James “Jim” Ferguson, a professor of anthropology at Stanford, died on Feb. 12 after battling a long illness. Ferguson was 65 years old.

A lifelong scholar of anthropology, Ferguson played a key role in the development of the department at Stanford. Ferguson joined Stanford as a professor in 2003, becoming chair of the department of cultural and social anthropology from 2005 to 2007. 

Throughout his professional career, Ferguson’s research interests spanned from topics like political economy and economic development, among others. He also studied the Sesotho, French, Lozi, Bemba and Finnish languages.

Ferguson wrote six books — including his best-known work, “The Anti-Politics Machine” — and dozens more articles, chapters and reviews.

He also delivered the Lewis Henry Morgan Lecture in 2009, which is regarded as the most significant annual lecture in cultural anthropology. His lecture, titled “Give a Man a Fish: Reflections on the New Politics of Distribution,” was centered around his research on social welfare programs in southern Africa. 

“He helped see the Department through difficult times, especially during the merger of Stanford’s two anthropology departments,” John Rick, an associate professor of anthropology and former chair of the anthropological sciences department, wrote in an email to The Daily.

In 1988, the anthropology department split into the department of anthropological sciences and the department of cultural and social anthropology. In 2007, the two departments merged back together, with Ferguson serving as the chair of this newly merged department. 

However, it wasn’t an easy decision to merge the two departments. In an interview with the Stanford Magazine, Ferguson said he had to “digest” the decision but thought it could succeed.

The decision to merge the department “is what has been done, and what I want to do is look to the future and see how we can make it work,” he told Stanford Magazine.

“He was always a cool head in thinking through fractious issues, and his strong reputation in cultural anthropology gave him credibility and the basis for informed leadership,” Rick wrote about Ferguson’s direction for the merged department.

Ferguson first joined Stanford in 2000 for a year-long residential fellowship with the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Following that, he was appointed the director of the Critical Theory Institute and chair of the department of anthropology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). In 2003, Ferguson returned to Stanford as a professor.

Matthew Kohrman, a professor of anthropology, met Ferguson when he served on his hiring committee. Since Ferguson’s hire, Kohrman witnessed two decades of Ferguson’s academic craft and mentorship of graduate students. 

“I remember Jim as a beacon of many things,” Kohrman said. “Most importantly, of kindness, creativity, scholarly community and intellectual rigor, as well as an unwavering commitment to building a more just world, in and outside the academy.” 

In addition to his research, Ferguson is remembered as an important member of the anthropology community at Stanford. Angela Garcia, professor and current chair of the department of anthropology, wrote that Ferguson will remain a central figure in the department and a leading voice in anthropology. 

“We will all miss his singular mind, his commitment to justice,” Garcia wrote.

His impact was felt by colleagues and students alike. According to Thomas Hansen, a professor of anthropology, Ferguson was the colleague “everyone wanted… always ready to work for others and the common good of the department and the discipline.” 

“We are all still shocked by Jim’s sudden passing. He is sorely missed as a colleague, a teacher and a scholar,” Hansen wrote in an email to The Daily.

According to Hansen, there was little to wonder why Ferguson had been a role model for many students. 

“He wore his erudition and brilliance lightly and would never try to ‘win’ an argument or dominate,” Hansen wrote. “You would be more likely to hear a wry and ironic comment from him that would make everyone chuckle.”

On March 3, faculty members of the anthropology department are meeting for a dinner in Ferguson’s honor, according to Hansen. There are also plans for an event in the spring to celebrate Ferguson’s work and legacy with the wider Stanford community.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the date of Ferguson’s death. The Daily regrets this error.