Originally published on the CGS blog on June 24, 2014.
Earlier this month we lost a great friend and leader, Kermit Rohde. He passed away on June 2 in Austin, Texas, where he had been living with his daughter and son-in-law. Kermit was a dedicated World Federalist and a key supporter of GlobalSolutions.org.
Serving in the navy during WWII led Kermit to believe that international peace must be achieved through international law, and he became actively involved in organizations dedicated to this mission. He served as chapter chair in Lincoln, Nebraska; in Columbus, Ohio; and in the state of Oregon for the World Federalist Organization. He was a board member for Citizens for Global Solutions and the national president for the Federalist Caucus and the Campaign for United Nations Reform. Kermit was also a chair and active supporter of the Global Solutions Political Action Committee. He understood that if we wanted members of Congress to seriously engage in solving global challenges, then we needed to get serious about electing lawmakers who shared our values.
Kermit earned a doctoral degree in psychology from Northwestern University. In 1956, he moved to Corvallis, Oregon to teach in the psychology department at OSU, and taught there until his retirement in 1984. While there he served as president of the Oregon Psychological Association and as chair of the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners.
Kermit, along with his wife Barbara, raised four children in Corvallis and was well known for his activism on behalf of many political issues and candidates. Along with serving on the national board of Citizens for Global Solutions, he served on the board for the Wayne Morse Historical Park. The Rohdes also supported many arts and civic organizations and were active in their church. Kermit was a devoted husband and father, and he was delighted to have been able to celebrate his 50th anniversary with his wife Barbara before her death in 2001.
Kermit is survived by his daughter Kate Rohde and son-in-law David Cohen of Austin, Texas; by his daughter Gale Rohde of St. Paul, Minnesota; by his son Scott Rohde and daughter-in-law Sybelle Timberlake of Urbana, Illinois; by his son Rory Rohde and daughter-in-law Marianne Bernhard of Hamilton, Virginia; and by his three grandchildren, Zak, Alex, and Sarah Rohde.
A gathering in Corvallis for a service honoring Kermit will be held on August 16 (time and location to be announced). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a charity, including GlobalSolutions.org. Condolences may be sent to Rory at 38575 Purple Martin Lane, Hamilton, VA, 20158 or roryrohde@gmail.com.
