Rufus Fears’ death leaves large void

The University of Oklahoma, indeed the state of Oklahoma, lost a great teacher Saturday with the passing of professor J. Rufus Fears.

Fears, 67, was a classics professor at OU, where he spent 22 years including a stint as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. OU President David Boren said flatly: “Rufus Fears was one of the greatest teachers in the history of our state.”

Fears was a popular lecturer and writer, usually tying the lessons of the past to the politics of today. In an op-ed in The Oklahoman in January, he cited the Federalist Papers, the Magna Carta and even Pericles in explaining the power of the purse held by the U.S. House of Representatives.

He was a distinguished fellow at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a conservative think tank. “There are very few people who have done more for the cause of liberty or more to preserve the history of our great republic,” said Dr. David R. Brown, OCPA’s founding chairman.

Fears will be missed, on campus and off.

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