roles and Strategies of Nongovernmental Organizations. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press (2001) and Human Rights and Development in AfricaWelch, Claude E., Jr. and Melzer, Ronald I., eds. (1984). Human Rights and Development in Africa. Albany: State University of New York Press (1984) were selected by Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries for its list of Outstanding Academic Title.Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries publishes a yearly list of best scholarly titles. Choice is part of the Association of College and Research Libraries. The award name was changed in 2000 to Outstanding Academic Titles from Outstanding Books. Choice is published by the Association of College and Research Libraries, the higher education division of the American Library Association. Protecting Human Rights in Africa was also short listed by the African Studies Association for the Herskovits Prize. In 2008, Economic Rights in Canada and the United StatesHoward-Hassmann, Rhonda E. and Welch, Claude E., Jr., eds. (2006). Economic Rights in Canada and the United States. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press (co-authored with Rhoda Howard-Hassmann) was named by the , as "one of three 'notable contributions' in the field of human rights scholarship by our membership."The US Human Rights Network, a group of 200 NGOs, congratulated Welch and Howard-Hassmann with souvenirs noting that Economic Rights in Canada and United States as "one of three 'notable contributions' in the field of human rights scholarship" in 2008.
Administrative career Welch served in numerous administrative positions while maintaining his teaching and research. His first major appointment came in 1967 when, at the age of 28, he became dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education at UB. He served in this position from 1967 to 1970. As associate vice president for Academic Affairs in 1976–80, Welch worked as the number two person for non-health sciences-related matters. He also served a three-year term as chair of the Political Science Department, 1980–83. He was Acting Dean of the Colleges from 1978 to 1979; co director of the annual Faculty Development Workshop, 1984–91; and co director of the Program for Tenured Faculty, 1987–89.
The Faculty Senate elected Welch chair for 1985–87 and 1995–97. He also served UB by chairing Faculty Senate committees on Budget Priorities, Governance, Academic Planning, Public Service, Student Affairs, and Teaching Effectiveness. In addition, Welch chaired the Committee on Public Service, the Nominating Committee, the Committee on Student Affairs, and the Special Committee on Academic Integrity. At the Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy (SUNY Buffalo Law School), he was a member of Advisory Committee, the Gilbert Moore Fellowships Committee, and the Working Groups Committee. Welch chaired the Council on International Studies and World Affairs from 1998 to 2000, has been a member since 1966, and served on the Task Force on International Programs, 1981–83.
He chaired the President's Review Board on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure for three years and served three-year terms on two other occasions. From 2009 to 2011, Welch sat on UB's General Education Task Force and was appointed by the provost as a contributor to the new implementation and development of the restructuring of the university's general education requirements. In 2008, UB President John B. Simpson appointed Welch to the Campaign Advisory Group as one of three faculty members on a 15-person team to help improve fundraising efforts. He also served as the president of the Omicron Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (1971–93) and subsequently served on the Elections Committee.
Editorial and advisory activities Welch sat on several editorial committees and advised university presses. Since 1993 he has been on the editorial review board of Human Rights Quarterly. From 1980 to 1988, he was associate editor for Armed Forces & Society, serving as editor from 1988 to 1992 and on their board of editors from 1992 to the present. Welch was subject editor for "Armed Forces and Society" in the International Military and Defense Encyclopedia.Published in 1993 by Pergamon-Brassey's
Welch has served on the editorial board of advisors for several publications, including Buffalo Human Rights Law Review since 1997; advisory board, World History Since 1500 (Dushkin Publishers), 1997–2005; editorial advisory board, Encyclopedia Americana, 1992–03; and the board of editors, African Studies Review, 1974–81.
He reviewed book manuscripts for Princeton University Press, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, Houghton Mifflin, SUNY Press, University of Pennsylvania Press, University of Rochester Press, University of Nebraska Press, Pennsylvania State University Press, and Kumarian Press. He evaluated article manuscripts for Armed Forces & Society, African Studies Review, Journal of Developing Areas, and Journal of Modern African Studies and grant proposals for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the United States Institute of Peace, and the Fulbright program. He also was Fellowship evaluator for the Fulbright Commission Council on International Education Services.