Ralph Ketcham

Ralph Louis Ketcham (October 29, 1927 – April 26, 2017) was an American academic. For almost 60 years, he served as a professor of history and political science at Syracuse University. Ketcham's academic focus was on political theory and the American founding with an emphasis on James Madison.

Early life and education
Born on October 28, 1927, in Berea, Ohio, Ketcham was raised in New Hartford, New York. His parents were Sherman and Laura Murphy Ketcham. In 1959, he married Julia Stillwell. The couple had two children: Benjamin and Laura Lee.

Ketcham attended the United States Coast Guard Academy, Allegheny College, and Colgate University and earned his PhD in American Studies at Syracuse University in 1956.

Career
After obtaining his PhD, Ketcham taught briefly at the University of Chicago and at Yale. In 1963, he joined Syracuse's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, which specializes in the social sciences, public policy, public administration, and international relations.

Though he retired in 1997, Ketcham continued to write and to teach an annual graduate symposium on the foundations of American thought.

Honors

 * 1979 – Inaugural recipient of the Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Academic Achievement
 * 1987 – Selected as national professor of the year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
 * 1999 – Honorary degree from Syracuse University
 * 2003 – George Arents Medal for career achievement