John Bunzell: Professor of Political Science

John H. Bunzell. 1953. Professor of Political Science. BA (1948) Princeton University; MA Columbia University; Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley. John H. Bunzel joined the San Francisco State College faculty in 1953 as a professor of political science. A graduate of Princeton University (B.A., 1948), with advanced degrees from Columbia University and UC Berkeley, Bunzel became known for his outspoken and sometimes controversial views, particularly during the 1968–69 student strike. Described by some as a “neoconservative” critic of student radicalism, Bunzel publicly challenged the tactics and demands of the strike while also advocating for institutional reforms. In recognition of his interest in the dynamics of student activism, he was awarded a Ford Foundation grant in 1969 to conduct an independent study on the subject. However, the research he gathered was later lost in an arson fire at Stanford University, where he had been associated with the Hoover Institution. Bunzel left SF State in 1970 to become president of San Jose State College, where he continued to navigate tensions with student activists. His legacy is a complex one: he was both a critic of protest movements and a keen observer of their place in American political life.