Dr. Thomas Raymond VanDervort, age 88, passed away Thursday, April 14th, 2022. Thomas (Tom) was born on August 22nd, 1933 in Fort Myers, Florida. At the age of nine, he and his family moved to Bristol, TN. After graduating high school in 1952, Tom enlisted and served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He was stationed in Darmstadt, Germany, where he worked as a radio intercept operator. There he developed a passion for international relations, learned the German language, and met Elsa Wolf, whom he married on September 15th, 1956.
His military service provided access to a university education through the GI Bill. Tom and Elsa returned to Tennessee in 1957, and he enrolled at the University of Tennessee where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and later his Ph.D. He was a Fulbright Scholar and spent a year studying at the University of Koln in Germany and a Woodrow Wilson Scholar earning an M.A. degree from Tufts University.
In 1963, he became a professor of political science at MTSU, where he taught for over thirty years. His research focused on legal studies and international Law, and he authored two textbooks on international law and the legal system. Tom was a mentor to many students and active in several collegiate groups. He helped found and coach the MTSU Mock Trial Team, which became one of the nation’s leading competitors. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Mock Trial Association for several years.
Tom enjoyed fishing, woodworking, and traveling. He was a member of the American Association of Woodturners and the Tennessee Association of Woodturners. He was politically active and a lifelong member of the Democratic Party. He was passionate about democracy, social justice and building a more equitable world.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Carlton and Josephine VanDervort; brother Carlton VanDervort Jr., and Robert (Bob) VanDervort.
He is survived by his wife, Elsa Wolf VanDervort; son, Shawn VanDervort (April); daughter, Nadine Jones (Jeff); grandchildren, Olivia Jones, Ben Jones, and Joshua VanDervort; brother, David VanDervort of Switzerland; sister-in-law Martha VanDervort; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation with the family will be Saturday, April 23rd, 2022, from 9:00-11:00am, service at 11:00am, with a reception following at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Murfreesboro, TN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
