Donald Roots Hall

Donald Roots Hall, BA, MA, PhD, born June 20, 1930, Little Rock, Ark., passed away on April 30, 2017, son of Walter Graham Hall and Emily Roots Hall of Little Rock; grandson of Bishop Hiram Abiff Boaz of Dallas, Texas, co-founder of Southern Methodist University; and grand-nephew of Bishop Logan H. Roots of the Episcopal Church. Dr. Hall was graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, N.H. He received his BA with honors in Social science from the University of Chicago in 1958; and received his MA and PhD in Political science from the University of Colorado in 1963 and 1966 respectively. Before completing his undergraduate program, Dr. Hall enlisted in the United States Air Force shortly after the Korean War began. He completed Pilot Training in B-26 Training, Escape and Evasion School, Combat Crew Training, and left for Korea. After his Korean service (for which he was promoted and awarded the United Nations Service Medal, the American Defense Medal, and the Korean Service Medal with one Battle Star), he volunteered for another overseas tour immediately, in England. He flew B-26's and L-19's as a tow target pilot and for antiaircraft gunnery training and weapon calibrating. On returning to the United States, Hall resumed his college education. At the end of his junior year he met and married Alice Anne Coates (also of Little Rock), daughter of John Eastman Coates and Anne Bodman Coates of Little Rock. The couple moved to Chicago where Hall completed his BA in Social science. After graduation, the couple began residence in Little Rock where Hall worked in industrial development for the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce starting in 1958. As part of his work for the Chamber, Hall was assigned to create and head the first Better Business Bureau in Arkansas. Then in 1961 he began serving as the Executive Secretary of the Committee for the Two Party System, a political organization founded by Winthrop Rockefeller to promote the Republican Party in Arkansas. In 1962 the Halls moved to Boulder, Colo., where Hall began graduate studies at the University of Colorado. He received his MA in 1963, and after three more years (and a summer of research at Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, Hall received his Ph D in Political science. The Halls immediately moved to Tucson, Ariz. From 1966 to 1990 Hall served as Associate Professor of Political Science, retiring in 1990. He was often nominated by his students for teaching awards. As one of the very few Republican members of the Political Science Department, Hall was often called on to make public appearances to present the conservative point of view. Don was intensely interested in election law. He published several articles on both Canadian and American election law. Dr. Hall covered both parties' national conventions in 1968 and 1972 for the Arizona Daily Star. While living in Arkansas, Dr. and Mrs. Hall were highly visible and active in opposing then-Governor Orval Faubus and his segregation policies. Don was an amateur composer of ballads and country music, winning several national awards. His best known songs in Tucson were "Three Putt Jones" and "Hank the Shank". He was an avid banjo and piano player and loved to play at sing-a-longs. Don maintained his single digit golf handicap for much of his last thirty years at Tucson Country Club, Pinetop, Ariz., Country Club, and Aspen Valley Golf Club in Flagstaff, Ariz. Dr. Hall was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Alice Coates Hall in 2012. He is survived by his son, David G. Hall and his children, Bryce and Kylie; his daughter, Alison Baity (Kab) and her son, Jameson; his daughter, Ashley Gruber (Marty) and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Services were held at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, 3738 Old Sabino Canyon Road in Tucson on Monday May 15, 2017. An internment will be held at the family burial plot in Oakland Cemetery in Little Rock at a later date. A more complete obituary can be found at Legacy.com/Tucson/obituaries.asp.