Allies & Obstacles

In memory

Richard K. Scotch

1951 – 2026

Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Public Policy and Political Economy, The University of Texas at Dallas

Richard Kivie Scotch was born in Chicago in 1951 and died in Dallas on June 2, 2026. He earned his BA from the University of Chicago and his MA and PhD in sociology from Harvard University, and spent forty-two years on the faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas before retiring in 2025.

His first book, From Good Will to Civil Rights, told the story of how federal disability policy was transformed by the disability rights movement, and it remains essential reading decades later. He went on to write more than seventy articles and book chapters, served as president of the Society for Disability Studies, and helped found the American Sociological Association’s Section on Disability in Society.

At UT Dallas he mentored generations of students, served on more than fifty dissertation committees, and was the driving force behind the university’s public health program. On his retirement the university created the Richard Scotch Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award in his honor.

The idea for Allies and Obstacles was Richard’s: after Allison’s first book came out, he proposed that they write about parent activism together, and Pam soon joined them. Five years later, the three reunited to edit Family and Disability Activism.

To us he was a co-author, a steady and generous collaborator, and a friend. These books would not exist without him.

His books

Honors

  • Distinguished Contributions to the Sociology of Disability Award, American Sociological Association2014
  • Senior Scholar Award, Society for Disability Studies2013
  • President, Society for Disability Studies1994–95