David Norman Balaam

David Norman Balaam was born February 26, 1950, in Lompoc, California, to David John and Mary (Oliver) Balaam. He attended La Purisma Catholic School and later Lompoc High School. He matriculated at California State University in Chico where he earned his undergraduate degree. David, also known to family as “Rusty”, earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research and teaching interests included International Political Economy, Security Studies, Food and Hunger, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Professor Balaam taught for 31 years at the University of Puget Sound (UPS), where he was a tenured full professor, initially in the Politics & Government Department, and then in the International Political Economy (IPE) Program, which he co-founded in the early 1990s and which was one of the first if not the first undergraduate program in International Political Economy in the United States. He was the co-author and co-editor of the textbook Introduction to International Political Economy, which was published in seven editions between 1996 and 2018 and was one of the best-selling books in its field, widely used in undergraduate courses in the United States and other countries. Professor Balaam also co-edited the book Food Politics and authored book chapters and journal articles on agricultural trade. In 2007, he was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy. He retired from the University of Puget Sound in 2009 as Emeritus Professor of International Political Economy.

Dave will be remembered as an engaging teacher and mentor, sharing his knowledge, experience, leadership, and enthusiasm with students and junior faculty. He was proud of the accomplishments of his many students. His legacy includes 928 students who majored in IPE since its founding at UPS.

He enjoyed European travel and led several study-abroad courses for undergraduate students. Dave had a passion for golf and fondly remembered playing the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Dave is survived by his wife, Kristi Hendrickson, and their daughters, Amelie and Claire. Dave also has two sons, David E. and Brendan Balaam. His children know that their dad was always trying to teach them: how to make things with your hands, how to be with other people, how to sink a putt, how to make the best campfire, and the value of hard work

A memorial service will be held on September 20, 2025, at University Unitarian Church in Seattle at 2:00 p.m.

Memorial donations may be made to Northwest Harvest or your local food bank in recognition of Prof. Balaam’s lifelong interest in food policy and hunger. His central thesis, substantiated in his doctoral thesis, is that there is sufficient food production in the world to feed all people; however, inequities in distribution leave many hungry while others waste and throw away food.