Charles J. Fox, professor of political science at Texas Tech University, died of natural causes Thursday, May 6, at his residence in Lubbock, Texas.

Chuck was born July 20, 1939, in Bakersfield, California, to Charles and Lucy Lee Ober Fox. He served in the U.S. Army before he began his academic studies. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his Ph.D. in political philosophy from Claremont in 1977. After eight years at Western Washington University, Chuck joined the Texas Tech faculty in 1985 as assistant professor. He served as director of the Center for Public Service from 1991–1997, and he was promoted to full professor in 1994.

Chuck's research was known for its application of political philosophy to public administration, exemplified particularly by the ground-breaking Postmodern Public Administration: Toward Discourse, published (with Hugh T. Miller) in 1995. It was translated into Chinese in 2003. He was, also the co-author, again with Hugh Miller of Postmodernism, “Reality,” and Public Administration: A Discourse (1997), as well as author or co-author (with colleagues and graduate students) of 28 refereed articles and book chapters, 16 invited (non-refereed) publications, and numerous conference proceedings, book reviews, and conference presentations. He was a member of the editorial board of the American Review of Public Administration, Administrative Theory and Praxis, and the Sage series: Advances in Public Administration Theory and Practice.

Chuck's hobbies included swimming, bicycling, and long road trips, but most of all he enjoyed conversation, the give and take of ideas that matter. The wit and aphorisms that blossomed in conversation with him about political theory (and frequently in department meetings) are legendary.

Chuck is survived by his son Harold Fox of Cambridge, Massachusetts, his daughter Donna Fox of Orlando, Florida, two grandchildren, and his mother Lucy Silvey of Antioch, California. Donations in Chuck's memory may be made to the Texas Tech University Foundation for the Political Science scholarship fund.